The Freedom to Choose

We’ve forgotten the wisdom of Jason Mewes in Dogma: “A woman’s body’s her own fucking business.”

My youngest sister, who unlike me keeps up with news and politics, had a bad day yesterday, was hit hard with the news about Roe v. Wade being overturned. I’m sure she is not the only one extremely upset.

I myself…go back and forth. On the one hand – though I’m not proud of this – I have my own problems, I will never need an abortion, leave me alone, I don’t care. On the other hand – this is just abjectly and blatantly, frighteningly wrong.

Maybe I’m having an autism moment, but what puzzles me is this – the general objection against abortion is, at its heart, a religious one. Certain faiths believe that any life God allows to be created cannot be snuffed out by someone’s choice, also the whole thing about life beginning at conception. Which I don’t agree with. My opinion always has been that if the procedure is done before the baby can feel pain or consciousness, I am pro-choice.

So…aren’t church and state supposed to be, you know, separate? And how come certain people’s beliefs are dictating law, when others’ aren’t? Why don’t I get to push my religion’s tenets and mores on everyone and bind them legally, but others do? And if life is so damn sacred and inviolable, why aren’t anti-choice people adopting all the children they insist must be born? Is death really worse than what an unwanted child faces in life? Neglect, abuse, poverty, being born addicted, being resented by their parents? Why is that kind of life so sacred, and must be preserved?

Babies are not always a good thing. Having a baby is not always the right choice.

I hate shows like Teen Mom, I hate hearing stories about struggling single moms being resigned to take on more work when their idiot daughters get pregnant, especially when the daughter is a young idiot and the family can’t afford to care well for another child. I hate in teen pregnancy movies that moment when the practically-a-child gives birth, and emotionally changes her mind, she just can’t give up her baby to the stable, professional couple waiting for it, and this is treated as some beautiful, touching moment.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned on this blog my idea of how reproduction should go. It might shock and disgust you, but hear me out. I think every human should be temporarily sterilized at birth. Then, in, say, their early 20s, a person can make a request to be made fertile again. They have to prove they’re financially stable, and be tested for mental stability, addictions, etc. If they’re deemed responsible and safe, sterilization is undone, and off you go to have children with a partner who’s been through the same process.

I know, I know. Procreation is a RIGHT. Sorry, I care more about abused, neglected, poor children. And that is a huge part of this. All these moron politicians care about fetuses, not children. They have no sane plan for what to do with all these kids they demand be born.

This is cruelty. This is all just cruelty, to women, to children, to everyone. I’m sure every yea-voter thinks themself a good, moral (probably) Christian. But what would Jesus do? Tell a 13-year-old incest victim to suck it up and feel blessed? Tell a mentally-ill woman that the effects pregnancy have on her don’t matter? Tell a poor couple who are expecting that all they need is love? No. No. NO.