The Uterus Tangent

Apparently, while I was working today, I entered a time warp and ended up in the early 1970s. No, I didn't see weird clothing, and nobody said anything was "far out," but I do recall reading several accounts of a disturbing bill that passed the Senate. Yes, my friends, I, too, will give my very colorful feelings about SJR-127.

First off, in a pro-choice society, people can choose not to have an abortion. In fact, people have babies all the time. I know, because I hear them screaming in Wal-Mart at night. No one forces women to have abortions.

Here's the super-skinny on the bill: It states that the constitution does not protect a woman's right to an abortion.

But surely it makes exceptions for rape and incest right?
Hell no! Shouldn't have been walking to your car by yourself in this neighborhood.

What if carrying the child puts the mother's health at risk?
Maybe she should've thought of that before she got all freaky with the milk man.

Here's a big beef I've always had with all this anti-abortion legislation talk: How is it that a zygote, a mere fertilized egg that has attached itself to the wall of some uterus, that doesn't even have its own reproductive organs yet, could possibly have more rights than the woman whose body it's growing in? Since when do the rights of a fetus trump the rights of a living, breathing, thinking, voting woman?

I have a little message for Sen. David Fowler, who thought this whole thing was a really good idea.

Dear Mr. Fowler,

If you are against abortion, don't have one. This should be quite easy for you, considering you DON'T HAVE A UTERUS. Please keep your legislation out of mine.

With more loathing than you could ever imagine,
~ More than just a babymaker

Abortion is not birth control. People know that. That argument is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. From what I understand, it's not a pleasant thing. I can't imagine an abortion would be anything other than a grueling, draining (physically and emotionally) process that comes after much deliberation when it is decided that it's the only viable option. Women don't just go around aborting fetuses.

Suppose a woman dies in childbirth. What then? Is the man held responsible for her death for impregnating her? Naturally, this sounds ludicrous. When it comes to unplanned pregnancy, there is no easy answer, and there's also no equivalent for a man. It's not like every time a man has sex, his name is randomly entered into a drawing, and every few months or so someone's name is picked, and that guy is forced to restructure his life and adopt a baby. These things don't happen.

I can't speak for all women, but I can speak for me, and this is outrageous. I can also speak for my uterus. Here's a little bit on that.

As readers of this blog know, I had a fun bout with endometriosis a few months ago. What does this mean? Well, the lining of my uterus was spilling over into the rest of my body, and it hurt a lot, and they lasered it off. However, it might come back - they can't really guarantee that it won't.

One of the possible complications of endometriosis is ectopic pregnancy (that's tubal pregnancy for all you who aren't OB/GYNs). That's right, folks. If I decide I want to have kids (I do eventually), I have a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy than most people. Those cause all kinds of complications, the most common of which is internal bleeding, and, you know, that can kill you. And all that could happen with a planned pregnancy.

The narrow-minded assumption that only loose women with no morals have abortions is outdated at best. There are plenty of women who have abortions to save their own lives. Other reasons exist, as well, and judging women who have had to make such a hard decision is a low-life scumbag thing to do.

I've been asked before if I'd ever had an abortion, and I don't think I could, but I really don't know. I've never been pregnant, so I've certainly never experienced becoming pregnant as a result of rape or incest. I also have an extremely supportive family, and regardless of what I did, they wouldn't disown me or anything. But I don't really know what I'd do if I were in a different situation. I can say I could be the bigger person and have the rapist's baby, but until anyone is in a situation, they don't know how they'll respond. I'd certainly think about it.

Regardless of what I would do, just because something isn't right for Wendy doesn't mean it's wrong for all women at all times in all situations. If it's the wrong decision for someone, he or she will know it.