This, of course, started a whole line of comments both pro- and anti-choice. One of the most interesting ones I saw was the following: "I agree!! (to another pro-choice comment) But,,, they don't have the right to use it for birth control,there is always those special cases i relize but thier are some tht use it for birth control and thts wrong!! but yes i do agree tht it is the womens choice!!!"
I have a problem with this. If you are pro-choice, you are by definition supporting a woman's right to choose what she does with her own body and medical status. Period. End of story. I'm sorry, but if you say "oh sure she has the right to do what she feels is right EXCEPT when it conflicts with my morals" you aren't really pro-choice.
The abortion debate is really not that different from freedom of speech, freedom for religion, freedom in any sense of the word: the bottom line is it's really easy to support freedom of anything until that moment that said freedom conflicts with your own values. For instance, freedom of speech is easy to support until you hear a racist/sexist/any -ist rant by someone in person or on the internet. Freedom to choose your own religious beliefs is all fine and good until you come face to face wtih extremists. But in both cases, the core value is freedom, right? Therefore, other people have the freedom to practice their own religion or hate and you have the freedom to walk away.
Now, many conservatives will argue that choice isn't a freedom issue because it's all about the child. That very sentiment makes women nothing more than vessels for bearing young, and takes away the freedom of an adult, thinking individual in favor of something that isn't even born yet. There are some religions that teach the soul isn't present in a child until it's born. There are some that believe a child isn't a child until it's actually baptized. Pro-life propaganda will have you believe that a child deserves the chance to become a member of society even to the detriment or death of the CURRENT productive member of society potentially carrying said child. I notice pro-lifers don't bother with teh children after they're born, guaranteeing health care, support, love, adoption, etc...so while pro-life propaganda is everywhere there are commercials saying 1 in 10 children in America don't get enough to eat. Where are you NOW, pro-lifers?
Freedom is uncomfortable and difficult, and hard to maintain, but if you believe in personal freedom within the law (within the law people: I'm talking about a legal MEDICAL procedure in America) doesn't that include another person's freedom of choice without your morals interfering?
Here, here! I've always said that I'd love to take out a pro-choice billboard someday. How many anti-choicer's do you see helping after the child is born? For how much time and money they spend protesting, they could be doing some ACTUAL good for a change!
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