Why I’m pro-life
Hi,
I am pro-life. I understand that makes a lot of people upset so let me explain... I believe that human life begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg and implants itself inside a woman's uterus. I know for some, life begins when the baby takes its first breath of air in the "real-world." I do not agree but that's okay. Before I continue, I want to clarify what I mean by saying "I am pro-life":
1. I do not believe in the death penalty. No one 'deserves' to die. Ending another person's life at any stage is murder, regardless of what they have done. I think death should always be a natural occurrence, unless in the case of self-defense. Also, too many innocent men and women (especially those of color) have been put to death for crimes they didn't commit. Doing away with the death penalty will save so many innocent lives and allow those that are guilty to live with the consequences of their actions every day for the rest of their lives.
2. I believe those in the LGBTQ+ community should be able to adopt. As long as they're good people that are willing and able to care for a child, they should be able to adopt.
3. Child support should be paid retroactively from the date of conception. One man can impregnate dozens of women in the span of 10 months while a woman can only have one pregnancy in the same amount of time. Men should think twice about the repercussions of their actions.
4. Abortion should be 100% allowed when the unborn child is deceased or if the mother's life is in danger. In this case, abortion is necessary.
5. Childcare should be free for single parents and couples that make under a certain threshold. Struggling parents need to be able to return to work so they can financially support their child(ren).
6. Vasectomies and tube tying procedures should be free to all who want them (over the age of 18). If someone chooses to never have children, they should have free access to the necessary procedures. I do not believe that every person or couple should have a child.
7. Healthcare should be free for all mothers-to-be and their children. This one is a no brainer.
I think you get the jist. I'm not your 'average' pro-lifer. I'm pro-life for the whole life, not just until birth. Mothers need help. I strongly support organizations that help mothers in crisis pregnancies where they might feel like abortion is their only option. Now, I want to answer some common questions/concerns:
- What about all the kids in foster care? I think if we asked all the kids in foster care whether they want to live or die, I think most would say they want to live. I don't think it's fair at any point to say 'you don't get to live because you were an inconvenience to your parents.' Similarly, I don't think there's any day old baby out there that wishes they were aborted. Just because a child might be placed in foster care, doesn't mean they should be aborted. Also, the point of foster care is NOT adoption. 66% percent of children exiting foster care are reunited with a family member. [3] Foster care is temporary for most children.
- What about rape or incest? According to the Guttmacher Institute study, abortions due to rape account for 1% of all abortions, while incest accounts for less than 0.5%. Over 80% of abortions occur because of reasons outside of rape, incest, or health.[1] As horrible as rape and incest are, thankfully they are rare. In the case of rape, since both parties did not consent I believe it's a slightly different situation. To me, the woman then has the choice because she did not willingly create life. In the case of incest, it depends on the health of the unborn child and if they could make it to birth. In both cases, I believe efforts should be made to keep the child alive.
- What if they suffer because their parents are poor and/or abusive? My parents were both and I'm happy to be alive today. I was able to make a beautiful life for myself. I know that the same is true for thousands, perhaps even millions of kids out there today. Everyone suffers in life to some degree.
- Well it's my body, you don't have a say. I understand you are going through the pregnancy which is incredibly brave in the first place but the unborn child's body is not your body. The unborn child has unique DNA that is different from yours. Therefore, to me, it is not mine, yours, or anyone's decision to make. Unless that baby told you in writing that they want to be aborted, you are ending an innocent life.
- It's not life! It's a clump of cells! I'm just a clump of cells. You're just a clump of cells. A person paralyzed from the neck down is just a clump of cells. Again, I'm not trying to change your mind here if that's what you truly believe. The fundamental disagreement between pro-lifers and pro-choicers is when life begins. But scientifically life begins at conception. If we disagree on that fundamental belief, then we should just agree to disagree.
One thing we can all agree on is that abortion is not a fun thing to go through. About 1 in 4 women have had an abortion at some point in time in their lives. A majority of those women have been women of color.[2] Black women have 3x more abortions than White women. [2] So as a Black woman how on earth would I support an industry that deliberately targets women that look like me?
I will never think less of a woman who got an abortion. Everyone has their reasons. But if I can convince at least one woman that abortion is not the only option, then that's at least one child that gets to experience life and that makes me happy.
In closing: My opinion on abortion did not change until after college when I was no longer living in an echo chamber. Not to mention, I was very reckless in college when it came to who I associated with. So I never really thought about the consequences of my actions. Today, I know that I'm 100% in control of whether or not I get pregnant (unless in the unfortunate case of rape). So if I do not want to risk getting pregnant, I do not have sex. I say that as a married woman and my husband is 100% onboard. I think everyone should have sex with whoever they want, whenever they want as long as they are safe, understand the potential risks associated, and accept responsibility for their actions.
Thanks for reading.
Source:
1. https://abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/
