Getting an abortion is not an easy
choice. No woman wakes up in the morning and thinks to herself “Hmmm,
today would be a great day to get an abortion. I’ll call right now and
schedule an appointment!” As if making the choice isn’t hard enough, women
are often judged and shamed by society for making this decision.
While abortions are still legal in
Texas, recent laws designed to make it more difficult for women to
get them greatly concern me. Anti-abortion legislation can lead to
unsafe and illegal abortion clinics, babies being raised in
unsafe/unloving homes, and more children in the foster care system. In
class we talked about the overflow of children in the foster care system; if services
such as abortions and/or birth control were more accepted in our society, then these
types of issues might be more manageable. Instead, a woman who makes
the choice to get an abortion is shamed by society and made to feel like she is
a bad person. I know more than one woman who has faced this
difficult decision and I can say that they are not horrible monsters, but
rather they are some of kindest and most compassionate people
I know.
The judgement and stigmas associated
with abortions and the clinics that provide them, needs to come to an
end. If Texas laws would openly support organizations like Planned
Parenthood it would help pave the road for a more open minded state further
down the line.
As a society, when we point the
finger at a woman and shame her for making the decision to end a
pregnancy, we are teaching our kids how to judge. In a world full of judgement, we are in
desperate need of more compassion. I’m not trying to glorify abortion and
I know it’s not always the right choice for every woman. The
important thing is that women are able to explore all of their
options freely. Early in life we learn that we are humans and humans are
far from perfect. Will there ever come a day when we will stop judging
the people around us and instead look within ourselves and start making changes
there first?
As I read through Austin McKee's blog, Deep in the Heart of Texas, she writes over abortion in Texas and says that having an abortion is something people shouldn't be judged over, and that if there were no abortion clinics, people would be getting them in unsafe ways.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but agree with her while reading her article. I agree when saying that people shouldn't be judged, because they could be doing it for very good reasons, and they could be really great people. I also agree that people will get them in other ways than a clinic. This could be very harmful, and more discouraged and ways to be judged than going to a clinic.
Having a child when not ready would be irresponsible. I wrote my blog post over cps offices holding kids, and I bet some of these kids come from families that should have had an abortion.
One thing I would really love to have seen from her blog is her seeing the other side of the story. Maybe throw in the other sides argument and let us know why that is the wrong way to think, and another point I think should have been made, is all that a clinic does for women besides just having abortions.
I think this was a great article, and I know a lot of people could disagree with me and say that every child should be born and live a life, but everyone feels different ways.
My fellow Colleague, Austin Mckee, wrote a great opinion article, "Dear Texas: You're Far From Perfect, So Stop Pointing Your Finger," on why Texas, and more specifically, Texans need to stop shaming women who receive abortions. Throughout her article, she writes about the stigma and shame that come with getting such a procedure, and I couldn't agree more. As someone who is a huge advocate and supporter of abortions and sexual education, birth control and the like, I find it appalling that as a society in 2016, we still frown upon this specific medical procedure.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, she brings up the uncomfortable facts about the overwhelming amount of children in the foster care system and how they are being raised in neglectful and unsafe environments, for this isn't fair to the children. Unfortunately, Texas doesn't pay as much attention to the children after they're born, as they do while that child is medically/scientifically claimed a fetus; therefore, like Ms. Mckee states, the situation isn't managed as well as it could be.
Also, she mentions Planned Parenthood and that Texas should be supporting them, for the stigma against such corporations needs to stop. I also couldn't agree more with her argument. The supporting of Planned Parenthood would solve an immense amount of problems that woman face while being sexually active/pregnant. How is this a bad thing? I appreciate Ms. Mckee's specific statement, which says that if Texas would publicly support Planned Parenthood, it would help reduce the stigma against abortions, for it would show the vast population that their state isn't going to stigmatize it any longer.
Furthermore, Mckee ends her argument with stating that the stigma that is aimed against woman who receive/want abortions won't help anyone, for it only teaches people, and more importantly kids, how to judge. Children should be taught that their body is their own, and they should have the freedom to have control over it. Once again, Mckee makes an excellent argument, and it's fantastic to read an article that is preaching love and acceptance, instead of hate and judgement.