Trust Women!

You simply must read Dr. Radha Lewis' post on Feministing about her work as one of the few doctors who provide second-trimester abortions - which are perfectly legal, but a little too difficult medically (and politically) for many doctors.

Most second-trimester abortions are performed for what Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain called (in scare quotes, no less) the health of the mother. Dr. Lewis shares a case where the woman's physical health was at issue, and another her mental health (a suicidal 18-year old whose family literally imprisoned her throughout her early pregnancy). This post is enlightening, reminding us that every woman who seeks an abortion does so for a different reason.

Which is why the comments to the post are interesting... Being Feministing, most are supportive of the pro-choice position. But a guy from a pro-life Catholic group shows up and - while he's respectful - it's clear that he's coming from a radically different point-of-view. He does nothing to convice me that "pro-lifers" are actually pro-women's lives, being as how he seems to argue that the morality of terminating a pregnancy should be up for public debate, rather than a private decision. (Because women are public property, of course...)

When anti-choicers raise the spectre of a woman carrying a baby for several months and then casually deciding that, meh, she's just not into it, they're more than disingenuous. They're sexist. They're coming from a place of deep distrust of women's ability to make decisions. I've got news for you: any pregnant woman who simply doesn't want to have a child will schedule that abortion ASAP. If a woman's getting an abortion at 21 weeks, or 24 weeks, there are almost always other issues at play - tragic, heart-wrenching circumatances that are not remotely the business of the president, my Congressman, the guy from the pro-life Catholic group or anyone else.