I am against abortion. In our early years, if my wife and I were expecting a child, I would not have wanted her to have an abortion. However, I do not feel that my beliefs should be forced on another so I feel that Roe vs. Wade should remain in place.
What I am writing will be controversial, but I want you to understand that this could possibly happen. It is not going to happen in some cases, it will in others. I do not want to paint the situation with a broad brush, but I would like you to consider the possibility of the following.
First of all, rich people will go to other states to get abortions. So that means state abortion bans will be poor people’s laws. How many of those women will be single mothers? If they are single and working, how are they going to take care of a child and in many cases more than one child? How many of these fatherless families will have to draw upon welfare: Aid to Dependent Children, food stamps, school breakfasts and lunches, etc.? If the mother does work, who will take care of the child or children? Will these children have the best home care? Will they get the support they need to do well in school? Will mom be home to help them with their homework or to make sure they get to school on time or get to school at all? How many of these children will “grow up on the streets”? What percentage will fall in with the “wrong crowd” and get into trouble with the law? How many will end up in prison? And if the child is the result of rape or incest, what is the emotional bond between the mother and that unwanted child going to be like? Will this child be able to achieve his or her greatest dreams?
I am not saying this is going to happen to every child. To be sure we have all heard of “rags to riches stories.” I am just asking what the possibilities are that it will happen in most cases. If the state (and you and I indirectly as citizens of the state) is going to tell women they do not have the right to control what happens to their own bodies, then it (we) had better be prepared to take care of these children when they need help.
Statistically, more Black and Brown women have abortions. Statistically, poorer women have more abortions. Statistically it is a greater possibility of more dangerous health conditions in carrying a fetus to term than in having an abortion. If the woman has cancer, she may not be able to have radiation or chemical treatment if pregnant. If the pregnancy is ectopic, if the fetus is deformed, if the fetus has a genetic disease or if the mother is alone working two jobs trying to support four other kids and just cannot afford another, tough luck.
Many say the mother could give up the child for adoption. She runs a much greater risk to herself carrying the fetus than having an abortion, and look at how many kids are in foster care because no one wants them. Plus, believe it or not, mothers often have emotional problems when they give a child up for adoption, whether they wanted the child in the first place or not.
Also, it is interesting that many of the politicians in these red states are so pro-life, yet they are eager to impose the death penalty on criminals.
Lastly, and I know this sounds outrageous, but gee, don’t we need those poor kids to make sure we have all those fast-food workers, those who work in box stores, those in menial work, the farm laborers, roofers, etc.? So just think about it.
Gerard Pahl lives in Edinburg.
