Roe v. Wade: Understanding America’s Abortion Debate (Part 3)

By: Janice Dantes

 

(Continuation of article from last month’s issue.)

5. Labeling Women and Healthcare Workers as Murderers. In John 8:7, Jesus said to a group of Pharisees, “He Who is Without Sin Case the First Stone.” In this story, Jesus was essentially telling these people who were about to stone a woman for her wrongdoings, you cannot pass judgment on someone if you too have made mistakes in your life. I do not support labeling these women and healthcare works who are assisting them as murderers especially when these women are making an already difficult decision. Further, I do not support slut shaming these women or forcing women to have children they are not ready for. Many of the women affected by abortion restrictions are already living in poverty with few supports.

6. My Stance on Abortion. Despite being raised Catholic, I am a woman and supporter of a woman’s right to choose. The interesting thing about abortion restrictions is that it does not stop abortions. Abortion is illegal in the Philippines, but it still happens. Instead, making abortion illegal creates conditions for unsafe abortions, failed abortions which result in disabled children, and poverty. What makes me so sad about many women in the Philippines is that their way out of poverty after having unwanted children is at best to marry a foreigner to save them from their circumstances or at worse, to sell their child to pedophiles or other form of trafficking.

I feel that the absence of abortion completely infringes on the rights of women. A women may be forced to tell their parents about a pregnancy, might be forced to marry the father of that child, and be forced to live a life they do not want. I think a woman should be allowed to make this decision in private without having other people having input on this decision.

I also feel that women have to be educated about all their options when it comes to an unwanted pregnancy. Abortion is an option and it should be considered along with adoption. Because abortion is so stigmatized, Filipino women are not giving it any weight when I do feel that in certain circumstances, it could be the best choice for a family. One time, a mother called me desperate for help for her teenage daughter. She was very young, in school, with no job. The father was also a teenager, living with his parents, with no job. He did not want the baby. She insisted on speaking to me about her rights to child support. I asked her how she would pay for my services and how am I could collect child support from a man who was not working. Then we discussed because she was so early in the pregnancy about the option for abortion. Her mother, a strong Catholic, was open to learning about the option.

Our community has to talk about these issues. We have to have an open mind because every woman’s circumstance is different. We also have to show compassion to the women contemplating this choice.

If you would like to know about your options with an unwanted pregnancy, please call (312) 546- 5077 or janice@pinaylaw.com.

Thank you for reading. Until we meet again, love one another.