Pro-woman, pro-life: One in the same

By Colleen Snyder

I am proud to be described as a strong woman by those who are close to me (although "strong" is not always the word used). When I get married, I do not plan on changing my name. I like to open doors for myself, and when my boyfriend and I go out, I enjoy the independence of paying my share. I refuse to endorse such magazines as Cosmo and speak out willingly against any institution that leads to the further objectification of women. And - more fervently than any of these, I am pro-life.

Wed., Jan. 22 marked the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and along with others who respect the lives of the unborn, I mourned a generation lost. A friend recently pointed out how sad it is that one of the most important tenets of the women's movement in the United States has been the right to get an abortion. Could we not offer women anything more liberating than the opportunity to defile her body and reject her fertility while simultaneously stifling the life of her innocent and vulnerable offspring? And that's putting it mildly.

Many people have expressed confusion at my pro-life stance. How can a strong intelligent woman of the 21st century be against abortion? For me, the answer is simple.

The act of abortion, whether one believes the unborn baby is part of a woman's body or not, is arguably one of the most disrespectful acts against not only women, but humanity in general. Although not always regarded as such, a woman's fertility is one of the most precious and valuable characteristics of being a woman. The miracle of conception and the ability to nurture one's offspring in the womb is an amazing and remarkable gift. To willingly destroy the product of this precious fertility ultimately hurts everyone involved.

This explains the overpowering sense of repulsion and deep sadness that accompanies talk of abortion - even amongst its biggest proponents. Although it is often marketed as a simple medical procedure, an abortion is anything but simple. Even if a woman escapes the procedure with minimal physical trauma, she is almost always left with an incredible amount of searing psychological and emotional pain.

Many women are left with unexpected feelings of loss and despair after undergoing an abortion. Often women grieve for months, years, or even their entire lives for the person who could have been. Many women fall into deep depressions, some even contemplate suicide as their only relief. With all these negatives, how could anyone believe that an abortion is good for women or "pro-women" as some like to call it?

Some will argue that although an abortion is certainly not the ideal solution, it leaves the door of opportunity open for women in the difficult case of an unwanted pregnancy. Such a degrading and damaging opportunity as this is simply unnecessary; especially when fully capable, mature couples are waiting desperately in the wings to adopt. Why not relieve one woman's burden by answering another woman's prayers?

I am honestly dismayed at the belief that being pro-life is antithetical to being pro-women. This leaves me to believe that there must be a deep misunderstanding of what it means to be pro-life.

Being pro-life is definitely not about disrespecting women; it is about respecting life - both the lives of women and of unborn babies. This should go hand-in-hand with a true pro-women ideology. Being a strong woman is not only about standing up for equal rights and opportunities, but is more importantly about having respect for women.

Not only is aborting one's child disrespectful to the female body (and obviously to the life that is being destroyed by abortion), but it also disrespects those women that desperately wish for children but cannot bear their own. What a deep shame that we have bought into the idea that abortion equals women's empowerment for 30 long years. In a country like the United States where there is not only more than enough love to go around, but a surplus of resources as well, abortion is, hands-down, an unnecessary evil.