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kimbermoose

A Woman’s Right To Choose

On my blog, I have not always been so forth coming about my politics. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter (or even know me in real life) you know that’s not true at all.

I am making this blog post because I am so outraged by what I see happening in my country today. There are many things to be angry about, but because today is the 47th anniversary of Roe Vs. Wade being passed, I’d like to discuss the abortion bans happening in several states and The Supreme Court’s attempt to over throw RvW.

On this day in 1973, Roe Vs. Wade was passed. In this case, the Court ruled that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides a fundamental “right to privacy” that protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose whether or not to have an abortion.

1 in 4 women will get an abortion in her life.

In 2019, abortion bans went up by 50% and now there are even politicians in my home state of Maryland that are filing bills to ban abortion at 6 weeks after conception. Most women don’t even know they’re pregnant at 6 weeks, so this ban would block a woman from making reproductive decisions for herself, before even knowing she is pregnant. Last year 5 states passed laws banning abortion and in Ohio, lawmakers introduced a bill that would create a crime called “abortion murder,” punishable by life in prison.

Recently, there has been a new wave trying to revoke Roe vs. Wade. There are 16 abortion cases that are one step away from the Supreme Court, and Kavanaugh’s vote could limit our access to legal and safe abortions. 73% of Americans don’t want to see Roe vs. Wade overturned. That is the highest percentage in years, yet politicians are passing unconstitutional legislation and spreading deceptions.

95% of women surveyed said that having an abortion was the right decision for them.

The Facts:

Women are going to die if these laws continue to pass. Banning abortion doesn’t stop abortions, it just stops safe abortions. There is a long history of abortion, it wasn’t even illegal until the 1800s. You may have heard of back alley abortions which were extremely dangerous and coat hanger abortions. Many women died or suffered serious medical problems from attempting to self-induce abortions or going to untrained practitioners, who performed abortions with extreme methods or in unsanitary conditions. Women who can’t access abortion are three times more likely to end up below the federal poverty line. Not to mention, that low-income people and people of color are disproportionally affected by these bans.

In this study, 95% of women said that having an abortion was the right decision for them. (I follow this ShoutYourAbortion account and the stories are great).

If you don’t like abortion, it’s pretty simple: don’t get one. You can be pro-life for yourself, but pro-choice over all. You cannot make that decision for someone else. The government and our leaders should not be making these decisions when these outlandish abortion bans that don’t even work. Pro-choice beliefs ensure you’re allowing another women to make this extremely difficult decision for themselves after they take into account their health, family, future, doctor’s advice, etc.

“If male politicians could get pregnant, there would be as many Planned Parenthood clinics as there are Post Offices”

AOC

Abortion should not be conditional. Who are you to decide what makes a “good excuse” to get an abortion? A woman not wanting to go through with a pregnancy is reason enough. It’s none of your business. In the argument of “abortion is acceptable when a woman is raped”, I ask: why does a woman have to be violated in order for her to be in control of her own body? Every woman deserves the right to control her reproductive health and what she does with her body.

1 in 4 women will get an abortion in her life. And whether you know it or want to admit it, you probably know and love someone who has had an abortion. (I know I do).

Policy Proposals:

Here is the message the president shared just hours ago on this anniversary. Trump says his goal is to prevent more abortions, but his policies (and other Republican policies) are extremely harmful to women and family planning. I support a woman’s right to get an abortion and I am also in support of policies that would aid in lowering the need to seek an abortion, such as:

Ways To Help Fight These Abortion Bans:

So if you’re like me and you’re terrified, outraged and passionate about taking a stand against all of these anti-abortion mishaps, here are some organizations you can donate to:

Here are other ways you can help the good fight:

  • Volunteer at your local abortion clinic or Planned Parenthood
  • Sign petitions to show where you stand
  • Boycott companies that support pro-life extremists
  • Speak out about these abortion bans to your peers, friends and family
  • Call your legislators and share what you are passionate about
  • Continue to educate yourself on what is happening in politics regarding abortion rights
  • VOTE! We need to elect pro-choice candidates! The fight has just begun!

About the Shirt I’m Wearing:

The Outrage is an organization I found that leverages the power of community and fashion to mobilize activists. Their goal is to make it easy to engage and support the causes you care about. 100% of the proceeds of the shirt I’m wearing benefit NARAL Prochoice America. 

Here are some other items you can purchase that will support pro-choice organizations:

Here are the links for the pins in these pictures:

I don’t think I’ve ever posted anything this serious before. I’m not normally so upfront about my views on my blog but this year I am trying to be less apologetic and for me, that also means not yielding or hiding my views. There is so much wrong happening in the world right now and I don’t want to just sit down and not use my voice and blogging platform to stand up for what I believe.

Abortion is a constitutional right. Abortion is healthcare. Legal abortion saves lives. It is none of your business what a woman decides to do with her body. If you’re against abortion, just don’t get one.

Thanks for reading! xx

Comments

  1. Kellie says

    I want this post to be read by everyone. You wrote this so eloquently and it’s powerful to read. I couldn’t agree more with you. Our body, our choice. I don’t understand why some people can’t grasp that concept. Thank you for sharing this!

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