The words that no one hears

I've been thinking a lot about abortion and reproductive freedom lately. The thought isn't a happy one, but since South Dakota's legislature passed it's law banning abortion, the thought won't leave my mind. I think that I already know quite a bit about the subject, but I keep wanting to know more. I've been reading everything that I can get my hands on lately including the text of the law in South Dakota.

It is so important to prevent unwanted pregnancies. I can respect people who feel that abortion is wrong and should be illegal, but I am disgusted when those same people won't give young people the information that they need to avoid pregnancies. I took this quote of Susan B. Anthony's from here:

"Guilty? Yes, no matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; but oh! thrice guilty is he who, for selfish gratification, heedless of her prayers, indifferent to her fate, drove her to the desperation which impels her to the crime."

I do not think that it is wrong to have an abortion, but for those people who disagree, I can understand. What Susan B. Anthony so eloquently captures is the reality that the abortions of women who got pregnant due to an ignorance of sexuality and birth control are on the conscience of those who kept women or girls (and men and boys, too) from the knowledge of prevention of pregnancy. The people who think that they're helping adolescents by demanding that education teach their morality and leave out the facts are the people to blame for so many unwanted pregnancies and consequently abortions. They are only kidding themselves when they blame abortion on anyone but themselves.

posted by Shannon @ 1:08 PM