Let it be known, I am not here to preach about choice. This blog is not about choice, because as I’m sure I’ll argue in a later post, you do not have to be pro-choice to be a feminist.
Let’s break it down. Historically, the pro-life* side has argued (in a nutshell) that abortion is murder, and therefore should be illegal under our current laws that prohibit me from legally picking up a gun and killing any other being on this earth. Conversely, the pro-choice side has argued that abortion is a necessary function of society and a right of women to make the choice whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term, typically argued as being in the best interest of the mother or baby, or both. However, I think that in my lifetime the topic of choice has well, gotten dangerously off topic.
Instead of forcing the pro-life side to defend their position differently, the pro-choice side has in what appears to be a reaction to the argument of the opposition turned their argument dangerously away from choice and into the territory of making abortion accessible. And even more dangerous is the rhetoric that has moved away from motherhood, as if motherhood was no longer a choice, but abortion the only choice we’re able to talk about.
Don’t get me wrong, choice and the fight for accessible, safe abortions often go hand in hand. However, they are theoretically and in reality two different fights.
Putting the argument to safe and accessible abortions aside, we have to get back to the nature of the “choice” argument which unfortunately seems to be lost on so many feminists I meet. Like I said, you do not have to be pro-choice in order to be a feminist, but you do have to be pro-choice to be pro-choice. And I hear you, “But without accessible abortion, women barely have choice!” But until abortion is no longer a hotly debated topic sparking visceral reactions in most of the public, we have to solidify the basic argument before moving onto the next.
*normally I would not advocate the use of the term "pro-choice" but I think it's important to let each side self-identify for the sake of this argument
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