abortion

Pro Choice? Pro Life? Just ignore the issue? Abortion...its a very controversial topic..Pro Choicers feel that women should have the right to decide what happens with their bodies. Pro Lifers on the other hand, feel that the fetus/baby has the right to life. Here's what I think....

"Pro Life" ~ I am the mother of 2 beautiful, funny, healthy and intelligent children and I would love to have more (my friends think I am insane!). Even though my children weren't planned and I have been separated from their father for a long time now, I don't regret for one second having children. In fact, I loved every minute of becoming a mom. From getting pregnant (naturally LOL), to slowly watching my belly grow (especially when the baby started to kick), to labour pains and right through the pain of giving birth. Being pregnant is definately a beautiful experience and being a parent is IMO 100x's better! The Creators have blessed many women in the world the gift of creating life within our bodies. And yes, it is a gift. Bringing a baby into the world to be brought up in a loving, safe family where he/she will be provided for, nurtured etc is a wonderful thing. Under the right circumstances I am Pro Life. I TOTALLY disagree with women/teens who use abortion as a method of birth control. I think that is sick and senseless. However, thats where my stand on Pro-Life ends....

"Pro Choice" ~ There was a time not so long ago, that I was the mother of 3 beautiful children. My third pregnancy was very difficult and painful both physically and emotionally. It was found very early on that there were complications (my placenta was separating). If I stood or walked for too long the more it would tear (separate) and each time there was more blood and the pain was more intense. The further into my pregnancy I got the worse it got. (the whole story is on my other site if you'd like the details). Now since my boyfriend works in the States, it was my oldest (who was 5 at the time) who helped me whenever I was having an "episode". He saw the blood, saw me in pain, would have to help me get around or to the bathroom etc...thats alot for a 5 yr old. After being hospitalized twice for a week at a time, the third time in the baby was born...3 months premature. After a hellish 5 mths in the hospital, we finally get him home for a short time, he got sick and wound up back in the hospital for a few weeks. During this time we found out I was pregnant again...After much discussion we began to heavily lean toward having this baby...2 weeks later our son died totally unexpectedly...I then decided to have an abortion.

     Believe me it was a VERY difficult decision to make..As a teen I wanted lots of children and that didn't change once I reached adulthood (and it still hasn't) BUT the emotional pain and suffering that my family and I went through during that whole time was VERY harsh. For me to have gone through with the new pregnancy would have been a terrible mistake! So one week before Xmas I had an abortion. Do I regret it? NO! Not in the slightest. I KNOW it was the right decision so I have no regrets nor do I have any remorse. Some of you may say that is an awful thing to say but you know what?! I think that what we went through was even more awful...those who think that I am a terrible person for saying that or believing what I believe haven't walked in my shoes now have they? I am GLAD I had the choice..

     I recently read a post in an Abortion forum about a 16 y/o girl who was raped and wound up pregnant. As it turns out her parents refused to allow her to have an abortion...(I believe due to religious reasons)..ultimately, the stress of having her attackers child growing inside her was too much (very understandable)...she commited suicide. That is a terrible loss. SHE had the right to life more than the fetus IMO. Because she wasn't granted permission to abort, she'll never finish school, she'll never fall in love and marry a wonderful man and have children of her own (ones that she wants not ones that are forced on her), she'll never have the chance to make something of herself etc etc.. I think that is a very sad thing. Why is that the case? Because she wasn't allowed to make that choice.

     Drug addicts, alcoholics and women with HIV should have the choice to abort a fetus should they become pregnant.(Granted women/teens like that should be using (in some cases I think it should be mandatory) protection...) I believe they should be allowed to choose for various reasons.. 1) why bring a child into the world knowing that the chances of he/she being born with severe physical and/ or mental problems is great? IMO thats cruelty to the child 2) If you are a hardcore addict or alcoholic, you obviously can't take care of yourself, let alone an infant (more so one with disabilities) I think situations like these (and many others), CHOICE is needed!

     I find that Pro Lifers will often say that the woman/teen could go through with the pregnancy and then give the baby up for adoption. Well depending on the circumstances, yes, this could be an option for some. I, myself, wouldn't go that route but thats just me. One of the problems I have with this is the fact that there are already 100's of infants, children and young teens still waiting to be adopted. They are already here! Yet the impression I get is that Pro Lifers don't seem to care about them, they would rather encourge women with unwanted pregnancies to bring even more babies into the world to be cared for by the government, waiting in hopes that maybe someone will pick them. Well I am sorry but I think its far more important to find loving homes for the children that are here and still waiting..

     I could go on forever and a day about this issue.. I don't bring statistics into it because this is how I FEEL, these are MY OPINIONS AND BELIEFS and no amount of harping, preaching or pictures will change that.

If you have a difference of opinion and would like to write about it and have it posted here, please email me..(hate mail is not necessary) Thank you - Raven