Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Men In Abortion Pt. 1

As most of you may know, the Leadership group has a live show that we tape monthly and it airs on CAN-TV. Well this month, one of our topics was "men in abortion". We discussed it from all angles. From financial contributions to physically being there at the appointment; to emotional support before, during, and after the procedure, etc. But what it came down to was ultimately, it is the woman's decision to either continue with or terminate her pregnancy. But why? It took two to get pregnant, so why does it only take one to make the decision? One of our discussions was regarding the choice of the man in this decision making process. Does he indeed have a choice in this matter? What if he wants her to terminate the pregnancy because he isn't ready or vice versa? Shouldn't we respect and honor his decision just as much as hers? This particular discussion got me thinking. As a social justice person who is very much involved in the pro-choice movement, am I being biased? Am I denying and disregarding a man's decision to choose or not choose abortion? Hmm....

The reality is, as the old saying goes "momma's baby, daddy's maybe". The woman is the one who will have to give birth; which can potentially be life threatening, definitely costly and very much so demanding in every aspect. I'm not saying that men don't have a say in this process. They're opinion should definitely be considered and respected. All I'm saying is men should understand that whether the woman chooses to continue or terminate her pregnancy, this is something that directly affects her body not his!

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