Welcome - My name is Ellen, and I am passionate about life,
equality, women's rights, freedom, privacy and spiritual growth. I love
photography and writing. I am the
PR/Media Director for the Florida
chapter of UniteWomen.org. A big thank
you to The Rude Pundit allowing me to be here today. You can follow me on
Twitter @Victrisselle
Choosing Abortion
Over Child Abuse
My blood is boiling. I barely sleep
anymore. Who the hell do these legislators and governors think they are that
they can put so many women's lives and mental well-being at risk by their
pernicious legislation? Who are these self-designated arbiters of decisions
that should only be decided by a woman and her doctor? The new laws in Florida, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and many other states are cruel and inhuman. I believe some are also
unconstitutional because they take away my civil rights and my sovereignty over
my body.
Worse yet, the new laws are based on
one group's desires to hold on to the patriarch at ALL costs, and on another
group's RELIGIOUS beliefs. Beliefs that do not coincide with my religious or
moral beliefs. So who's religious beliefs take priority, mine or theirs?
Separation of religion and government was foremost in the minds of our founding
fathers when crafting our Constitution. It was structured this way to avoid the
long, bloody history of religious wars in Europe and elsewhere. Yet, here we
are 230 plus years later, at great risk from a small fanatical, religious,
ignorant minority. I say "ignorant" because, when you lack education
and knowledge....you ARE ignorant - as opposed to stupid. These changes in our
laws are fueled and financed by religious groups, the Patriarchy, ALEC, the
Koch Brothers and others. They will go to any lengths to further their agenda
and enact legislation. And in the process of forcing their beliefs on others,
they are putting many lives at great risk. I will not obey laws based on
another person's religion. EVER.
When people put more stock in a Bible
written eons ago by a group of misogynistic Arab men than in science and facts,
they are ignorant. When people put more stock in religious beliefs than in
citizen's civil rights, you are also dangerous. I respect all individual
choices - even if I do not agree with them. Just like I support freedom of
speech - even if I do not agree with the opinions being expressed. I believe
there are many paths to God. This planet has room for all views and paths,
including the path of not believing in God. Some of the most caring,
compassionate, moral people I know do not believe in God.
If I had gone through with any of my
pregnancies, I think it is very likely I would have ended up in jail for child
abuse, or worse. I did not grow up in ideal circumstances. My childhood
included incest, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, divorce and abandonment. My
mother and step-father sold our house and moved to Florida at the beginning of
my senior year of high school. They left me with a car so I could get to
school. I ended up living in a coed house on Youngstown State University's
campus. I feel robbed of my childhood. I lost the ability to trust or to be
truly intimate with people. It also left me with intense, uncontrollable rage.
When deep hurt remains unresolved, it turns to rage. My father terrified me so
much that, in spite of no physiological causes, I did not get my first period
until 9 hours after leaving the funeral home for the first time the day after
my father died. I was 29 years old. I did not want to be a woman while my
father was still alive. That is deep fear.
When I got married, I wanted to have
children. I always assumed I would in spite of having a career. After long and
painful consideration, I realized that I could not allow myself to have
children as long as I had uncontrollable rage. I did not want to take the
slightest risk I might harm a child in any way. I could not live with having
harmed a young soul. I did not have abortions because I did not want children. I had them because I love
and respect children. I had them because I was fairly certain I would
physically hurt them in a blind rage. I will never know for certain, but I can
live with not knowing more than I could live with the horror of hurting a
child, physically or emotionally.
Had I been forced to have a child when
I got pregnant, due to laws or lack of affordability, it would have put myself
and the child at great risk. I doubt the courts or public would show leniency
to me if a child was badly hurt or dead. The pro-life people could care less
what happens to either of us after the child is born. They are not for life,
only the birth. If they did care, our social services would be strengthened,
not cut. The Food Stamp program would not be at risk. If they were truly
pro-life, they would not be taking away women's access to affordable
contraception or reproductive health care, which will result in deaths. In their
smugness, they claim they are preserving life. Whose? Theirs?
Florida only passed one
abortion-related law in the 2013 that addressed the birth of a live birth
during an abortion attempt. Florida women got lucky in 2012. No abortion laws
were enacted - though not for lack of trying. Republicans introduced 11 bills
to restrict abortions, but all failed to pass.
Women's abortion rights in Florida took
its biggest hit in 2011. Gov. Rick Scott decided that hurting women and
restricting their civil rights is something worthy of celebrating. He threw a big party at the governor's
mansion on August 1st to celebrate the four tough new abortion bills that went
into effect on July 1, 2011. I found it painful watching dickhead Scott
celebrating with his cohorts in a mansion paid for by all of Florida's citizens
when I knew the newly enacted laws would actually hurt women and could result
in bad outcomes or deaths. I guess it could have been worse. Republicans
introduced 18 bills to restrict abortions in 2011.
After seeing some of the new laws in
other states, I am starting to think that Florida fared just a bit better than
other states -- like Texas. The only way
we can fight these draconian laws is to get out of our homes and into our
communities to educate and register voters. Grassroots organizing does work and
is very effective. If we do not take action
to create change, we will get what we deserve. I urge everyone to volunteer and
drag along a friend or ten. It is a dire
situation and women are at great risk in many states - not just Florida. Take
action. Volunteer. Please. Lives depend on it.
