I'm speaking to you. Women who are not supporting other women. We all have different beliefs but we all have one important thing in common - we are women. We need to start sticking up for each other. Straight, lesbian, transgender, mother, daughter, sister, friend - we seem different but not so. "We are all women" is our first commonality but we have others, sadly others. We can be victims of incest and possibly become pregnant or at the very least acquire a STD along with severe genital trauma. We can be raped of which pregnancy, STD's and genital trauma are all possible. In both situations physical and psychological trauma would also be possible outcomes. Cultural traditions are also important in how these issues are dealt with. Some girls and women are told they are to blame for what has occurred and are then shunned or in extreme situations killed. Although religion, cultural or familial beliefs can all impact differently, we are still all women. And we should all be able to decide how we best will deal with these in our own way. Medical decisions should be our own - always. Not (ever) decided in a State House by men and sometimes women that don't know anything about the women who are in these difficult situations. A woman and her doctor - the only people in the equation. When women are corralled as a faceless entity and treated as feeble minded so that seemingly the only intelligent decisions could not possibly be made by them - well women are in a sad position.
We are the only ones who will stand up for us. We have our best interests in mind - no one else will do right by us. Who would force anyone to relive an emotional, physical and psychological trauma for nine more months? Will they be with us through each harrowing day and night? Will they pay all the doctor's bills? Give us paid leave from our work? And in extreme cases shelter and food? And will they truly care for the child's needs before and after birth? It costs between $120,000 and $250,000 to raise a child from birth to age 18 according to a survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (this estimate does not include college tuition).
Before the next Abortion Clinic is bombed or the next doctor gunned down perhaps the "Pro-Life" people should honestly look at their motives and the complete "cost" of their actions. They should also look at the fact that their belief systems are theirs and theirs alone no matter how much they desire it to be the world view.
