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Roe vs Wade – What about the ones who are raped?

Roe vs Wade –  What about the ones who are raped?

Roe vs Wade

For many women this has been a HUGE blow!

And, many are feeling totally appalled and saddened by the recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade

Ending the constitutional right to abortion across many states will probably create a black market for abortions that will not meet the necessary medical criteria or be safe!

This is a sad day for anyone who genuinely believes making abortion illegal will stop or change abortion. And, probably a backward step towards tackling the cultural side effects of fatherlessness.

Despite the state already deciding what they politically and personally agree or disagree with. Here are four additional thoughts to consider on the abortion agenda;

 

1. Why are black babies missed off the anti-racist agenda?

Planned Parenthood traces its roots back to a nurse named Margaret Sanger.

She believed in eugenics — an inherently racist and ableist ideology that labeled certain people unfit to have children.

In the early 20th century eugenic ideas were popular among highly educated, privileged, and mostly white Americans.

Check out one her famous projects here which carries a legacy of anti-Blackness, in which the mistreatment of black women continues in gynaecology and the reproductive rights movement today.

Alongside, the historical dehumanisation of Black people and avoidable disparities in health outcomes. There is a staggering number of abortions performed on black women or black babies.

Where Black women are 4 times more likely than White women to die in childbirth and five times more likely to have abortions than White women, while Latina women are twice as likely.

However, I personally find it shocking abortion amongst black women is rarely discussed or even considered as part of the anti-racist agenda. I get it, abortion is a highly contentious subject and nobody wants to offend, but to date black women’s experiences and pain are too often dismissed.

In the context of systemic racism, the issues of abortion should feature just as high as maternal mortality and worse healthcare for black women and we must also consider black babies as ‘really human‘ too!

 

2. Not a ‘real’ baby yet!

I’ve really struggled seeing posts that convolute women’s rights with the abortion agenda. They are not the same thing!

At the moment of conception, when the sperm from the father merges with the egg from the mother. It is this moment, the genetic makeup is complete, including the sex of the baby.

Hence, the idea ‘it is not a real baby’ creates a fantasy that babies are not really human at conception and only develop later in the pregnancy.

This disassociation with not ‘really human’, is a similar technique used by colonisers to justify the treatment of slaves, who were also not ‘really human’.

I am certainly not pro-murdering babies. And, I don’t believe poor under resourced women have to stay poor or under resourced due to a baby.

These popular narratives need to debated with a greater awareness on the subject.

However, regardless of my views. One thing I would say, even though I don’t agree with abortion, a woman having a termination is almost never an easy decision.

And, I don’t feel I have the right to judge another person or their decisions.

 

3. What about the ones who are raped?

This is one of the most popular arguments I hear in favour of abortions. And, it certainly creates a very grey area for my thinking.

Last week I read a post that both inspired and challenged the core of my thinking.

A very honest and vulnerable account of being raped and discovering she was pregnant. Please read and share this experience. It truly is touching 😢 and a narrative that is rarely discussed or promoted.

‘I was told I would be ruining my life and my child’s if I kept the child. I was told I would be trash living in trailer doing nothing with my life if I didn’t get an abortion.’

I often wonder about Planned Parenthood and their advice to vulnerable women. Shouldn’t freedom of choice also support women who choose adoption, when faced with an unplanned pregnancy?

 

4. Fatherlessness

I think society really needs to consider the issue of fatherlessness, and how we support families to prepare their sons for manhood if we really want to tackle the abortion issue.

We can’t deny the great societal effects of fatherless homes, particularly impacting women of colour and especially black women.

‘Women unfortunately are being impregnated by men, not fathers, and we can do more to prepare our sons for fatherhood.’

The child’s father is the most important influence on a women’s decision to have an abortion. Women almost always turn to the father of the baby more than anyone else when considering abortion.

Let’s collectively support fatherhood to celebrate all the men who protect, provide and promote their family. I love you

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