Late last week, Republican Representative Joe Walsh sparked a firestorm in suggesting there’s no medical reason to perform an abortion to save a woman’s life.
During a debate with Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth, Joe Walsh declared that he was “pro-life without exception,†and said that due to medical advancements, there were no instances in which abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother.
These were his exact words.
“With modern technology and science, you can’t find one instance,” contended Walsh, whose claim quickly was refuted by medical professionals.
I understand babies are cute and cuddly and only an animal trying to commit political suicide would ever have the nerve to say that he cares more about women over a baby.
Let’s not forget the obvious, without women there are no babies. With no basic human rights, like the right to make judgment calls over our own body, women may as well be inanimate objects.
There are situations where abortions are medically necessary to save the woman’s life. No woman who was celebrating a pregnancy and planning for a child has ever taken the role of terminating her child’s life for her own lightly. It’s medically necessary.
It’s a “You’re not going to get out of here alive. The baby won’t make it. Do you want to die with the baby or do you want to live to try again or take care of those children you already have?” I’ve never had to make that choice. I never had the opportunity to choose. My baby died and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
But I suspect that I, like all women, would trade my own life for my unborn child’s in a heartbeat, if it were an option but it’s usually not.
I’m sick to death of hearing politicians telling me what to do with my body; dictating how I choose to live in the world. You’ve defined and redefined what rape is, to suit your needs. What gives you the right to decide what is a legitimate violation of my body and what is not? Just because you have a penis does not give you the sole right to determine how and when I procreate.
Joe Walsh quickly clarified his damaging comments in a long written statement to the news media once he realized they were not well received.
“Let me very clear [sic] that when I say I am pro-life, I mean that I am pro-life for the mother and I am pro-life for the unborn child. For me, there is no distinction between the two,†Walsh said.
Make a choice. Stick to it. I hope no one you love ever needs an emergency abortion to spare her life because then you will know the gravity and weight with which these decisions are truly made.
I really wish that more politicians would be pro-woman and trust that we have the intellect to make the best choices for our own bodies.
Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, medically necessary is not a choice, it is survival. What do you think?
Photo Source: Markn3tel
