I'm not pro-abortion. I'm pro-choice. Back in my catholic days, I protested outside many clinics. Remeber that cliche "walk a mile in their shoes"? Well, it's true. Kelly was on the pill for 3 years before she got pregnant. The doctor said we just happened to fall into that dreaded .01% chance. Kelly's parents already told her that if she got pregnant to never come home. Knowing her parents, I was fully aware that they would probably kick her out onto the streets. Both of our incomes could barely support us while living at home, let alone a child.
We decided not to have an abortion and I'm now a 23 year old father. I thank everything everyday that we had the baby. However, I am still pro-choice. On a chance of luck, her parents did not put her out on the streets. If they did, perhaps she would have had to have an abortion. Perhaps she'd be one of the many beat-up prostitutes you see that do it to raise their children. I don't mean to sound harsh, but we can have another baby. We can't have another Kelly.
So, this choice would not have been about birth control. We were using birth control. We were not trying to dodge consequences as the mental anguish after the abortion would have been tremendous and consequences themselves. Adoption was not an option because Kelly's well being would be in equal jeapordy then having the baby.
Do I think 16 year olds should be able to have abortions without parental conscent? Yes, I do. I think pro-life activists often over-exaggerate the use of abortions as an everyday birth control method. I have witnessed several occurances where it was in everyones best interest to abort the fetus and leave it unknown. Yet, the image of the slutty 18 year old with a frequent flyer card for the abortion clinic serves the purpose of the pro-lifers much more then the scared, hopeless, and helpless 20 year old with nowhere to turn. We tried the church, Kelly's lifetime membership, and were turned away. Labeled as sinners. When your church turns you away and tells you that you're evil, you tend to lose all hope in life.
To this day, I celebrate that we did not have the abortion. I'm sure I could handle the everyday nagging inside my head, but my wife could not. However, being in that position, I can see when an abortion may be necessary.
Late term abortions, despicable. I'm glad they are outlawed and should never be legal again. Im firmly support the 6 month 24 days rule, and perhaps it should be lowered to 6 months.
