Young women deserve a response to the letter of Mary Petz who mourns the loss of “50,000,000” embryos/fetuses due to abortion. Where is the consideration for the same number of women and girls who would have been compelled against their will to carry those pregnancies to term? What support would Mary propose for the “50,000,000” unwanted children if they existed? This is an example of prolepsis on the one hand and an advocacy of enslavement, not of a race but slavery of females.
Women are determined to make their own reproductive decisions. Before 1973 an estimated one million illegal abortions occurred each year in the U.S. Women/girls knowingly risked death to solve unwanted pregnancies. Hospitals had rows of beds reserved for the blood poisoning and other serious injuries that resulted from back alley abortions. About 40% of those women were Catholic. One hospital reported receiving 4,000 women/year for care. After Roe vs. Wade, when safe medical abortions became legal, this same hospital had fewer than 60 such admissions a year.
While In college, I knew girls who were raped and became pregnant. One flew to France, one went to Canada, and three went to California where they received safe abortions. As in the underground railroad where slaves were assisted to escape the south, caring men and women risked arrest to assist with transportation, and provide support for these young women who were determined to take control of their own lives and continue with their education. They were the lucky ones as this was before Roe vs. Wade, before birth control pills were legal for singles, and before the morningafter pill which would have made abortion unnecessary.
The Taliban hide their women to protect them, but that is like prison. If our country is one of freedom and liberty, pregnancy should not be compelled, and no legislation should impede a woman’s right to be in charge of her own body. Roe vs. Wade allows a woman to make those personal reproductive decisions.
I thank men who behave respectfully to women and expect them to influence other men to behave the same. Speak out against rape. Speak up for women.
Geri Jensen
Grand Marais
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