I am 100% pro-choice. I believe that a woman has the right to choose whether she wants to continue a pregnancy or would like to terminate it. I don't believe that abortion is tragic and I don't believe that it should be the shameful event that a woman must hide from everyone.
I recently found out that my 18 year old niece is pregnant and I discovered that being pro-choice is sometimes respecting very difficult choices. I will explain below.
When my niece explained she was pregnant, my heart sank. I let her talk and explain what her plans were. I asked some questions but for the most part just let her talk. It became very clear that she was planning to have the baby.
I realized that my position of being pro-choice was about to be tested...That I need to support HER decision regardless of whether I agreed with it or not. I said "Congratulations and what can I do to support you". Here is what I really thought...
"HOLY SH__*^&^ Are freaking kidding me! You should be walking...no running your irresponsible ass down to the clinic as fast as possible. You are going to be the second generation of teen mom. Did you not pay attention to how hard your life was growing up...You have no education. You don't appear to be eager to expand your education. You have no job! Your boyfriend sounds like a loser and also sounds like he is about to do a runner! Your Tea party parents can't support you because they are barely hanging on and hanging on through government support...Do you know the statistics stacked against you?????"
After I had the above diatribe in my head, I calmed down and realized that nothing of the above was going to change the situation or help anything or frankly make her feel better.
I also realized that being pro choice really doesn't have anything to do with the choice that she is making at the beginning of her pregnancy. It has to do with what happens next.
Pro-lifer's would go on and on about how she is "living up to her responsibility", "not taking the easy road out". I would probably argue the opposite. Her choice today is going to have huge ramifications on the rest of her life and the life of the child. Her lack of education is going to hinder her. Her lack of qualified skills are going to hinder her. Her lack of funds are going to hinder her.
I had a baby when I was 33, well educated, married and the means to support it and still worried and stressed. My niece has no idea about what she is facing and is running irresponsibly full force towards motherhood.
Being pro choice means that we support a woman in ways so that having a child doesn't hinder her chances to get an education, a job, a means to support herself. It means we don't handicap the child because it lost the lottery of life and was born to a single parent. And finally pro choice means that regardless of how I feel about how and why you got pregnant, I should have no bearing on the choice of what happens next.
10:39 AM PT: As a note: My niece DOES NOT want an abortion. She is excited to have a baby. I have discussed the pros/cons of having a baby. At this point, she is HAVING a baby.