Coming to the US in 2015 from a socialist country (Israel), I never realized that abortion was such a big deal. That was until one October morning in 2016.
It was my Sophomore year, and I was walking to class on campus. It was hard to notice a large protest of people outside the building. When coming closer I saw that they were holding posters with graphic images of babies' body parts covered in blood, and other terrible photos that I will probably never forget. The posters left very little room for imagination and their mission was clear - they didn't want you to abort your baby. The question remains, who's pregnant?
It was a communication class on a warm Michigan October morning. The professor couldn't ignore the protest outside and started talking about the issue. Then something interesting happened. Students started arguing. Many students had strong opinions on the matter and were speaking in such passion.
I was shocked. I remember asking myself - "why is this a discussion?"
Why are we talking about this? No one here is pregnant. No one's sister/mom is pregnant how does this concern any of us?
I was shocked to witness the aggressiveness with which people were debating. As if it concerns every one of them.
In my home country Israel, every woman that needs to undergo an abortion needs to pass a committee. 99.2% of the applicants are approved for an abortion (according to a 2019 report). 99% is excellent of course, but women in Israel still share that the process of applying for a committee is embarrassing, dehumanizing, and unnecessary.
That morning was the first time I heard about the terms "pro-life" VS "pro-choice". I want U.S people to know what it sounds and looks like to an outsider: ABSORDE!
I've been part of this discussion for the last seven years, but time didn't help me make sense of the bizarre restrictions around abortion in the U.S.
I'll finish by saying two things:
I remember that October day very well, and I remember myself thinking what an ineffective way it is to try and convince people to "become pro-life". I remember feeling that as a "pro-choice" person I want to stay away from the opposite movement as much as possible. If you are trying to add people to your cult, graphic images are not the way!
Thankfully, each U.S resident has the right to choose where you want to live. Make sure you live in a state where your political values are reflected.
Pictured: Me with a baby I was not ready for.
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