Recently a
woman here in Indy tried to kill herself and her unborn child with rat poison.
She survived her unborn child did not. She is charged with murder
and infanticide based on Indiana law. Her defense will be the law is
unconstitutional so once again Indiana will be at the center of a controversial
decision. I don't right now have an opinion on this case but that is not
what I am writing about. I follow on Facebook a local reporter/pot
stirrer Abdul-Hakim Shabbazz. One of his other followers said this, “Sometime
maybe you can help me understand a local story where a woman used her right to
choose to end her own life and her unborn baby with rat poison and is charged
with infanticide and murder. If she went to a clinic and had an abortion the
same day she would be a hero. Can you explain that one?”
I am always
struck by the comfort the anti-abortion crowd has with suggesting they know
what I think as a pro-choice advocate. A
hero? Really? I have been an advocate for abortion rights
for almost 30 years and I have met no one who cheers abortions. Most people believe they should be safe,
legal and rare who identify as pro-choice.
Abortions in fact have been on a slow and steady decline since
1990. Part of the reason is that we are
doing better comprehensive sexuality education.
Teaching young people about the responsibility of their sexual behavior
is important. Raising our children to
not only embrace who they are as sexual beings but showing them how to respect
it up to and including things like birth control, honoring one’s body by acting
safely and of course honoring whoever one chooses as a partner. These are the things that will make unwanted
pregnancies and abortions reduce in number.
The other benefit is later first intercourse, less disease and more
positive choices about sexual behavior as a young adult and into middle
age. Understanding the sex is a positive
thing but something that comes with responsibility will eliminate the need for
many abortions. But it might be easier
to simply lob simplistic bumper sticker slogans. I know it takes less thought.
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