By Danielle Lane, Managing Editor
Editor’s Note: The following article was edited to reflect that the Texas government voted to ban abortion, not pregnancy, after six weeks.
For the last fifty years, one of the most widely contested topics in the national and global political arena has been the debate over abortion and reproductive freedom. The conversation about whether women should have the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy has been at the forefront of political activism and debate, causing most informed individuals to classify themselves as either “pro-choice,” meaning they support a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body or “pro-life” meaning they do not support any termination of a pregnancy. While both sides of the conversation make salient claims regarding their beliefs, due to the fact that it is such a contentious matter – literally dealing with life or death – there is a growing hostility between the two groups.
This tension has vastly grown over the past few months as Texas’s government voted to ban abortion after six weeks. This is well before most women even know they are pregnant; most women take an at-home pregnancy test at around five-to-six weeks of pregnancy (after their first missed period) but do not receive confirmation from a doctor until 7-9 weeks. This article will not take a side on whether or not this abortion ban is moral, ethical, or even constitutional. Instead, it will seek to truly define what it means to be pro-life and how many have gotten it so wrong.
The title “pro-life” is self-explanatory. It indicates a belief in the inherent value of a human life and affords protection to all life throughout the lifetime regardless of demographic. Unfortunately, modern pro-life advocates seem to forget about the value of life after the fetus they fought so hard to protect has been born.
The only protection for life that the pro-life movement advocates for is during pregnancy. Once the baby is born, these pro-life activists who abuse women as they enter female health clinics, who stuff mailboxes with gruesome and inaccurate literature regarding abortions, and who put bounties on the heads of those who assist women in obtaining an abortion regardless of the circumstances do not advocate for affordable childcare, access to healthy food, or safe living situations for those lives that matter so much.
The people who scoff when abortion advocates demand bodily freedom are some of the same individuals who refuse to wear a mask or get vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic because they believe that they should be free to make their own choices regarding their bodies. Regretfully scientists have yet to develop a vaccine against hypocrisy.
Modern “pro-life” advocates don’t care about the sanctity of life. All they desire is to control women. If they really were rallying to save lives, these “pro-life” advocates would be begging those who are endangering others to wear their masks to protect unvaccinated children, immunocompromised individuals, and elders. They would be devastated over the death of children separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border. They would be marching in the streets at every murder of innocent black men at the hands of the police. Yet, they are silent on these genuine, life threatening matters. The pro-life movement doesn’t care about protecting life, they care about controlling women.
For those who identify as “pro-life”, I urge you to evaluate the way you advocate for the ongoing lives of the ¼ inch bunch of cells you fought so hard to protect.