Terminating a pregnancy should be a personal choice, not a politicized debate

“If you are pregnant, do you know what you’ll do?” I was asked this at the hospital before learning the results of my pregnancy test. To me, this question was normal –I knew what my options were and what my decision would be. But this isn’t a question asked when a woman’s choice doesn’t exist. The final presidential debate got me thinking about how a pregnant version of myself would live in a Republican America with Donald Trump as its leader. Trump is “totally against abortion,” and now identifies strongly as pro-life.

During a town hall with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews in March of this year, Trump explicitly inferred that women who terminate their pregnancies should be punished. Trump’s strong stance on abortion is supposedly attributed to a personal anecdote in which friends of his were planning on having an abortion, opted not to, and the kid turned out to be great.

Arguing that the reason a woman would decide to have an abortion out of a fear that her child will not be “great,” is not only illogical, but also completely insulting. Believing that the only legitimate reasons to have an abortion to be rape, incest, or severe risks to a women’s health completely neglect socioeconomic, emotional, or physical rationales. Trump’ s anecdote neglects to address the realities that most women who choose abortions very often face. No doubt his two friends that had been exploring their options were in a committed, stable relationship, had the resources to support a child, and most importantly, could emotionally and physically sustain the responsibilities associated with their choice.

My anger at his stance also involves his smug rhetoric andrighteous, all-knowing attitude. This has been a repeated flaw in his campaign. His policies are nothing more than words, backed by nothing more than his personal opinions. How can his view represent the greater good of the American people, when the majority of American people aren’t white men coming from privileged socio-economic backgrounds? I can tell you that pregnant women sure as hell aren’ t being represented by white male values.

When Trump, and many others like him, feels so strongly about defunding programs such as Planned Parenthood, we must question why. Planned Parenthood is an outlet that gives women the opportunity to make choices. It offers procedures, counseling, and support. Trump backs certain women’ s health initiatives they offer, such as cervical and breast cancer support, but will no longer allow government funding to the organization if terminations are provided.

News flash Mr. Trump: you don’t get to dictate what is deemed important to women and our bodies. These types of organizations can be integral in a woman’ s experience with pregnancy. It is reassuring to have a support system that can provide alternative options. Republicans fear pro-choice clinics because they allow alternatives. Once people are given choices, they are more likely to start challenging authority and the way things have been done. But a woman’s body should never have been up for that debate. We should never have to fight for the right to something that is inherently ours. Choosing to have a child or to terminate a pregnancy are both extremely difficult decisions to make.

I’ve had two abortions in my life. Both were accompanied by panic attacks, confusion, and loneliness. I always thought making the decision to have an abortion would be easy. And for myself, I realized it would be much easier than trying to raise a child on my own. But I think it takes a lot of courage because it changes you, though not always for the better. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’ t think about the child I could have had.

A choice is all we have when there’s nothing tangible left to show for it. I’m proud of the decisions I made, but they were only possible because of the resources I had available to me. It’ s not about being selfish or selfless –what is right for you should never be criticized by anyone else. It is extremely concerning that a group of leaders whose policies push for limiting women’s reproductive health present themselves as advocating for the ‘ selfless’ decision. When, in fact, limiting someone’s bodily rights in favour of their personal views is perhaps the most selfish disservice they can impose on the public.

Image courtesy of Google Images