Sadly, in too many parts of our country, mostly white, wealthy individuals are working against the rights of women with regard to reproduction. Rather than preserving the personal space women and their chosen allies need to make decisions related to complex reproduction-related issues, these self-serving leaders want to dictate for women in harsh, cold, lifeless one-size-fits-all legislation. This is dehumanizing and it's critical that women and anyone else who respect the best of what life can be for all of us, stand up and speak out for a women's right to choose.
I consider myself pro-life because I am a staunch supporter of laws, policies, and programs that promote healthy, positive lives everywhere in our world. I ache when I see evidence of lives senselessly harmed and hurt. I believe we can create the kind of world that gives every person the opportunity to live their best possible life.
I know that to create good lives for all is not a simple task, but instead a situation that requires a lot of tough decisions. For example, war of any kind, puts people in life or death situations--sometimes a soldier in war kills, and that soldier kills to preserve lives. Is this right or wrong? I believe that most of us would support a soldier who kills in a life or death situation, and I also believe that most of us also support doing all we can so there are no wars and no situations where any person has to make a decision like that.
Similarly, I believe that most people believe that reproduction and the ability to create and give life is a a most precious and awesome arena of life. I believe that most people desire a world where every life conceived becomes a happy, healthy life, yet as in war, we don't live in a perfect world, and in this imperfect world there are reproductive situations that put women in tough life or death situations--when these situations occur, there's no way that others can choose for a woman because a woman has to make these critical decisions on her own and with the support of her trusted allies.
We can lay a foundation in life to prevent most wars and violence, and we can also lay a foundation that makes most reproductive situations positive and healthy for all lives. We can do this in the following ways:
- Best possible health care and health education for all
- Lifting everyone from poverty
- Creating safe, violence-free communities
- Working with diplomacy, collaboration, and respect to solve the big problems we face
- Acceptance of the many positive ways people choose to live and love
- Developing our knowledge and respect for sexuality, and giving people the opportunity to express their sexuality in safe ways with easily accessible contraception, good education, and more.
