Blog for Choice 2010

Today is Blog for Choice Day, an annual event to reflect on the passage of Roe v. Wade, which is now in its 37th year. In honor of Dr. Tiller, bloggers have been prompted with the question, "What does trust women mean to you?"

As many may already know, Dr. Tiller provided late-term abortions to women, many of whom were in desperate, life-threatening situations. Because of his work, his clinic was firebombed and he was shot at more than once. He wore a bulletproof vest, drove an armored car, lived in a gated community with special security, and lived each day with the threat of violence. He was frequently called "Tiller the Baby Killer" by Bill O'Reilly and Operation Rescue tracked his schedule to let daily website-traffickers know the location of where he was throughout the day. On May 31st, 2009, Tiller was murdered in his church by Scott Roeder, an anti-abortion extremist with a long history of attacks on clinics.

Dr. Tiller used to wear a bracelet inscribed with this simple but powerful statement: Trust Women. When it comes to an unintended pregnancy (or an intended one with the unfortunate circumstance of complications that could harm the woman or fetus) its apparently still a radical notion that a woman has the right to make the decision that is best for her. I've been so annoyed lately with Sarah Palin who touts her decision to "choose life" as if it is the best decision for all women in all circumstances. When states pass mandatory waiting periods and limiting access to abortion services, we're essentially saying that we don't trust women to think through potential consequences, or we don't trust them with any right to a decision at all.

To some degree, I've always been a bit surprised by the power of the so-called pro-life movement who would rather put up roadblocks to accessing abortion services and to use threats and intimidation to shame women into making the decision anti-choicers agree with. Countless evidence supports the idea that we can reduce rates of abortion by re-instituting comprehensive sex education and increasing the availability of free or low-cost contraception. When pro-choice policies are employed, unintended pregnancies, STD rates, and abortion rates decrease while they increase under anti-choice policies. Empower women to have control over their own bodies and abortion rates decrease. Now why is this so hard to take seriously?

If you really care about preventing abortions, here are some practical things you could do aside from tormenting women at clinics or supporting anti-choice ballot measures.

• You could actually support the routinely vilified Planned Parenthoods, where 97 percent of their services are for preventative health services.
• You could talk to your Representatives about ditching the abstinence-only-until-marriage funding after several years of being a total failure that increased the rates of teen STD rates, pregnancy, and abortion after it was decreasing in the 90s.
• Work to get pass legislation that gives women paid maternity leave. Currently, mothers get 6 weeks of unpaid leave. In Norway, parents can take 46-weeks at 100% pay or 56-weeks at 80% pay. The U.K. gives 39 paid weeks (up to 52 in April 2010).
• Support policies that benefit working parents. Support equal pay, flexible hours, less hours, work from home, subsidized childcare, universal healthcare, etc. These kinds of things could help women feel like raising a child is doable.
• Work to better adoption services to make this an easier process.
• Support welfare. This is an invaluable resource to those struggling to get by and can especially be a lifesaver for parents.

There are so many ways to reduce rates of abortion without infantilizing women and allowing someone else to make choices for them.

Trust women.