Saturday, April 26, 2008

Current Events.......part one

South Carolina is suggesting a Bill that will make it mandatory for a woman considering abortion to view an ultrasound of her fetus before she makes the choice to abort. Opponents of this Bill say that it is just a tool to intimidate women who have already made an agonizing choice.

First let me say that I believe a person should have the right to decide what is best for themselves and their bodies. I believe this to be true no matter if that person is male or female...20 years old or 80 years old. An individual should not only have the right, but the responsibility to make choices for themselves in regards to their health, any medical treatments or lack there of.
Having said that, I don't personally believe in the act of abortion. I don't feel that its a good choice or solution to the issue of an unwanted pregnancy. But denying a woman's right to make these choices for herself isn't the answer either. I think rather than trying to legally prevent the act...it is better to educate, and provide all possible information allowing a woman to make the most informed choice possible.
Which is why I think the South Carolina Bill is a good idea. I will concede that counseling and literature provided to those women who are contemplating abortion is a good idea. But its not enough. I think its time we stopped referring to babies as fetuses. Doing so to me makes them sound less like a person.
I am of the belief that the moment the sperm and egg collide...a human is created. The size of that human or the state of development is irrelevant. I believe that allowing someone to see the person they have created...to see that this "thing" they have inside their bodies...isn't just tissue and cells. It has arms and legs....and a heart that beats. It is a person.
Will this make an already agonizing decision even more difficult....YES it will. And it should. This is a choice that will affect the rest of your life. It will be something you carry with you long after the moment is over. Something you will never forget. Nor should you.
Yes I believe a woman should have control over her own body. I believe she has control when she decides to have sex. I believe she has control when she chooses a method of birth control. I believe she has a choice when she becomes pregnant.
Its not for me to judge the actions of another....And whether I agree with it or not...I think a woman also has the choice should she decide to end her pregnancy. I just believe that before she makes this choice she needs to see first hand exactly what she is ending.