I am Pro-Life. For the whole life. I am not ashamed to admit that. One bit. I am proud of it. But I am reluctant to volunteer that information, because, well, three...two...one... Oh, I'm a woman hater now? A terrorist? Anti-choice? (I won't be referring to supporters of abortion as Pro-Choice because, while I'm aware that it refers specifically to a woman's right to choose to terminate a pregnancy, I see it more as the right to make any number of empowering decisions, of which I am a huge supporter.)
I condemn the acts of Robert Dear, the man who shot up a Planned Parenthood center, killing three and wounding more. However, supporters of abortion, political pundits, and even presidential candidates now lump all Pro-Lifers with him. Stop. Just stop. He does not represent me, and legions of anti-abortion advocates. He is not a hero, as some like-minded nuts in the Twitterverse have ignorantly and labeled him. He is mentally unstable. An asshole. A murderer. A TERRORIST.
If I were a proponent of the death penalty--which I'm not, because I'm Pro-Life--he'd be a prime candidate. But, you know who else would be? People who perform abortions. While I believe both actions are equally grave, I don't condone the actions of extremists such as him. It's absolutely hypocritical to say you value the sanctity of life and then go take it.
I also wholeheartedly disagree that "anti-abortion rhetoric" incites violence or encourages people to behave in such a way. Those people already have violent tendencies and use their views as justification to enact them. I am adamantly anti-abortion and I don't wish harm or death on those who disagree with me, much less would I act on it. Seeing the debunked (?) videos discussing the harvesting of baby parts isn't going to persuade me to go load up on weapons. If the video is true, that is horrible and I pray for everyone involved. However, I don't need the possibility of something like that occuring to convince me that Planned Parenthood is wrong. They end lives. They openly admit that. They do have their "justifications", though:
- Those who use it as birth control I have no time for. If you don't feel you're at the place in your life to have a child or are not prepared to handle the consequences of sex if you're unprotected or if the contraceptive fails, get a vasectomy or a tubal ligation. Or DON'T HAVE SEX. Period.
- It is absolutely unfair for a survivor of rape to have to carry the offspring of the rapist to term. I get that. But I also get that the baby is still a life. To make it absolutely clear, rapists are scum and should be locked up with the key thrown away. But the baby should not be punished. (Incest is always included with this, but incest is just a buzzword--if it's consensual, refer to point one; if non-consensual, that falls under rape.)
- The one I most understand is the argument about the mother's or baby's life being at risk during birth, and this one is hard to rationalize without sounding insensitive.
- Finally, it is your body, but once there is a life inside, it's no longer just about your body. And, best believe I would feel the same exact way if I were capable of carrying a baby. And, looking at my three beautiful girls--especially Lia, just six months removed from the womb--I cannot imagine having wanted to end their lives before they even had a chance to live them.
I tend to side with the left on most things political (gay rights, gender equality, gun contol, international affairs, education, healthcare, capital punishment, etc.), but this is one issue I am adamantly conservative on--which makes it extremely difficult to vote Democrat despite them usually being the overall better choice. I am very proud to be Pro-Life, but I don't want to be thrown in with the neo-conservatives and religious extremists.
So please don't do that.
Peace and love.
