To say that abortion is a divisive issue would be a gross understatement. Abortion clinics have been bombed, doctors performing abortions have been killed, and women seeking abortions have been threatened. So it is not just the embarrassment of revealing an intimate detail of their lives or the possible political consequences of doing so that congress members Cori Bush, Barbara Lee, and Pramila Jayapal risked when they bared their souls to tell us about the abortions they had. And yet those courageous women willingly suffered that embarrassment and took those risks because they quite correctly believe that a woman should have control over her body and her reproductive system.
I like to think that I am compassionate and empathetic, but I know that there is no way I or any other man can really understand what a woman who chooses to terminate a pregnancy is going through. What I do know is that it is something a woman never forgets. To state the obvious, the physical, mental, and emotional health of women is important. So while I may not be able to fully understand what women feel, I do listen. I also try to be supportive, particularly when they are making decisions that only they can or should make.
Now is the time to listen to those courageous congresswomen! Now is the time to support the cause that they and their sisters champion! Celebrate the courage of those congresswomen by writing your member of congress and your senators to tell them that the protections of Roe v. Wade must be guaranteed by legislation. While it is her body and her choice, the right to an abortion is a health issue and a quality life issue that has an impact on males as well as females. This is too important to stand on the side lines, gentlemen!
