I'll sincerely and emphatically warn you that this article is very graphic and disturbing. While I found it edging over into the area of a propagandist tract it still moved me and brought up, what I thought, were some compelling thoughts and images. It's also very long and a little redundant, but worth a read if you're interested in or embroiled in the debacle that is abortion.
Abortion is something I'm very hesitant to talk about here or anywhere and I find myself struggling a little to do it now for a couple of reasons. Mainly being male, I find it somewhat paradoxical that men should sound off so loudly on something that is essentially a female issue, but men are involved with it and realistically it involves both sides. I also don't like commenting on subjects that I find on other blogs, but as the author posted the link to the article, and I actually read the article, I feel I can talk about it without feeling like I stole an idea.
I've never been really sure where I stand on this issue, though deep down I've always opposed abortion on the simple premise that it ends what is or would become a living, breathing person. At one point I spent a lot of time in abortion channels on Yahoo debating with lots of people for and against the procedure. I came to see that simply legalizing or illegalizing it wouldn't solve the deeper problems and in the end, since it was going to happen anyway, it might as well be legal, if for no other reason than for the women undergoing the abortion to be in a safe medical environment. I guess you could call my stance one of disapproval with capitulation. This article made me question that stance.
Abortion is such a complicated issue, involving so many different variables and an almost infinite amount of scenarios. While I try to find black and white I seemingly always end up a shade of gray. The concept of killing children is so very abhorrent, but the questions that crop up are hard to handle in an emphatic way. So we make it illegal, what about rape, what about genetic deformities, what if the mother's life is in danger? And those are just a few. I remember reading about the abortion boat and how many women in Ireland were trying to get access to it before it was forced to leave. There's no denying how in demand the procedure is and that begs the question. What does that mean about us in general, our culture and society?
I sympathize with women on the issue too, because when you get down to it a man and a woman can have sex, even responsibly, and if the woman gets pregnant the man has that option of staying or walking away. If he walks away then his life will go on unchanged, at least physically. On the other hand, the woman has all these choices, to keep the child, abort it or adopt it out, and no matter what she does she will be irrevocably impacted for the rest of her life. As a man I can't comprehend what it would be like.
If abortion is illegal, then what happens with all the children? From where I sit it seems there are a lot of couples seeking adoption, but everything I've heard about that process indicates that it is inefficient, complicated, lengthy and cumbersome. Children born into poor families, children born to single teenage girls, what happens to them; won't they just become a drain on the social services, costing taxpayers more and more money? Will not an unplanned pregnancy ruin the potential lives of young women? The article seems to indicate that there are agencies in place, people with money and homes willing to support all these situations. I have to wonder how many people know about them though.
For me, in the end, it boils down to the fact that I can't abide the ending of what would become a human life, at any stage. I'll concede that under special medical circumstances the procedure could be used, but only after all other options have been explored. This issue demands a lot of compassion and understanding. You're dealing with the lives of people and making decisions that will alter those lives forever no matter what you do.
If only we could sit and discuss these things in a civil manner, with respect and integrity I think we could find solutions. For my part, I think education is the key, informing women and men so that there is some understanding of what's happening, from birth control, conception, and pregnancy. As much as I would like to think that everyone is well informed, that doesn't seem to be the case. Hell, I don't claim to be well informed.
Anyhoo, I felt the need to talk this out and since I have a blog I'm going to publish it. If you read the article, I'd love to hear your opinions and comments. This issue is something I have a hard time finding solid ground on, so I would be interested to hear what you have to say.
