Surprise!

I am pro-life.  A lot of my more liberal friends may have a heart attack at that statement.  However, I mean it differently than most.  I am a vegetarian.  I am against the death penalty.  I am also against abortion. 

However, this doesn't mean that I want to murder abortion providers and allow mothers to die in order to make sure their fetus lives.  

In all things, I feel that killing in self-defense (or the defense of others) is forgivable.  So, if the mother's life is in danger, abortion is an acceptable (albeit sad) action.  Any mother would be heartbroken to destroy the life inside of her, but it would also be heart-wrenching to face one's own death and the child's life without the mother.

In the case of rape, I do not know how anyone could judge someone who wanted an abortion.  Can anyone imagine having to re-live that night for every day of the rest of their lives?  That child is going to be a constant reminder.  And, that's not going to be fair to that child because the mother will end up resenting him or her.  

In the case of simple birth control, I do not understand so much.  I feel that women should be responsible and use preventative methods.  However, I have not been in those other women's shoes so it is hard for me to judge them.  I cannot imagine a situation where I would be comfortable with abortion, but I also know that I have been very fortunate.  

I am terrified for Planned Parenthood.  As someone who is personally opposed to abortion, I can sort of understand the extremists' want to prevent abortions.  However, I think that getting rid of PP is not the answer.  In fact, without access to affordable care and contraceptives, the abortion rate is only going to rise.  How is that helpful?  

As someone who has been without healthcare from high school until just a few short months ago, I understand the need for women to be able to have affordable options.  People just are not going to stop having sex.  It's not going to happen.  So, there need to be affordable options to prevent pregnancy (and disease).  Simply ignoring the problem is not going to make it go away.

One of my bigger problems with typical pro-lifers is that the only alternative they offer up is adoption.  So, you either have to suck it up and raise the child (knowing that it's not likely that you will be able to afford the things that your child needs -- and struggle to find help.  Isn't it weird that the same people who want women to have children they can't afford are the very people who do not want to give them government support?) or put it up for adoption and hope for the best.  However, how many pro-lifers end up adopting?  People want to offer it as an option, but aren't really willing to adopt children themselves.  

Yes, I am pro-life.  Yes, I would love a world where abortion was unnecessary.  However, that is never going to happen since we keep taking away the options women have for birth control.  It's also unrealistic when there aren't enough people willing to adopt.  I will continue to dream of that perfect day, but it's not going to happen until people are willing to give realistic options.