My Nana born in 1897 was pro-choice. She was a devout Catholic, mother of five children who had endured a very tough childhood. I suspect she saw and heard about the ugly reality of a society where women endured abuse and had to go to back allies for abortions. She was a well read, quiet, intelligent woman who didn't make decisions lightly.
I am also pro-choice. Raised as a Catholic and fully supportive of all that supports the best possible lives for everyone, I do not believe it is the government's business to tell a woman what to do about her reproductive decisions. I believe that reproductive decisions are far more complex than right-to-lifer's acknowledge as conception and reproduction occur in a large variety of ways, ways too vast to capsulate in any one definition, and too vast to manage via law.
I never had to make the abortion decision, but the decision was naturally made for me. On two occasions I had spontaneous abortions, otherwise known as miscarriages. The fetuses did not develop. These were sad occasions. I am the mom of three sons too--births that were healthy, and births I am grateful for.
I have friends who have had abortions. Their reasons for abortions varied, and I'm glad they had the chance to consult their loved ones, their religions, their souls, their families, their medical professionals, and make a decision they felt was best for the health and welfare of themselves and their families.
I support the best possible lives for all. I believe that when people have the chance to live good, healthy lives, they are more prepared to support good living for all--this good living requires that we support the elements that lead to best possible living including preservation of natural resources, minimal pollution, sensible gun laws, life enriching/saving invention/innovation, quality health care/education, healthy recreation, beautiful landscapes/community design, access to nutritious foods, warm/welcoming homes, international collaboration to create a peaceful, humane world, and good equitable laws/government.
These issues are vital to our survival.
Too many, I believe, jump on the anti-abortion bandwagon because it's an easy area to advocate for since many who fight this battle are not of reproductive age and never had to make a choice related to reproduction. This fight doesn't affect their daily living. These people avoid the tough issues that truly affect lives, issues like sensible gun laws, humane support for refugees/immigrants, eradication of systematic racism, need for quality health care/education, preservation of natural resources, mitigating pollution and more.
The most critical issues to human welfare demand time, money, resources and good collaboration--efforts too laborious for most Trump Republicans who are mainly focused on their own survival and wealth rather than good living for all.
There's so many better priorities to work for in order to create a good world.
I'd like to see those anti-abortion folk put their energy into creating safe communities where rape/incest/abuse doesn't occur. I'd like to see them support quality reproductive education so people understand how bodies work and how to make good decisions related to reproduction. I'd like to see them work for greater access to contraception and good medical care too as well as healthy sex education that promotes the natural beauty a healthy sex life makes possible. I'd also like them to work against the misogyny that exists and leads to abuse towards women--abuse that often affects their reproductive lives.
Setting the stage for good living for all is what matters and makes life better, not inhumane, limiting, dead-end laws that create more problems and less rights for people. We can do better.