WOMEN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE - 45 YEARS LATER

By Ruth A. Sheets

It's been 45 years since the Roe v. Wade decision came down from the Supreme Court.  Abortion still remains one of the most divisive issues in our nation.  I truly do not understand the "controversy."   Why are some people willing to harm others over whether a woman should be able to choose abortion?  Why is a president stroking his base by considering only candidates for the Supreme Court and other government positions who are against abortion? 

This nonsense regarding abortion has been going on for generations now.  Notice, I did not say millennia?  That's because the reason religious people stood against it a century and a half ago is that women, many women were dying in "back alley" abortions.  To convince women not to choose that deadly option, all kinds of religious tags were attached.  Today, abortion is safe and rarely problematic if conducted in a clean space by a well-trained professional.  In fact most abortions only involve taking pills. 

There just should not be a controversy about abortion.  It makes no sense that any man should have a say whatsoever in the decision of what a woman does related to her body, PERIOD, unless, that man is the woman's partner or doctor and she has chosen to include him in this decision.  Then, he is an OBSERVER/advisor, not a dictator. 

What is hard to understand is that in addition to men who believe they are in charge of women, a bunch of women have been convinced that somehow abortion is murder.  First of all, it isn't, so why do these women and so many men want to make it so?  You women who hate your sisters so much, what is wrong with you?  Just because you don't want to choose abortion should not mean  you can force others to make that same choice.  Life situations differ greatly.  You cannot know what a woman facing this decision needs to do.  Just as people have been telling you for years, if you do not want an abortion, DON'T HAVE ONE!!!.  It IS that simple. 

State legislatures and governors, majority white male, the Congress, majority white male, the president, white male, and the Supreme Court, majority white male should have no say in abortion.  If their body cannot bear a child, if they will never have to face carrying a pregnancy they do not want, cannot afford, or can handle, if their personal lives will not be impacted by carrying a pregnancy, they must just shut up and let women decide for themselves.

I understand it will be difficult for some pathetic men and women if abortion in certain states is declared illegal.  What will they scream, whine, and do to otherwise make life miserable for women, beware, they will find something because that is what powerful men do when they feel they are being challenged by intelligent, strong, decisive women.  Look out all of us!

Men, if you really care about the unborn as you claim, demand and pass legislation that will keep our environment clean, get people permanently out of poverty, ensure women's right to birth control, champion health care for all, INCREASE FUNDING FOR INFANT AND MOTHER PROGRAMS, PROMOTE PUBLIC EDUCATION, things that would really make a difference.  First, though, stop Mr. Trump's gag rule, you know, the one that tells medical personnel and fake medical personnel to lie to women about their reproductive needs. Legalizing lying is not acceptable. 

You say you can't do that?  Why?  Is the problem that attacking women's right to choose is easy, while making a real positive difference for women and the unborn is really hard, perhaps too hard for you!

Stop with your platitudes and lies.  And you Christians, Jesus knew about abortion and didn't condemn it.  He did condemn hate, treating people like garbage, lying, and a lot of other things.  Go with that.  Leave women alone to choose for themselves, then support them in their decision.  That is the truly loving, Christian thing to do.