Response: "What Does Pro-Choice Mean to You?"

The readings for today offered differing views on abortion, some more realistic than others. I agree with Sam that Muscio’s call for “alternative organic abortions” (117) is unlikely, given that it is quite uncommon that fetuses fall out of vaginas like “unshiny Super Balls” (116). Abortions are definitely not pleasant experiences, but her organic alternative does not seem like a plausible solution for mothers facing the difficult choice of whether to abort their child. I enjoyed Arcana’s article that stressed the fundamental relationship between motherhood and abortion. While choosing to abort a child is definitely a more serious decision than choosing which school to send it to, she makes a strong point that when we accept the dreadful decision to abort a child, “we have accepted that responsibility—many of us have even accepted eternal damnation—because we believe that the choice we are making is the best one for ourselves and our babies” (Arcana 226). Although we find pregnant women in a vast array of circumstances, I agree with Arcana that when a woman chooses to abort a pregnancy, she is justified in her decision. If she were forced to have the child against her will, it would not be in the best interest of the mother or child. Crews grappled with the decision to abort her pregnancy and changed her mind after three attempted scheduled abortions, finally deciding to have and keep her child. Having the choice to keep her child brought her empowerment, freedom and joy, and she writes: “Through giving birth, I loudly and publicly proclaimed my freedom of choice” (Crews 148). Abortion remains a difficult and serious issue. No one wants to face the traumatizing vacuum described by Muscio, but every woman should have the right to choose to if that is the best option she sees for herself and her child.