Democratic and Liberal political analysis and commentary

I am pro-choice. I know those words have become ubiquitous and somewhat meaningless in our modern world. But what does it mean to me?

First and foremost, it means that I firmly believe that a woman's choice about whether to abort an unborn child is hers and hers alone.

That does not make me "pro-abortion." I think abortion is a tragedy. I don't know anyone who is "pro-abortion." However, when push comes to shove, it is the woman who has to carry the child, give birth to the child and raise the child or give up the child. It is a heavy decision, one that sometimes has lasting consequences.

I have known at least a dozen women who have had abortions. Statistically, four in ten women in this country will have an abortion at least once over their reproductive years. Each woman has her own reason. Among those that I have known, the decision to abort was made after careful consideration and after consulting with family members.

The reason I stand up for abortion rights today is not because some of my relatively well-off friends decided to have abortions. I am standing up today for those women who find themselves literally no choice BUT to have one.

Those who live in abusive relationships, those who have no health insurance, those who have been raped, those women who are victims of incest, those who already have other children who need love and attention. The women who need this choice are indeed those with little choice in their own lives, little control of their destiny.

I am lucky enough to have given birth to two of the most beautiful and precious children in the world. Both are girls, who, with a bit of planning and lots of luck, will never have to make this horrendous decision. As I watch them grow up, and make decisions about their bodies and their lives, I am deeply grateful to the men and women who fought this fight 35 years ago. And I hope that the next generation of leaders takes up the mantle of protection for my daughters' generation.

There are so many ways to prevent a pregancy, but so relatively so few women who have access to birth control, or who can afford a reliable method. Just this year, birth control pills on some college campuses shot up in price from $5.00 per month to an unaffordable $50.00 on some campuses. To add insult to injury, some insurance plans continue not to cover the birth control pill, while still covering Viagra.

The ability for women to control their own destiny is essential to the survival of our society. I hope the women who use the hard-won right to obtain an abortion use it carefully and not take advantage of it. I also hope that organizations like Planned Parenthood, that work so hard to provide education and birth control options for women, will get more federal funding. It looks like the rate of teen pregancy is up for the first time in 25 years, while the number of abortions continues to drop.

Education is truly the answer, and as always in human culture, the opportunities and choices given to women truly determine the success or the failure of a society. I will do everything in my power to keep a woman's right to choose safe and legal. Won't you? Please leave a comment.