First, an observation. There is One Thing about her nomination makes me very happy. The press seems to be going on and on about HOW YOUNG she is. Young and vibrant and full of energy!! Young! they say. YOUNG!!! they proclaim!!! At this point, I would like to point out that I am the identical age that she is. I also point this out frequently to my son who is fond of calling me "old lady."
This post is less about Sarah Palin herself and more about what the media and certain political pundits have been spinning. Have no fear. I have plenty to say about her, but I'll say it later.
Several years ago (13), I was pregnant with my first child. I was 31. One of the many prenatal tests I was offered was the triple-screen, which would purportedly shed some light on the probability on whether the the baby I was carrying had a genetic defect (Down's Syndrome). Mine came back elevated, with a 1 in 99 chance of the baby having the disability (normal probabilities for my age should have been more like 1 in nearly 1000). As a result of those results, my doctor recommended that I receive a high-level ultrasound and an amniocentesis, which is a direct extraction of the baby's DNA from the amniotic fluid which can then been conclusively examined for genetic abnormalities.
I was a mess. I spent hours online researching Down's Syndrome and the risks associated with amniocentesis. I discovered there was the possibility of spontaneous miscarriage associated with the procedure. I agonized endlessly over the situation. To say I was distraught is an understatement.
We drove down to the South Side for the ultrasound and the procedure. I was lying on the bed when the doctor came in with the enormous needle used for the procedure and with a sudden rush of clarity, and purely on instinct, I sat up and told him to go away because I was going home. My earlier agonizing was simply a distraction. My heart spoke so strongly to me in that moment that there was no doubt that I knew there was no reason to impose even the smallest theoretical risk on the baby I was carrying. I knew that the results of the amniocentesis were irrelevant. This baby was fiercely mine and even were I to discover a genetic abnormality, I was having the baby. Of course I was! The test was not going to result in any change in action on my part (I was not going to abort the baby), and it was entirely informational and only for my benefit. I knew that I could survive 5 or so more months not knowing the genetic fidelity of my baby. The risk, no matter how tiny, was wrong for me to take.
I am staunchly pro-choice.
My point is that for the evangelical right to latch onto the fact that Sarah Palin carried her baby with Down's Syndrome to term as "proof" of her pro-life values is not only a political game but is an insult to people like me. Pro-life versus pro-choice has virtually nothing to do with a wealthy, white, married, happy young woman deciding to carry a baby to term with a birth defect such as Down's Syndrome. I cannot think of a single contemporary of mine who would make the decision to abort in a similar situation, and nearly all of them are pro-choice.
For me personally, and for most cases, I believe abortion is wrong and it would be quite convenient and probably even more comfortable for me to say that I am pro-life because of that. However I cannot. I believe that the reality is simply not that easy. The circumstances surrounding women faced with the decision of whether or not to abort are vastly different from case to case, but are almost surely all a highly complicated web of morality, reality, and raw emotion. My decision to be pro-choice is rooted in my belief that I cannot understand the nuances of every traumatic situation that young, pregnant women are faced with. I cannot understand the emotions of someone who has been raped or someone who knows their child carries a fatal birth defect. I cannot put myself in the place of a woman who is truly destitute. I cannot say I understand how it would feel to be 14 years old and be pregnant or be the mother of a pregnant 14 year old. I believe that if abortion were illegal that many women in these situations would resort to illegal and dangerous abortions anyway. Sometimes, aborting a pregnancy may be someone's only choice.
Being pro-choice does not mean that a person believes abortion is the right choice.I am insulted and offended that anyone would use Sarah Palin's baby as "evidence" of a pro-life stance. I believe it is a shallow political ploy that sheds little to no insight on how she might influence laws that actually impact the fate of unwanted children.
If you want to convince me of her values, her "pro-life" values, then show me that she supports legislation to provide the means to support unwed, poor teenagers that find themselves pregnant and without family support. Show me that she supports the research that might some day provide cures for genetic defects. Show me that she cares about all segments of society.
As a wrap-up, I'll mention here that I refused the triple-screen test when I was pregnant with my daughter. Although I am a scientist and think information is power, I do realize that sometimes there are limits to its usefulness.
10 comments:
Excellent post.
I also think there is hypocrisy in SPs "pro-life" stance and abstinence-only sex education. The way to reduce abortion is to prevent the unwanted or unplanned pregnancies from happening in the first place.
Like abortion when it was illegal (and still sometimes now with the reduced access to services in MANY areas of the country), sex between unmarried teenagers is going to happen regardless of the law or the education programs. I'd rather services be available and those who use them make their own decisions and their own peace - rather than have more risky, health endangering events that further tax our health-care system, etc.
Thanks, of course! Duh. I felt like there was something glaring that I'd left out and that was the other point I'd wanted to make. You are absolutely right. A heavy dose of reality is needed when making decisions that impact teens. Of all people, SP, with a pregnant teenager, should know that.
Fantastic post. I wanted to add that I had those amnios. I made the nurse tell me the most experienced doctor and chose him. When I told my ob/gyn why I would want an amnio if I knew I would not abort, he told me that they could prepare for care at birth if needed. So I had the procedures. What relief I felt--they were both completely normal. But I would not have aborted if they were not. I think you make a really good point.
Unfortunately, I believe it is lost on a lot of people who would rather have it be very simple. :-(
And, as my friend points out, if you say you are "pro-life" and you don't support young mothers after they give birth, and you are PRO capital punishment, well you are then really just pro-fetus, actually you could more accurately be called a "fetus fetishist"--LT
Thank you Lynne,
And thanks for the point about there being very valid and good reasons for having the amnios. It sure sounded from my post that I was pointing to them as an unnecessary risk to a pregnancy - I didn't mean for that to happen. I was very focused on writing my personal story and where I was emotionally at the time way back then.
You are so right. Pro-life implies pro-life-at-every-stage, and it certainly seems to me that it is all to often not the case.
Nothing in this world is black and white. The reality is almost always in the gray area. It's very hard to live with rigid values and rules in such a gray world...
but you were like 7 years younger than me and the statistics were more in your favor. There was no true reason to have them and your gut told you so:-). The sad thing I think is that it is quite easy to live in a world of greys if you are black and white, just be in denial and speak your black and white LOUDly...sad to say. LT
When I was pregnant with S, I was of "advanced maternal age" (hate that term), and we decided to play the odds a bit. We decided if the triple screen came back with a higher chance of an abnormality than the risk of amnio, we'd do the amnio. The triple screen came back fine, so we thought we we're done with all that. Then we found out that I was a cystic fibrosis carrier (I had no idea), and while we waited on DHs CF test (and his odds of a positive were high with ethnic background) we talked about what to do (since the baby would have a 1 in 4 chance of having CF). We decided that if he came back positive, we'd have the amnio just so we could know what we were dealing with, but aborting was never a consideration. DHs screen was negative, but that was an interesting 10 days.
That CF carrier revelation, though, has turned out to be a much bigger can of worms. Turns out there is research going on now showing what many have suspected - that being a CF carrier has more implications than just carrying. I will bet that C is a carrier, too - and his illness (rapidity of onset, etc.) is somehow related to that status. I've been meaning to find a study for him to participate in...
J -- I agree so much with your post. I like to call myself "pro-birth control" because the other two terms are so loaded. If pro-life means that I want to take choice away from all women, then that's not me. If pro-choice means abortion instead of preventive birth control, then that's not me either.
It's my personal opinion that women understand the complexity of these issues more deeply and more personally--so maybe we can move forward for some other choices besides just those two.
You know...
I'm starting to think that the labels "pro-choice" and "pro-life" don't adequately explain the positions people actually have.
This: "Being pro-choice does not mean that a person believes abortion is the right choice" is probably, I think, a fair generalization of what most people who consider them self "pro-choice" believe.
And yet there are lots of people in the pro-life camp who have the mistaken idea that pro-choice somehow means pro-abortion.
I also think it's fair to say that Sarah Palin-esque pro-lifeness (no exceptions for anything--rape, incest, danger to the mother's life) is way out on the fringe. Most people who call themselves "pro-life" can rationalize all kinds of situations where abortion is the right choice.
And yet there are many in the pro-choice camp who perceive them as anti-women, which isn't accurate either.
aaaauuuuhhhh... it's so frustrating.
I like this post, and I think it gets at some great fundamental issues. I think you and I, despite our differing choice of labels to describe our opinions on abortion, don't really disagree as much as the labels would suggest.
I did like this post. You brought up very good points that I haven't thought of. I like mama moose the best - pro birth control :)
Logic and clarity: refreshing!
@LT: "fetus fetishist"? LOL!
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