This blog is particularly difficult for me to write this week. As I sit here in Germany writing this my daughter is laying in a hospital bed 3,800 miles away in the midst of a very painful miscarriage at 10 weeks of pregnancy. There’s nothing I can do to comfort her, I feel completely helpless. I am only able to comfort her by telephone while she attempts to pass my dead grandchild. It’s heartbreaking and hearing the pain in her voice is almost too much for me to bear.
Even at this moment where I feel sorrow and deep sadness for my daughter and the grandchild I will never meet, I am still pro choice. I believe in allowing women to have the final say over their own bodies. I believe we should support Planned Parenthood and the rights of women everywhere to have safe abortions. It is my opinion, that a fetus which is unable to survive on its own outside of its host/mother is not a viable human and therefore does not have rights above the mother’s. I would consider my views on abortion to be moderate. I believe that there is a moral break in the biological process of development.
My Own Experience;
I became pregnant at the age of eighteen. I considered abortion, because at that time I was young and in an unhealthy relationship. Ultimately, I couldn’t go through with it and opted to give birth to my son. Subsequently, I went on to have two more children with the same man who became my husband. I don’t regret having my children for one second, even though that relationship ended after thirteen years in a painful divorce. Fast forward thirty one years and my life is great. I’ve had success and failure, but I have three amazing children, of whom I’m immensely proud.
The topic of abortion is a tough one and un-winnable. Neither side of the argument will concede to the other. The position of one side vs the other are totally different. The pro-lifers believe that abortion is morally wrong based on a religious, moral or ethical belief. The pro-choicer’s believe that women should be able to choose what is best for them and their bodies. Then in the middle are those who are on the fence because they can see both sides. The debate isn’t cut and dry, you have women all over the globe without access to healthcare, contraception, and abortion services. These women are subject to struggle with having to care for multiple children.
Abortion and the Environment; Ronnie Hawkins, author of Reproductive Choices, brings up the connection between abortion and the environment. “1.2 billion people live in poverty around the world, women bear a larger share of the burden of poverty” (Hawkins 690). Based on this fact, women would naturally seek to limit the size of their families, but in areas of the global south, how do they do that? Women in third world countries lack access to resources for women’s healthcare services.
Hawkins also brings up a good point about the land use in an over populated world. The more people that inhabit the Earth, the more resources they use up, depleting resources on a more rapid basis. This makes complete sense to me considering that by 2100 the population of the world is expected to reach 11.2 billion (un.org). The world is in bad shape as it is with global warming, polluted oceans, unhealthy air quality, toxic water and fish. How will 11.2 billion humans survive on a planet that’s too hot and polluted? The wealthier nations may take a different view on this, but in looking at it in terms of ecology, it seems that population control might be a good place to start. Safe, legal, and accessible abortions will save the lives of women all over the world. There will always be a need for abortion and if we don’t provide safe ways to obtain them, women will seek illegal abortions which can lead to death.
During the 1920’s to the 1960’s, before the legalization of abortion in 1973, women resorted to illegal abortions at the cost of their lives or reproductive health. Women in parts of the United States would seek underground abortions by doctors who used Lysol to perform them. “Lysol advertised their product as an effective form of birth control, advising women to douche with it in diluted form after sex, thus powerfully linking the product to the notion of family planning” (Flanagan). Women would seek out these abortion doctors where they would receive an injection into their uterus of Lysol to remove the pregnancy. Women would end up in the emergency room on the brink of death with organ failure caused by Lysol. These stories are why Planned Parenthood and other organizations geared toward helping women are crucial. “It was illegal to advertise contraception nationally before 1977, so the Lysol ads performed a coy bit of misdirection—they said that if women didn’t douche after sex, they would lose their “dainty,” or “feminine,” or “youthful” appeal” (Flanagan).
What About The Children?
2.9 million cases of child abuse are reported in the United States. Five children suffer abuse related deaths everyday (dosomething.org). I can’t help but wonder what that number would look like if more women had access to affordable, legal abortions. For too long women have not been equal and this is one more example of patriarchal control. The right to abortion simply means that women have rights over their own body. While I am no proponent of using abortion as birth control, I do support a woman’s right to make decisions that are in her and her body’s best interest. The opposers are not going to raise these children or financially provide for them, to me the more responsible choice for some women is abortion.
annotated bibliography;
Caitlin Flanagan is an author who contributors to the Atlantic magazine an east coast magazine. She was born and raised in Berkeley, California and attended the University of Virginia. She authored To Hell with All That—an exploration, based on her Atlantic articles, of the lives of modern women. Some of her work includes; extended book reviews about conflicts of modern life—by professional women.
Works cited;
11 Facts About Child Abuse, https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-child-abuse
Flanagan, C., The Dishonesty of the Abortion Debate, The Atlantic Magazine, Dec. 2019 Issue
Gordon, j., The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, https://www.iep.utm.edu/abortion/
Hawkins, Ronnie Zoe. “Reproductive Choices: The Ecological Dimension.” Contradictions: Controversies in Feminist Social Ethics. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1993. 690-693.
Valentin, J., Abortion isn’t about the right to privacy. It’s about women’s right to equality, Tue 14 Oct. 2014, TheGuardian.com
Hello Tonya, thank you for sharing your experience. You mentioned “population control” in your blog. Do you believe that population control is something that the government should address or should it be something that is done by individuals choosing not to have as many children?
I’ve been concerned about overpopulation for a while. Every since I saw an episode of Star Trek called “The Mark of Gideon”. In this episode the Enterprise crew comes across a planet that is severely overpopulated and (with direction from the government) uses a virus that is latent in humans (but does not affect humans) and harmful to the Gideon (I believe that was the name of the race) to cull the population. These actions are extreme but with how the planet was overpopulated it becomes understandable. I don’t expect this exact scenario to happen but I am fearful of a day when government decides who gets to live and die. Would love to hear your thoughts on this.
Also I didn’t know that bit about lysol, both fascinating and depressing.
Hi Nick,
I believe that population control should come in the form of individuals limiting the number of children they have. I think that the more women who become educated, the more they will wait to have children and even decide to limit how many. My Mom graduated high school, got married and had kids. It’s the only thing she ever aspired to do in her life. She worked off and on while I was growing up, but never thought about college or ever pushed me to go. I followed, her footsteps and had children young and now am working on my education after my kids are grown. I think with education and enlightenment come more responsible choices.
Sadly the women in the global south have limited access and options so without education, and options they end up having more babies. Without abortion services they have to give birth even if they can’t afford it or don’t want it. So for them it’s even more dire than for us western women. I certainly don’t agree that the government should get involved and force population control. However, they could offer incentives to people without children, or limited number of children in the form of tax breaks. Just like they do with people who have children… that could work from the government angle.
Hi Tonya
I’m so sorry to hear of your daughter’s miscarriage! I have never experienced something like that before. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling. As a mother I can identify with the helplessness you’re feeling right now. Stay strong for your daughter.
I also found this blog to be difficult for me because I feel like I identify with the “pro-lifers” and the 1st view of the “extreme view” discussed by Gordon. Although I never felt my view was “extreme.” I actually felt a little offended that people would see my view as extreme in the sense that I might seem radical. Maybe in the sense of feminism I am.
Yes, my rational for being a “pro-lifer” is religion. I believe that God allows things to happen, good and bad. Sometimes we wonder why because it can be heartbreaking and even debilitating but I believe he also provides us with the strength and perseverance to thrive even in the most adverse situations. I struggle. I struggle with my faith in the respect that I don’t understand why God would allow such atrocities in our lives. But I also have faith that he will never gives us any thing we cannot handle and he will bring us through any situation. I truly have many questions of my own I don’t have answers to in regard to my faith. Beyond my religion stands my moral view on the subject.
I really don’t know how I feel about Hawkins idea of population control. You bring up some points Hawkins identifies that women in third world countries lack access to resources for women’s health care. I agree that women in third world countries should have access to adequate healthcare. So should children and men. Healthcare and food as well as other recourses such as education are seriously lacking in these areas. I see the population rising rapidly as an issue when it comes to our ecosystem and it seems clear that if something doesn’t change our resources will inevitably be exhausted and the population will not survive. Is abortion the answer to this? You bring up the use of Lysol in the United States as a form of abortion that was actually harmful to women leaving them with medical problems and infertility. That still exists today and I see it as a form of population control, specifically to low-income women. Low-income women are exposed to unsafe birth control practices and are targeted with specific forms of birth control known to cause harm to a females reproductive system. Unknowingly Practices like this still exist today. Here is a link to an article in the New York Times that discusses it in further detail. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/opinion/iud-implants-contraception-poverty.html
I do believe that women should have equality with men. But there is a biological difference between women and men and that is women have the ability to create another human being. In that respect women and men will never be equal. I have a hard time seeing abortion as an equality issue because of this fact. Women’s rights are a completely different animal. Many women believe women should have a choice. The ability to chose whether or not to give birth to a child. Everyone has the right to chose what they do. I am not “you”. I may have my views but it doesn’t mean it is the same for everyone. It’s unfair to assume everyone should have the same view, morals, and opinions.
Thank you for sharing your circumstances and views. I know this was a hard subject to write on in general and even more sensitive to you given your personal situation right now.
Hi Holly,
Thank you for your kind words regarding my daughter. I am not religious, so for me, I’m not looking at this topic through the lense of faith, but rather through a pragmatic approach. I have seen too many women have babies that they can’t take care of, or don’t want to. Women who are already stretched thin and don’t have the means or support or bring another child into their families. I do not advocate for abortion as birth control. I believe that if a woman ends up pregnant like some do even while on birth control, that having abortion as an option is important.
I also don’t believe that abortion is the answer to population control in and of itself. Abortion should be an option in the case of a last resort for women in all areas of the world. The morning after pill, first trimester abortion, etc. I also do believe that in the case where a baby has not formed properly and will more than likely not survive after birth then a late term abortion can also be an option. (Although I’m really not completely in support of that option, unless under special circumstances). I wouldn’t at all call myself an extreme liberal or radical feminist. I do still have some traditional, or old fashioned ideas of marriage and family. I don’t agree with your point that men and women will never be equal. I agree that men and women are not the same and have biological differences, but they can be equal. In terms of rights, and opportunities.
Taking the option for abortion away from women who would seek dangerous illegal abortions is irresponsible I feel. Why should a woman be forced to have an unwanted baby? Just because she can get pregnant? If she is acting responsibly and using birth control and gets pregnant, she should be able to end that pregnancy early as to avoid bringing and unwanted child into a home that can’t or doesn’t want to care for it properly. Every child deserves a home with love and protection, some homes cannot provide that. I just watched the documentary about Gabriel Fernandez on Netflix. That child should have been aborted, and I know that sounds harsh, but if you watch that movie you will see that he was treated in the most horrendous way by his mother. His poor short life was so awful, he would have been saved through abortion (The trials of Gabriel Fernandez).
Tonya,
Thank you for sharing your experience. It brought me back to my mother’s experience where she was bullied by my biological father to have an abortion when she was pregnant with me, but when she went to the clinic she couldn’t go through with it.
I agree with your stance. While I can’t ever imagine having an abortion for myself I completely support the women who do because I have seen the emotional turmoil that comes with that decision.
When it comes to population control, do you think it should be up to each individual to decide what is best for them and their families or do you think that governments should impose a restriction, like in the case of China?
I did some more research after posting my blog and to me it seems to be a very privileged viewpoint to be a well off white woman living in the US (in the case of Hawkins) and to point out that the world needs less people. Because it will never be the wealthy and the upper middle class that has to follow these laws, the same with abortion laws. If population control were enforced it would ultimately fall on the lower classes and the people of color to have to limit their families, to be forced into having abortions.
I can agree with Hawkins that abortion is necessary, but I can only go that far, because we have seen what happens when population control is enforced and that causes undue amounts of suffering from the people.
Hello Tonya,
you said that the government should get involved in population control, and I see where you’re coming from, but I don’t entirely agree because the government getting involved in population control wouldn’t be democratic. You are going to tell me that I can’t have anymore children? Not happening. However, there are other ways through which the government can take action on this matter, like other people mentioned under the comments. There’s always other less extreme options. In terms of the environment, I found it really interesting when Hawkins said the number of abortions performed throughout the years, millions and millions. Those fetuses that were aborted would make a huge difference in the population if they were here. Also, thank you for sharing your story. I can relate to you so much. I am 21 and I have a 9 month old daughter. I got pregnant when I was a junior in college (I’m a senior now) and I also thought about abortion because I was scared, I’m young, me and her dad weren’t in good terms, I was dorming, and it was just a hard situation overall. Regardless of all this, I decided to keep her because I just couldn’t do it and I am so happy that I kept her. But, I understand that the best choice for other women is abortion because we don’t all have the same story. Taking this choice away from women can make such a big difference in women’s lives. Not being able to get a legal abortion not only puts your life at risk, but it keeps you from being totally free. There are women who don’t want to be mothers and there’s nothing wrong with that. Those women should have the choice of an abortion. Just because we’re able to have children doesn’t mean we have to or that we want to.
Hi Natalia, I never said that the government should control the population by force. I mentioned a tax incentive to entice people to limiting their family sizes. By that I mean the government can provide tax credits to families who limit the number of children they have. The fewer the children the high the tax credit could be. The opposite of what America is doing currently.