Politics and Parenting: Abortion Choice

Filed in archive Parenting on February 12, 2004

In the past, I've refrained from posting anything too controversial or personal and I feel that something is missing here because of that restraint. I don't want to flood you all with my political opinions, but I adhere to the belief that "the parental is the political." Our opinions of social and political issues deeply affect the choices we make as parents and the values we aim to instill in our children. Leaving my political self out of this blog has left the blog itself a bit empty.

That's about to change!

Have no fear -- you can still come here for the basics, but I hope no one objects to the occasional social/political/parenting commentary.

Jumping Right InConfession: the fact that I had a baby before getting married does not mean that I am against abortion. It's amazing how many people assume that those of us who have children at a young age, without getting hitched, must be anti-choice! As an individual who is firm in her belief that a woman has every right to discontinue any pregnancy, at any time and for any reason, I cannot even begin to describe how degrading this assumption is.

From an emotional perspective, I feel confident that my daughter will grow up knowing that we made the concious decision to raise her, and that her future well-being was taken into consideration when her father and I decided to bring her into the world. We had a choice; what an empowering feeling. Generations of women before us died, while others were forced to continue their pregnancies only to have their children harvested for adoption, all because they didn't have the right to choose.

A male friend once assured me that having a baby would radically alter my point of view. If anything, becoming a mother has strengthened my beliefs. I greatly enjoyed my pregnancy because I knew I was ready and willing to be a mommy at the end of it all, but I cannot imagine being forced to stay pregnant had my situation been different.

Choice: Freedom for women, now and forever.

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