What do you think? Have you had an abortion? If so, are you willing to speak out, or is something stopping you? If not, do you think you would be comfortable telling people?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I Had an Abortion
Okay. I didn't have an abortion. But I did read the book. Have you heard of it? It's pretty damn amazing, if you ask me. It's compiled of all of these personal stories of women and their abortions (check out the website). Each story begins with a picture of a woman standing in a solid black shirt with the words "I had an abortion" in bold white letters across the front. There's also a documentary that goes along with the book (also amazing). But reading this book made me think...if I had had an abortion, would I be brave enough to be so honest with it? There were lots of things to consider. I come from a long line of southern conservatives. Religious ones, at that. And let's face it: having an abortion isn't exactly a girl's ticket into "the nice girls club". No. Having an abortion almost always comes with a stigma. Very few women are able to have them without being judged by those closest to them. With that said, I think it would be very, very hard to "come out" about having an abortion, and it certainly wouldn't be something that I shouted from rooftops...but if someone asked, I think that yes, I would be able to say "I had an abortion".
What do you think? Have you had an abortion? If so, are you willing to speak out, or is something stopping you? If not, do you think you would be comfortable telling people?
What do you think? Have you had an abortion? If so, are you willing to speak out, or is something stopping you? If not, do you think you would be comfortable telling people?
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Summer of Choice 2nd Annual Walk
As most of you know, Dr. Carhart is a strong advocate for a woman's right to choose. He is a former worker and friend of Dr. George Tiller, who was killed back in 2009. Now, Dr. Carhart has locations in Nebraska, as well as Germantown, Maryland.
Twelve years ago, Dr. Leroy Carhart and his wife, Mary established Abortion Access Fund, Inc. This fund helps provides abortion services, pap smears, and STD testing to women in the Nebraska and metro DC area who are struggling financially and need these services. The work they've put into building this organization is amazing, but they still need as much support as they can get! This is where all of you come into play...
On August 26th, the Abortion Access Fund, Inc. will be holding it's 2nd annual walk in Washington, D.C. A majority of the proceeds will go to help provide services for women, while a small portion will go into opening more clinics to provide more services for women.
If you're interested in participating, the walk will begin at the Mie N Yu restaurant in Washington, D.C. Registration will be held from 12:30-2:00pm with the walk to begin immediately afterwards. If you would like to register in advance, you can do so online for only $20. Online registration ends on August 22nd. If you choose to register the day of the walk, the fee is $25. The fee includes a water bottle and a t-shirt. After the walk, a reception will be held from 5pm-8pm at Mie N Yu, with a special guest appearance.
If you're like me and unable to attend, you can still donate to the fund through their website here. If you make a donation of $25+, you can still receive a water bottle and t-shirt. All donations are tax deductible. You can also get all the latest news regarding the fund, as well as apply for funding.
The address to the Mie N Yu restaurant is 3125 Main St. NW, Washington, D.C.
For any questions or concerns, please e-mail soc@trust-women.org
Please, if you're in the area, go on out and show your support. Dr. and Mrs. Carhart are fighting a hard battle and they need all the support they can get. If you can't make it, please donate. And finally, if that isn't possible, please go to facebook and like their page (Abortion Access Fund, Inc.) and share it with your friends.
Say it with me people (because it should be hardwired into your vocabulary by now), we have to keep the conversation going!
Twelve years ago, Dr. Leroy Carhart and his wife, Mary established Abortion Access Fund, Inc. This fund helps provides abortion services, pap smears, and STD testing to women in the Nebraska and metro DC area who are struggling financially and need these services. The work they've put into building this organization is amazing, but they still need as much support as they can get! This is where all of you come into play...
On August 26th, the Abortion Access Fund, Inc. will be holding it's 2nd annual walk in Washington, D.C. A majority of the proceeds will go to help provide services for women, while a small portion will go into opening more clinics to provide more services for women.
If you're interested in participating, the walk will begin at the Mie N Yu restaurant in Washington, D.C. Registration will be held from 12:30-2:00pm with the walk to begin immediately afterwards. If you would like to register in advance, you can do so online for only $20. Online registration ends on August 22nd. If you choose to register the day of the walk, the fee is $25. The fee includes a water bottle and a t-shirt. After the walk, a reception will be held from 5pm-8pm at Mie N Yu, with a special guest appearance.
If you're like me and unable to attend, you can still donate to the fund through their website here. If you make a donation of $25+, you can still receive a water bottle and t-shirt. All donations are tax deductible. You can also get all the latest news regarding the fund, as well as apply for funding.
The address to the Mie N Yu restaurant is 3125 Main St. NW, Washington, D.C.
For any questions or concerns, please e-mail soc@trust-women.org
Please, if you're in the area, go on out and show your support. Dr. and Mrs. Carhart are fighting a hard battle and they need all the support they can get. If you can't make it, please donate. And finally, if that isn't possible, please go to facebook and like their page (Abortion Access Fund, Inc.) and share it with your friends.
Say it with me people (because it should be hardwired into your vocabulary by now), we have to keep the conversation going!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
We can ALL help...
I've said it before and I'll say it again. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to help the women's right movement, especially when it comes to abortion. We just have to keep the conversation going and do our best to let other women know about their best options when faced with such a decision.
I would really like to start a list of clinics, doctors, doctor's offices, hospitals, etc. that provide compassionate support for women in need of termination services for whatever reason. So many women find themselves in the position to terminate a pregnancy, for whatever reason, only to have to deal with cold, stuffy, and sometimes downright cruel medical staff during the process. SO, I figure, if you have had an abortion or considered it or you know someone who has, you could send me the info (how the situation was handled, payment availability, location, name of doctor, website if available, etc.), I can list it on the appropriate list (Places Worth Your Time or Places to Avoid).
So, please know that I will most definitely keep you anonymous. This will ONLY be doctor information listed. Your name will be listed NOWHERE. PERIOD. If you've got info, personal or from a friend (etc), please consider sharing it so that other women can benefit, as well.
I would really like to start a list of clinics, doctors, doctor's offices, hospitals, etc. that provide compassionate support for women in need of termination services for whatever reason. So many women find themselves in the position to terminate a pregnancy, for whatever reason, only to have to deal with cold, stuffy, and sometimes downright cruel medical staff during the process. SO, I figure, if you have had an abortion or considered it or you know someone who has, you could send me the info (how the situation was handled, payment availability, location, name of doctor, website if available, etc.), I can list it on the appropriate list (Places Worth Your Time or Places to Avoid).
So, please know that I will most definitely keep you anonymous. This will ONLY be doctor information listed. Your name will be listed NOWHERE. PERIOD. If you've got info, personal or from a friend (etc), please consider sharing it so that other women can benefit, as well.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
How old is old enough?
Today, I was reading Jill Stanek's blog and I saw this picture:
Of course, Jill Stanek was appalled that these women were standing here with each other, supporting something that meant that had any of their pregnancies been inconvenient (specifically, the daughter and granddaughter) they could have killed their child off. And they're all smiling about it. She finished off by saying that they were all "whacked" (side note: right after that last sentence, there is a list of Do's and Don'ts for Stanek's comment area...the first being DO criticize ideas, NOT people).
Clearly, I don't agree with Jill on this one. One reason being that I fully believe that PP provides a whole array of services to men AND women. Anyway, I saw this picture and I immediately noticed how young this little girl looks. She looks no older than 11 or 12 years old. Which brings the following question to mind: How old is old enough when it comes to explaining women's rights in regards to abortion?
This may be because I have a 5 year old daughter, and I know that eventually she will learn about these things. And I've always been a firm believer that when your child asks questions, you answer them. But in this case, if she happened to overhear something on the news regarding abortion and asked me about it, I don't think I'd feel comfortable explaining it to her yet. Part of me feels like this issue (abortion) should be handled when a girl (or boy) becomes sexually active. Wouldn't it fall somewhere in that conversation? Of course, that makes me think about all the little girls who have been raped and needed abortions at age 12. How awful! To be honest, I can't imagine when it would be the right time to discuss abortion with my daughter. But I know I wouldn't be comfortable with it ANY time soon.
So, the question here is...How old is old enough when it comes to the topic of abortion?
Of course, Jill Stanek was appalled that these women were standing here with each other, supporting something that meant that had any of their pregnancies been inconvenient (specifically, the daughter and granddaughter) they could have killed their child off. And they're all smiling about it. She finished off by saying that they were all "whacked" (side note: right after that last sentence, there is a list of Do's and Don'ts for Stanek's comment area...the first being DO criticize ideas, NOT people).
Clearly, I don't agree with Jill on this one. One reason being that I fully believe that PP provides a whole array of services to men AND women. Anyway, I saw this picture and I immediately noticed how young this little girl looks. She looks no older than 11 or 12 years old. Which brings the following question to mind: How old is old enough when it comes to explaining women's rights in regards to abortion?
This may be because I have a 5 year old daughter, and I know that eventually she will learn about these things. And I've always been a firm believer that when your child asks questions, you answer them. But in this case, if she happened to overhear something on the news regarding abortion and asked me about it, I don't think I'd feel comfortable explaining it to her yet. Part of me feels like this issue (abortion) should be handled when a girl (or boy) becomes sexually active. Wouldn't it fall somewhere in that conversation? Of course, that makes me think about all the little girls who have been raped and needed abortions at age 12. How awful! To be honest, I can't imagine when it would be the right time to discuss abortion with my daughter. But I know I wouldn't be comfortable with it ANY time soon.
So, the question here is...How old is old enough when it comes to the topic of abortion?
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Too Close For Comfort
Everyone who knows me knows that I keep up with all kinds of abortion issues, including terminations for medical reasons. In other words, women who have abortions because it's either threatening their health or their much-wanted baby has a devastating abnormality. A little while ago, I was reading some stuff on TFMR and I realized that a lot of the things I was reading about, they tested Phoenix for when I was pregnant. For example, Limb-Body-Wall Complex. While the ultrasoud tech at the specialist's office was doing an ultrasound, I noticed that she was checking the blood flow from me to him and back...I knew that that's how they checked for Limb-Body-Wall, and when I asked, she confirmed that that was indeed what she was checking for. I was terrified at the time, but once we were given the all-clear, all of those things left my mind. But today, for some reason, while I was reading about these things, it hit me: They thought that my baby had this! As a mother, that is almost...chilling. It's terrifying. But at the same time, it leaves no room for wondering if I am anything but blessed.
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