Think smart!
Rebecca Hodder | Fulcrum Contributor
WHILE ABORTION BECOMES a hot topic in Canada once again, I can’t help but wonder if people still don’t really understand the meaning of the term pro-choice. I myself am pro-choice—but that does not mean that I would get an abortion. What this does mean is that I don’t negatively judge a woman who chooses to have an abortion.
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I believe that until you are the person looking down at that life-altering little blue stick, trying to decide whether or not you have what it takes to raise and care for another human being mentally, physically, and financially, you have no right to tell other women what they can and cannot do. Sorry, guys, but as far as I’m concerned, your opinion is moot. I fully acknowledge the burden and responsibility honest men bear in having a child, I just don’t think they can be fully involved in the abortion conversation, as it is not a choice they will ever have to make for themselves.
To me, anything is better than a woman bringing a child into the world simply because she has no other option, only to turn into a neglecting and resentful mother. If you are not completely committed to loving and raising a child, through thick and thin, then you shouldn’t have one. Adoption is something I’d consider a better solution, but not all women are prepared to suffer through nine months of pregnancy only to give the baby up.
My issue is not with abortion itself but with the fact that some women seem to take it for granted. Just because you have the option of having an abortion does not mean that you shouldn’t do everything in your power to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. I really wonder if it’s acknowledged how difficult going through an abortion is. Even if you never wanted to have children, the emotional damage from the process of abortion can be just as painful as the physical.
I understand that accidents happen, and that no contraception is 100 per cent effective. However, it’s important that women know their options when it comes to safe sex and take the proper steps to employ them. The U of O gives out free condoms on a regular basis! Women need to be aware of all of the services available to them.
I am more than just pro-choice: I am pro-contraception. Think smart!
