It is amazing that this semester is over half way thru! This class and the material continue to amaze and educate me.
I did not realize the travail that women encounter in the bygone eras regarding birth control. Reading about how birth control was illegal was an eye opener. Never thought about it before because it is such an easy thing to get these days. Imagine being 25 and bearing your sixth child, living in a small ghetto apartment and not having access to either say no to your husband or being able to acquire birth control. Margaret Sanger saw this so often in her work in the new york ghettos of the 1930′s. Doctors were rare at births and indifferent to the plight of women, callous in their attitude regarding birth control. As usual the woman bears the burden and blame. Most women of that time and place were old before their time.
In todays world birth control and abortion are things we take for granted. I believe a woman should have a choice and be in control of what happens to her own body. I believe we have a sacred trust though in being careful and educated on knowing how to stop an unwanted pregnancy from happening. With all the education and throw in the face facts regarding unwanted pregnancy, birth control, and sex young women have no excuse except a lake of regard for having a baby. It is amazing to me how accepting and kind we are in our society……its ok honey mom and dad will bring the child up, you continue with school…there are not many consequences and therefore I have seen it over and over young women continue to have children out-of-wedlock and expect that mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, the state, welfare….someone else will bear the expense of the child and mother. Young women in this day and time are very careless with a very precious gift. It is so easy to have and abortion or expect someone else to take care of her mistake. So many couples are waiting for years and years and spending thousands of dollars waiting for a baby.
Abortion is a horrible business…I feel it is a necessity…it should not be taken advantage of and it should be legal. You have to make the decision and live with it. Women can blame no one but themselves unless, of course, it comes down to rape or the child is dead in the womb. Women should be able to go to a reputable clinic and not worry about infection or judgement, again it is yourself that you have to live with and no one else.
The video on YouTube where the anti-abortion demonstrators were asked what the penalty should be for women having an abortion if it was illegal cracked me up. So many of those self righteous people were stymied when spouting how abortion should be illegal but had never thought of what the penalty should be for a woman breaking law if abortion were illegal. Of course they did not know the answer….such hypocrasy! I know they believe they are well meaning and following the dictates of God and the Bible. But we forget that we are responsible for ourselves and our actions and will answer to God when the time comes…he knows our hearts.
Health Care for women is better today than in the days of my grandmother and her mother. There are more women in the profession and we have access to preventative medicine that will enable us to live longer and healthier. The care we receive is good and we can be responsible for our wellness and the direction we take. More people have access to insurance but there is a need for those who cannot afford or have no job that offer’s insurance. I am fortunate to have a great insurance plan and I have worked in the insurance system for many years. I am lucky that I understand how it works and how to use the system. So many do not have insurance and are unable to access the quality care that we all deserve. The answer isn’t a government run socialistic health care system it is affordable access for all. Those who are able to take an insurance plan but choose not to should not be able to access a tax payer funded health plan. Children and elderly people should have an affordable plan or be able to access a state run insurance. I want to keep my independent insurance I do not want the government telling me when and where to get care.
