Friday, May 11, 2012

Why is abortion an important issue?

I've noticed that the vast majority of my posts have been about abortion, and I don't want this blog to be exclusively about abortion.  I want to put out information about women's rights and progressive politics in general, especially in Arizona.  However, women's rights in particular have come under fire lately, and I know a lot of people don't really understand why abortion is crucial to equality for women.

The simple truth is that contraceptives were the great equalizer for women.  They allowed us to put off having a family, or to not have one at all.  They allowed us to own our sexuality, not keep it under lock and key for our future husbands to enjoy while men were free to have anonymous sex without much fear of the consequences.  The birth control pill put us in charge of our lives, allowed us to have careers and become more than housewives and mothers.  It allowed us to have smaller, more manageable families we could adequately provide for.  It allowed us to let our bodies rest and heal in between pregnancies so that we could have them a couple of years or more apart, rather than becoming pregnant within a few months of giving birth to the previous child.  It allowed us to not die, exhausted, after having a dozen children.  It allowed us to plan and manage our futures.

Contraceptives were critical in creating an environment where equality for women was possible.  Abortion is the back-up plan.  Abortion is our safety net.  It means that we can still move forward with our lives if contraception fails us, if we are raped, or if a deeply wanted pregnancy goes wrong.

Legal, safe abortion means that we are worth more, in the eyes of the legislature, than our ability to breed.

Right now, this right is so threatened that women who have not protested since the 70's are coming out to defend us.  Understand this: if we allow them to take our right to choose, our rights to contraceptives are next.  There are people who do not value women as intelligent, valuable citizens of this country who are writing these bills.  There are people out there who would love to return us the pre-pill era where men controlled us, our lives, our futures, our property, and our country.

I am worth more than my ability to produce children.

I am a human being, equal to men.

I deserve to be treated as such.


2 comments:

  1. Safe way to do an abortion is by taking pills.Try Mifeprex Pill .Safe and helps to end with abortion.

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  2. Abortion is nothing but the termination of pregnancy. It is not legal, but it can be legal and can be done in some cases like if the pregnant lady is not capable to carry a pregnancy if she has physical, mental or financial issues. If you want to terminate a pregnancy at home, then I must be suggested buy Abortion Pills online. This is the world most used early pregnancy termination pill which helps for the safe nonsurgical abortion process at home up to 9 weeks.

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