Why Abortion Should Be a Right

%28Image+via+Washington+Post%29

(Image via Washington Post)

Aubrie Sandoval, Writer

Abortion: a topic that should be talked about kindly. There isn’t a right or wrong answer because no matter what, there are going to be people that are on the opposite sides of the spectrum. Personally, I’m pro-choice. I believe that people have a right to do whatever they want to with their bodies. They should be allowed to pierce, tattoo, or treat their bodies the way they please. There are exceptions to this rule, like drugs are bad for people and everybody will be better off without them. However, abortion is a choice. A choice that women should be allowed to make in their own time. 

When I see conversations about abortion, I hear and see a lot of the word “murder” thrown around. Let me make this abundantly clear, if you can not love and take care of and find space for the people here, alive and dying, then why would you want to bring another life into the world? People are so protective of the thought that being pro-choice means you don’t understand what pro-life is. We understand, we just don’t agree. Women used to have to shove metal hangers inside of themselves to get an abortion. A lot of those women died. The point of pro-choice isn’t murder or to make people unhappy. It means women aren’t dying because of metal hangers or being arrested or things that were out of their control or not wanting a baby. 

A large majority of my family is pro-life, and many of them have told me I’m much too young to possibly understand how big a deal abortion is. But why does it have to be a big deal to anybody that isn’t receiving the abortion. How in any shape or form does it affect anybody else? I used to think about how hard it would be if I ever felt like I was going to need an abortion; because like most people, I have family in my life that would tell me I was making a mistake, that I was killing a human life, that I was in the wrong. And I’d cry and they’d back off and then they would ignore the topic like it was a disease that would end up killing them. 

There are women out there in relationships that aren’t good or safe for them nor a child. Pregnancy, labor and birth is incredibly harsh on the body and mind, and when arguing you should be mindful that a lot of people have a good experience or relationship with their body and  mind along with the people around them. Some pregnancies can also be incredibly high risk and could possibly kill the woman and/or fetus. When discussing abortion, think about the fact that sometimes it’s not about you, period. 

Everyone is so concerned with how this will affect an unborn fetus, but what about the person you’re ridiculing or abusing? They are just as human, if not more human than that fetus. Because guess what? They are alive, and breathing, and here. 

Women should have the right to decide what happens with their bodies so that they no longer need to use metal hangers in order to not have to go through a pregnancy, but also so that they aren’t forced to go through something as harsh and heavy as pregnancy. For some it’s a happy ordeal, for others it’s not. We should be mindful of that and allow those that do not wish to be pregnant to not have to be. The topics of being pro-life, pro-choice, or just abortion in general are going to exist for a very long time. Which is why we need to find a safe and healthy option to allow people to be able to get away from having an unwanted pregnancy. Please try and put yourself in the shoes of someone who is considering having an abortion.