Pro-life, Pro-choice, Planned Parenthood, Abortion, and Adoption: Facts and Opinions.
abortion 10:45 AM
Lately I have been hearing so much stuff about planned parenthood. Whenever I am on YouTube or news websites I somehow get slammed in the face with Planned Parenthood news; whether it is people protesting, or Trump slamming his head on his keyboard and accidentally posting the result on Twitter. I don't know WHY I see it everywhere but I do and I just need to vent a little.
For the people who aren't familiar with Planned Parenthood (I doubt you aren't) here is a small description taken from the Planned Parenthood website:
Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide.
And a part from the Planned Parenthood's mission statement:
Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence.
So now that you are aware who and what Planned Parenthood is and what it stands for we can continue.
Usually when I read things about Planned Parenthood the discussion is about "abortion" and lately that is all I have been seeing. Planned Parenthood does promote abortion, because it goes hand in hand with their mission statement: everyone should be able to decide what happens to their body no matter what, when, or who they are. Now, what I have been seeing a lot ever since "president" Trump has risen to power is that people are afraid that planned parenthood has to shut down because he wants to cut funding.
One of the many lengthy articles I have read about the issue (and one that I can recommend since it is really in-depth) is this one from BloomBerg Politics. Where it is stated:
"A wild card on this issue is Trump, who used to favor abortion rights before changing his stance. During the campaign, he praised Planned Parenthood -- saying it has done “very good work for millions of women” -- but also said it shouldn’t receive federal funding as long as it performs abortions. One of his first executive orders barred federal money going to groups that promote abortion around the world."
It is very clear from reading the above statement he wants to cut funding, and I understand why many people find it scary.
I am pro-choice. I am just going to throw that out there, but that doesn't mean that I do not think abortion is a horrible thing to do. Whenever a woman gets pregnant there is another life growing inside of her. A life that is partially made from her own DNA. If she has to terminate this life, for whatever reason, that is a horrible and devastating thing to do for her. To me it is pretty clear that when a woman chooses to have an abortion, it is not an easy choice to make.
I have not delved into statistics, but I have found an article that delves into some research done on the emotional toll abortion carries with it. Now, I do not know how much I can trust this article and I am pretty sure it is biased since it is posted on a pro-life website, but they do provide sources for the facts stated. According to the article women who have carried out an abortion are more likely to have emotional problems and/or commit suicide.
Again, the article could be biased, but I am not doubting it either. To me it seems emotionally devastating to have an abortion as a woman, and it is something you carry with you for the rest of your life. Having an abortion isn't something you do for fun, it is something you do when it is absolutely necessary and you do not have another choice.
The problem I have with the "pro-life" movement is that they pretend to care so much about the unborn baby in the womb, that they forget about the woman carrying it. They very often blame the woman for getting pregnant, and totally forget it takes two to tango.
They say that healthy women should, instead of abortion, give up their baby for adoption. Well, I'm sorry but you can't just ask of a woman to carry a life inside of them for 9 months and then just give it away. Arguing that it is "a better option" than abortion because you give the child life is ludicrous.
First of all, giving away a child for adoption must be even more difficult than an abortion. You carry a life inside of you for 9 months and create a bond with it... just to give it away. I found an article called Long-Term Issues For Birthmothers After Adoption where it is very clearly stated that "birthmothers will not ever forget or cease to be affected by the adoption process". There is even a Wikipedia page about it: Effects of adoption on the birth-mother. Oh the power of a quick Google search.
And it doesn't stop there. In this article they talk about research looking into adoptees and mental illness.
"University of Minnesota researchers revisited this controversial issue recently and found that common DSM-IV childhood disorders are more prevalent in adoptees than nonadoptees. They also found that adoptees are more likely to have contact with mental health professionals."
And that is a really big problem that I have with "pro-life" people. They only think about the fetus. But once the fetus is out of the body and becomes a living and breathing member of society; they couldn't care less about it. All the pro-lifers are going out there, protesting against abortion, but you don't hear them talking about bettering lives for women who have given their kid up for adoption. You don't hear them talking about stricter rules for adoption families (read: Can Adoption Lead To Child Abuse?). You don't hear them talking about giving young and/or poor families financial support.
All people who are against abortion want to stop abortion, but they don't think about the repercussions. And if they do think about the repercussions, they are not talking about it.
Taking away a woman's right to have an abortion is about as hypocritical as stating that a woman is "less of a woman" after she has gotten a mastectomy to get rid of her breast cancer. No, I am not comparing a baby fetus to a horrible disease. I am just trying to make you understand how ridiculous it sounds to tell a woman what she can and can't do with her body.
If you are so morally inclined to help the "defenseless baby fetus" then why aren't you helping it once it is out of the womb? Once it is alive, and breathing, and kicking, and screaming; all the pro-lifers walk away as if it the main act of a big event has left the stage. You prevented the abortion, good for you, what now?
There is, however, one pro-lifer who has gained my respect after Teen Vogue came out with a disgusting article titled: What to Get a Friend Post-Abortion? and she spoke up against it. This pro-lifer in question is named Autumn and she is only 16 years old. I can tell you everything that is wrong with this article, but I think she sums it up really well in her video response:
Not once is she saying that women who get an abortion are disgusting, or that they made a mistake. Not once is she saying she is against abortion. She is standing up for young girls and women who went through the process of an abortion and she is making it clear that these women do not need "cutesy gifts" to cover-up what they just went through. They need unconditional emotional support.
I was really happy when I came by her video because she points out the problems that come with abortion in a very articulate and respectful way and I thank her for that.
Nevertheless, I hope pro-lifers, "president" Trump, and others who take a stance against abortion and Planned Parenthood think twice about their beliefs. If you want the fetus to live, you should also fight for its rights when its a member of society. If you want the mother to give away the baby for adoption, you should start adopting. If you want to take away the right of a teen to get an abortion, you should put money towards proper sex ed. classes and offer your free-time to babysit the kid so she can go to school and get an education. If abortion won't be a choice anymore for poor families, you should financially help them out. If a heavily deformed fetus with health problems comes to this world, you should make sure it has access to the proper care it deserves.
If you do not want to do any of the above stated things, then you have no right to open your mouth and shame women for having an abortion or even being against abortion. If you do not want to aid with the care of the baby once it is born because "it is not your child" then you sure as hell also cannot say "the mother can't have an abortion". Because.. hey guess what? IT IS NOT YOUR CHILD. Cutting costs, or even shutting down, Planned Parenthood will be a big, big mistake. Do we really want to go back to a time where women shove coat hangers up their vaginas or throw themselves off stairs to abort their baby? Let's think twice about this. Just because there are "no legal means" to get an abortion, doesn't mean abortions won't happen.
I will leave this post with Bernie Sanders talking about the matter. He drops amazing facts that support my view and I advice you to watch it. You can also read this article about it if you'd prefer.
Taking away a woman's right to have an abortion is about as hypocritical as stating that a woman is "less of a woman" after she has gotten a mastectomy to get rid of her breast cancer. No, I am not comparing a baby fetus to a horrible disease. I am just trying to make you understand how ridiculous it sounds to tell a woman what she can and can't do with her body.
If you are so morally inclined to help the "defenseless baby fetus" then why aren't you helping it once it is out of the womb? Once it is alive, and breathing, and kicking, and screaming; all the pro-lifers walk away as if it the main act of a big event has left the stage. You prevented the abortion, good for you, what now?
There is, however, one pro-lifer who has gained my respect after Teen Vogue came out with a disgusting article titled: What to Get a Friend Post-Abortion? and she spoke up against it. This pro-lifer in question is named Autumn and she is only 16 years old. I can tell you everything that is wrong with this article, but I think she sums it up really well in her video response:
Not once is she saying that women who get an abortion are disgusting, or that they made a mistake. Not once is she saying she is against abortion. She is standing up for young girls and women who went through the process of an abortion and she is making it clear that these women do not need "cutesy gifts" to cover-up what they just went through. They need unconditional emotional support.
I was really happy when I came by her video because she points out the problems that come with abortion in a very articulate and respectful way and I thank her for that.
Nevertheless, I hope pro-lifers, "president" Trump, and others who take a stance against abortion and Planned Parenthood think twice about their beliefs. If you want the fetus to live, you should also fight for its rights when its a member of society. If you want the mother to give away the baby for adoption, you should start adopting. If you want to take away the right of a teen to get an abortion, you should put money towards proper sex ed. classes and offer your free-time to babysit the kid so she can go to school and get an education. If abortion won't be a choice anymore for poor families, you should financially help them out. If a heavily deformed fetus with health problems comes to this world, you should make sure it has access to the proper care it deserves.
If you do not want to do any of the above stated things, then you have no right to open your mouth and shame women for having an abortion or even being against abortion. If you do not want to aid with the care of the baby once it is born because "it is not your child" then you sure as hell also cannot say "the mother can't have an abortion". Because.. hey guess what? IT IS NOT YOUR CHILD. Cutting costs, or even shutting down, Planned Parenthood will be a big, big mistake. Do we really want to go back to a time where women shove coat hangers up their vaginas or throw themselves off stairs to abort their baby? Let's think twice about this. Just because there are "no legal means" to get an abortion, doesn't mean abortions won't happen.
I will leave this post with Bernie Sanders talking about the matter. He drops amazing facts that support my view and I advice you to watch it. You can also read this article about it if you'd prefer.
