We can end abortion in ten months—if we
do one simple thing.
Dear Governor Pence,
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| In 1729, Jonathan Swift proposed a solution to unplanned pregnancies. In 2016, I have a better idea. One that does not involve cannibalism. |
You and I don’t have much in common. I didn’t vote for you. But
you’ve suggested that you are interested in being a vice president for all
Americans, so I thought I’d share my thoughts with you. We both love America
and want the best future for our country, even if we don’t agree on the
specifics. From what I’ve heard about
you and your record, I do think that we agree on one thing: Abortions that terminate unplanned or
unwanted pregnancies are morally wrong.
As my progressive feminist friends fall off their chairs and
prepare to block me on Facebook, let me repeat myself: As a mother of four
beautiful children, I don’t think women should ever use abortion as a form of
birth control for an unplanned pregnancy. I’m not alone in this view; about
half of all Americans agree with me.
Now, we—stronger together—finally have a chance to end
abortions of convenience once and for all. We can ensure that no woman ever aborts
an innocent child simply because she doesn’t want the hassle of pregnancy and
child-rearing. Even better, we can also end unplanned pregnancies that result from
rape or incest.
We don’t even have to overturn Roe v. Wade to accomplish this miracle. Thanks to the wonders of
science, there will soon be a better way.
We will have to pass a new law though. To end all abortions
of convenience, we should immediately urge Congress to pass legislation mandating
male birth control. Under this brave new law, all males between the ages of 12
and 112 will be legally required to get regular birth control shots for the
rest of their lives. The men will only be permitted to stop taking the
medication, which by some accounts causes some pretty serious side effects like
acne, mood swings, and depression, when a heterosexual woman obtains a court order expressing her affirmative
consent to reproduce with a specific man, or alternatively, when, at the age of
40 or older, men affirmatively seek and provide the court with evidence of permanent
sterilization. Men who do not comply with the requirement will potentially face
penalties and jail time.
It will totally work. Abortion procedures to end unplanned
or unwanted pregnancies will effectively end. Taxpayers will save all that
money we currently spend on social support services for children of singlemothers. And women will take charge of their
reproductive rights—not by wearing modest clothes, or taking purity vows, or
avoiding dangerous situations, but by controlling the real cause of unwanted or
unplanned pregnancies: men.
Since you’re a man, you’re probably saying, “That’s not
fair! The government doesn’t have the authority to control my reproductive rights!”
I tend to agree with you. But if you’re comfortable trying to control women’s
reproductive health but not men’s, I want to know why. Why is it acceptable to
pass laws that affect women’s access to reproductive healthcare but not to do
the same (but much less invasive) thing to men?
And now you know how many women feel when men like you talk
about overturning Roe v. Wade.
Governor Pence, it’s time to admit that your stated opposition to abortion isn’t actually about ending abortion. It’s about controlling women.
No pro-choice woman I know wants to have an abortion of convenience. Not one. But pregnancy, in addition to creating the Miracle of Life, is also a medical condition for the woman involved, one that comes with very real risks including the risk of death to the mother and/or fetus. While I believe that abortions of convenience are morally wrong, I also think abortions of necessity are an unmitigated tragedy for all involved. These babies are wanted. They are loved. But a serious medical emergency occurs, and mothers have to make unthinkable choices. For them and their families, we should have nothing but compassion—not laws threatening punishment or preventing necessary and life-saving medical care.
It basically comes down to trust. We should trust that all
women, when provided with education, options, and support, will make the right
choice, the moral choice. In fact, when women have access to reliable, affordable
birth control, abortion rates plummet. While I think that abortions of convenience are morally wrong, I also think
that no abortion should ever be illegal.
And this, Governor Pence, is precisely why I support PlannedParenthood. Because you know what? I don’t care how we
do it. I just want to end abortions that terminate unplanned or unwanted
pregnancies. And Planned Parenthood, which provides affordable reproductive health services to men and women, does just that.
Since I doubt you’ll accept my proposal for mandatory male birth
control, I hope that instead you’ll take action that will actually end abortions
by fully supporting women’s—and men’s—access to reproductive healthcare. To my
mind, that’s the only moral choice.
P.S. Just in case you don’t want to donate to Planned Parenthood
yourself, Governor Pence, 20,000 people took the literal liberty of donating in your name.
