The Planned Parenthood Controversy

This is probably old news, but it still really bothers me ... I wonder if this bill will actually get passed.

About a couple weeks ago, the House was voting on a bill that would cease all government funding to Planned Parenthood.  I think what they don't realize is that PP is not simply a place where people get abortions--but it is a place where lots of women get healthcare or other preventative services for free (or for donations, I guess).  Their primary focus is not on abortions, so to fully remove funding from it would be a tragedy.  So many women who are underprivileged (and even those who are privileged) depend on PP for various reasons.



And about the whole abortions thing ... people get into fights about when abortions should be allowed (if they should be allowed at all) because we don't fully understand the definitions of life (or death) and because we don't understand the neural processes in the fetus that allow it to feel pain.  I think that people should have a choice--that way, those who are okay with it can go get an abortion if they feel it's necessary, and that those who don't approve of the idea can just .... not get one.

I'm not condoning abortions or fully approving of them.  I'm not saying that it's a totally acceptable thing to do, or that the action is meaningless.  Personally, I know I would get one because I cannot have a child right now--I can't provide for one,and I can't and won't drop my life.  Sometimes people make mistakes, sometimes people are careless, and sometimes it is something that is out of your control--but do we really have to be punished for it?  Even though I would get one, it would haunt me for the rest of my life because I would never be able to stop thinking about what could have been.  I just think it's stupid to deny women a choice when there are cases when the unwanted pregnancy is not their fault (like rape) and when people have the means to do it.  Even if abortion does become illegal, people would still find a way to do it--why not make it safe?

Sometimes, a woman might feel trapped.  It's unfortunate that her life gets completely changed while the father may not even take responsibility at all (although this is not the case 100% of the time, and I'm proud of the people who have stepped up).  So giving women the option is a good thing, because we all know that most of the time women end up stuck.  Then again, I wonder how qualified men are to make a decision about abortion because it has very little to do with them--sure, it is their child, but who's carrying it?  Can men really, truly understand what a woman might go through when she realizes she is pregnant and she doesn't want to be?  It's not a choice that anyone wants to make, and it's not a happy one, but I think it's important to have this choice.

I mean, what about this woman?  Who's to say what's right and wrong here?  Can't we examine the intents of the parents, or does that not even matter?  http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/03/07/4d746bd70eb25

Now, I'm not saying that everyone who has an unwanted pregnancy should abort the baby.  That's not it at all.  I just think people should be able to choose.

But now, people are going to ask me whether I approve of murder (which obviously I don't).  But what is the difference between abortion and murder?  The only thing I can say is that I don't know whether a fetus counts as a life BECAUSE it cannot survive outside the womb (at the earlier stages, of course).  Besides, a fetus's nervous system doesn't develop for a while and it doesn't have the chemicals necessary to feel pain, if that's the other issue at hand.  However, when a fetus is developed enough TO survive outside the womb, then I think at that point it might be too late to have one.  But these are my personal opinions about what I think life means, and these shouldn't be generalized to everyone.

This de-funding of PP is just classism and sexism at its best.  Deny the lower class AND deny women access to free healthcare, and put the blame on abortions because it is a controversial topic.  But really, this is an absolutely sexist act, and it is also putting the lower class down even further.  And even if it is about abortion, I really don't think there's a point in removing access or making it illegal because if people are desperate, they will find a way.