I do not know if I am pro-life or pro-choice anymore. I once considered myself "pro-choice" because I believe that everyone has the right to choose for herself. This is a basic human right.

I understand that pro-lifers want to protect the rights of those who cannot claim their rights for themselves. It does seem to me that once a life has begun, no one should be able to take it away. Creating a life is a great privilege and responsibility. If it happens because of a mistake, the living fetus should not be punished because of someone else's error, should it? Having to carry a baby through birth seems a small price to pay for an error when the alternative is the taking away of an entire life.

Here are a few things that happened that are making me lean back toward pro-life:

1. I read someone's post about being an abortion nurse and having to flush fully-formed fetuses down the toilet. Up to 14 a day. Their hearts had been beating until they cut them from the umbilical cord. She wondered how many fetuses are flushed down our septic system across the US on a daily basis.

2. Several people in my life have had abortions. Why? They did not use birth control! One of them was married and got pregnant but the pregnancy happened at an inconvenient time for them. She and her husband wanted more space between their children. Three others were with men they did not intend to marry. One is a teen but the others are women who should know better.

The irony is that two of them oppose abortion in theory, both political and religious. They vote against it all the time.

I am confused. I like the idea of being pro-choice, in theory, but the reality makes me pro-life. For the child's sake. It is a child even if it is in the womb. Another woman I know had a child born extremely premature. It was under one pound. Everyone expected the worst. But he is a full-grown, intelligent adult today who is attending a notable university. He is a former fetus who is grateful for the life he was given.

Pro-choice sounds great in theory but people do not use this freedom in a responsible way. They do not see abortion as the killing of a viable human being which it is.

Some people refuse to believe that the fetus is alive, that it is a human being, and that is their view. I wonder, however, if it just removes the guilt. The bottom line to me is: Everyone has the right to choose what to do with his or her own body. Even if there is a little life inside a womb, the responsibility of its protection and care is in the mother's hands. If the mother decides to terminate its life, it is her choice. It isn't our place to judge or intervene. If the child were viable on its own--outside the mother's body--then we are in the place to protect it. We can't protect the baby while inside the womb without infringing seriously upon the rights of the mother.





Last edited by Lori-Marriage; 01/29/09 04:11 PM.