So.
Abortion.
Well, for one, I see it as a medical issue. If a woman needs to end a pregnancy, for mental, physical or emotional reasons, that needs to be between her and her doctor.
For those who have a religious affiliation, then their church can tell them, and they can believe, that their soul is condemned if they terminate a pregnancy.
But as for the law, there should be no distinction between an abortion and a justified homicide, self defense. A desperate woman will have an abortion, however unsafe, at the expense of her life if need be. Better yet, as a purely medical issue, the law no more involved than in prevention of conception. I thought we'd resolved this issue years ago.
The law has reason to rate reasons to kill. Self defense, justifiable homicide, manslaughter, murder outright is rated by severity. Soldiers are fine killing enemies. But war crimes are different. Why aren't abortions?
Humans kill animals, and each other, but we try to regulate this. Like we condemn killing our dogs, but sometimes we have whole agencies to kill dogs who are a danger, unwanted, unneeded. As we kill criminals who are dangerous murderers.
Thou shalt not kill is nice and clear, but in practice, it all gets a bit murky.
Pregnancy termination is a hot button. It's wrapped up in racism, the extremists wanting to control women's bodies. In my one seriously close call with a perhaps pregnancy, I was honestly torn. I don't know if I could have ended the pregnancy, if it turned out to be that, or if I would have done anything necessary to abort it. Never an easy choice. But it became a moot point, and I was never sure.
I have assisted in D&Es, seen the body parts. And felt... nothing really. A little sad for the woman. But this was not a viable human being, more like an anatomy specimen. Until a baby has taken it's first breath, it is a saprophyte. A leech. The woman may or may not feel it has a separate life, but that is her view, which is sacrosanct.
The law needs to step in when a pregnant woman is murdered, or her fetus is sliced out of her, more than if she was a single life taken. But if that same woman's life is threatened by the fetus, and she has it extracted to save herself, that is also just. A life here is more important than a potential life.
We tend to see babies as innocent and needing care, rightfully so. But until they are born, they have no independent life. They really don't. And a woman who abuses her own body with a fetus growing inside, is dangerously reckless - no question, but the law has no place interfering. It is still her body. To compel her is to remove her rights to her own body.
And once babies are born? Then we must step in to make sure they are given a stable home and healthy home, and necessary care. That needs to be part of any abortion debate. It's simply not ok to force pregnancy then abandon the child. Starve the child? Let the child be beaten, or molested? Until we make sure every child is loved, then simply preserving life is antithetical.
And better health care, birth control, maternal care, social support, for mothers and children, means many fewer abortions. Mostly, then, for compelling medically necessary reasons. Making a woman carry the child of rape, then giving the rapist paternal rights, is off the scale insane. Or incest. Sheesh. Letting a child live in an abusive family, or neglectful, or in dire poverty, is no blessing. It's cruel. Women get trapped. Men get trapped. Give them a dignified way out, without having to worry about vulnerable children.
As a late child, who experienced pervasive emotional abuse, I to this day wish my mother had aborted me. I eventually found a way to a good life, love, fulfillment, but if I could have never existed rather than gone through my childhood, I would. No question.
As a potentially dead fetus, I am completely pro abortion. And Pro birth control.
As a soul awaiting reincarnation, I wish I could have waited a better family.
Still, glad I found my Dylan and cats.
