Now, I will admit that I am not hardcore against abortion. I detest the casual way it is used and talked about, and I am dead set against late term abortions except as a true medical emergency. It turns my stomach that the Libs do not want parental notification in what is a monumentous decision in a young girls life.
And it is distrubing, to say the least, that most cannot even call it abortion. It is usually "choice" or "pro-choice," and they call those who oppose abortion "anti-choice," like it is some horrendously evil thing to even dare bring up objections to the wanton destruction of life simply because someone got liquored up (or stoned, or whatever), didn't use protection, and found themselves pregnant.
Perfect example:
Every damn day I go past a PP clinic on my way to work. And every damn day there are at least two, sometimes more old white men with signs with aborted fetuses or slogans like "Planned Parenthood kills babies and scars mothers". They even have a little truck that drives around downtown with a 10 by 16 picture of an aborted fetus on it (quite appetizing as i head on down to Wendy's).
And what does the pro-choice side bring to counter this debate? Not a goddamned thing.
Seriously, when is the pro-choice side going to get counter-protesters standing by these regulars that stand their post daily? Sure we are able to turn out a couple of thousand people holding NOW logos on the Supreme Court steps every time they hear an abortion case, but where is the daily outreach to the everyday crowd? Where are the people holding signs that read "the Knights of Columbus intimidate women and scare children" or "Choice let me finish my college degree"?!?!?! Where is our truck with a picture of a haggard drop-out woman with 7 children who works 4 jobs to make ends meet with a clever slogan like "Life"?
These people are out there trying to convince people daily and our side has no statement to counter them. We need this voice; we need this presence.
Got that? "I was irresponsible and got pregnant, but a pair of forcepts, a little shot to the brain, and a suction machine let me get my college degree. It's like getting a boil lanced." And, "I kept getting pregnant when I shouldn't have, because I was a dope. If only I could have killed my kids off before they were born. But, those evil Rightwingers wouldn't let me off them."
If something is the cat's meow, you shouldn't really have to go out of your way to convince people of it, should you?
Hm, so, I guess I’m against the parental notification because an abortion is a medical procedure, and there should be doctor-patient confidentiality included even with this. Children should talk to their parents about it, of course, and the doctor should suggest this to the girl who’s come in, but it feels wrong to say that this one medical procedure isn’t included in the doctor-patient relationship.
The only other point is on the “anti-choice” comment. I’m “pro-choice”, not pro-abortion. I don’t think people should act stupid, get pregnant, and then abort the child. It’s wrong. However, I’m not that person, and it’s not my decision to make. Hence, I say I want women to choose, and hope they choose to have the child.
Those who are “pro-life” also believe that having abortions is bad. They, however, wish to tell the woman that she cannot have an abortion because he or she feels it’s wrong, in effect removing the choice from the woman to make.
As a concluding comment, I guess I could turn your question around at you (or those who stand out front of PP with photos of aborted fetuses): If abortion is so wrong, if it is so clearly murder, why do people have to be persuaded as such?