The post I linked earlier now has comments from Human Life Alliance. You can read them:
living breathing reminder = human being
Life
You'll read in both links the story of one person (and links to others) who were children conceived in rape. The gist is that these children grow up to live good human lives. I'm happy that this is true. I'm happy for that same result for any child born to a woman who CHOOSES to carry their child, regardless of how the child was conceived. The key word is "chooses". As far as I know, HLA probably supports rape exceptions in anti-abortion laws. BUT, they still pump out the message that women in general are better to carry their rapist's child, because 1.) to abort is to kill the child, and 2.) carrying the rapist's child will help them heal.
I feel they have more care for reason 1 than reason 2, in the which case the message is that having an abortion after a rape makes the rape victim a murderer. The movement won't explicitly say this, preferring to blame the doctor, the boyfriend, economic pressure, family pressure, etc, though all the these reasons could pressure a pregnant woman against having the abortion - in addition to religious pressure, religious family pressure, disapproval of your religious community, etc. And I include economic pressure in there, knowing that raising a child costs more than abortion, because women need funds for abortion and more and more sources of funding are being taken away to satisfy the "conscience" of those who'll never bear the consequences in their own body, life, mind, and future.
Women who choose to carry their pregnancies, any pregnancy, should get all the support we can give. So too, should women who choose adoption OR abortion. The anti-abortion movement is hell-bent on blocking and coaking women out of the option of abortion and the main rationale is that abortion equals murder. If one of women's choices makes the woman a murderer in the eyes (and religion, philosophy, "family values") of those around her, can they claim to be supportive of her regardless of her choice?
1 comment:
Great post! Many of us moms of unplanned children got sucked into adoption by pro-life, pro adoption sentiment. This leaves me really concerned since placing a child for adoption puts a woman at much higher risk for PTSD, ongoing grief, addiction and years of suffering. If pro-life people think abortion causes pain for women, they should examine the affects of adoption !! Of all the women I know who have done both only one has said she experienced more pain due to the abortion because of the guilt. As far as the PAIN, adoption wins hands down at causing lifelong grief and sorrow.
Thanks for writing articulately about this human rights issue!
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