Opinion

I Am a Modern Woman. Now, I Am Worrying

I’m old enough to remember life before birth control, when abortions were illegal, and when women died from breast cancer. We have come a long way in women’s healthcare and lifestyle choices, since then.

First Time in History

In my active years (my 20’s), I relied heavily on birth control. For the first time in history, again, first time in history, women had procreation choices. All over the world, females could hang up their aprons, leave their diaper bags in the closet, burn their bras, and join the work force, if they wanted.

We were sexually equal, in the bedroom and on the corporate ladder. Again, for the first time, if we wanted, we were able to cuss like sailors, tell dirty jokes, be sex goddesses, or business suit-wearers. We had choices. And they were ALL good. Women’s liberation was our “woke” movement.  

Owning my Choices

Speaking of the active years, I had an abortion that I will forever be grateful for. I would not have my current family, loving husband, wonderful children, grandchildren, and be a contributing citizen and local job creator, if that mistake had not been easily and affordably rectified. Thank you for the right to choose. I am not here to advocate for or against abortions, but I am here to advocate for women’s right to choose a safe solution, rather than a back alley option. And according to the polls, so are 65% of our population.

Some of my other bodily choices have been far from perfect. In my 30’s, I felt pressured to get breast implants, which I will forever regret. Not that I think they should, but if the courts were to rule on anything, it might be to eliminate this unhealthy procedure! But, alas, men like boobs.  

Nothing New

Though, at my age, I no longer have a need for birth control, abortions, or worrying about breast cancer, I do still worry for our world. Have we learned nothing? Currently, we have the rise of a Hitler-like president in Europe, world-wide propaganda that rivals WWII and, now, in our free America, the effort to suppress women’s healthcare.

Unbeknownst to many, Mother’s Day, in May, was not created by Hallmark to honor mothers but rather to end war, forever. After the Civil War, mother’s knew first-hand the true cost of war. Having served the dead and dying and run the family farms and businesses, women wanted to continue their participation by having a say in the direction of the country. Thus founded Mothers’ Day (note the change in the apostrophe) a women’s rights day. This was the founding of the 1869, women’s suffrage movement.

I’m Truly Scared

A roll back in women’s right to choose would affect the poor, disproportionally. Those that can’t afford a plane ticket to another state for a procedure will be abandoned, creating single young women with poverty-stricken children. So, this begs a Jesus question: are we, as citizens, willing to provide health care, food, clothing, and education for God’s children, from inception? As my dad always said, “Are we willing to put our money where our mouth is?” Or do we plan to birth and abandon?

We Need Solutions

Someone needs to think this through before we create a new generation of welfare recipients. Want to decrease over-population, poverty, food shortages, maternity deaths, infant deaths, and orphans? Then maybe we should make access to birth control, abortions, and vasectomies (I believe in equal opportunity) more accessible, not less. If we are going to put condoms in men’s bathrooms, then let’s put coupons for birth control pills in women’s and make it an over-the-counter drugs.

Women of the world its time to exercise our voting rights. Don’t let the work of the Suffragette and Women’s Lib movement be undone, due to complacency. It’s time we speak up and bare our souls to save young women. Be Brave. I know from personal experience, we will not only loose unborn children but will oft, loose desperate young women to malpractice too, if Roe vs Wade is overturned.

Oh, and men, (who I adore and will always champion) if you don’t want a child you could just keep it in your pants or hand. “It takes two to tango.”