So you want to roll back Roe v. Wade? Read this and then justify it.

This woman's illegal abortion happened in 1941, in London. Her story is very similar to American women's experiences prior to Roe v. Wade. Anyone who wants to see Roe v. Wade rolled back, or who wishes Democrats would remove the pro-choice stance from the platform should read this woman's story. Once you have read every word of it, then you can comment.

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I became pregnant again when the baby was three months old. I had listened to some old wives’ tale that you cannot become pregnant while you are nursing, but I did. Well, I wanted to commit suicide — I really mean it — I really did. I didn’t want to live. I couldn’t face it. And I don’t think I was weak; my experiences with my first childbirth were bad. I kept thinking: I am not having this child. I have a three-month-old infant, my husband’s in the army, the bombs are falling around me. I have no home, I have no money, I have no furniture. I just won’t have this baby.

My landlady said, “Why don’t you try to get a place for yourself? You can’t go into furnished rooms and I can’t keep you. My husband is on night shift and you know how it is with the baby. I’ll take care of your baby while you look for a place to live.” She was a nice landlady.

Well, she took care of my son and I ran around London looking for a flat. I also went to the Salvation Army and asked them whether they could help me out with some furniture. They said if I got a flat they would help me out. So I finally found the flat and I got some furniture from the Salvation Army.

I went back to my doctor and said, “I am not going to have this child, doctor, no, and if you don’t help me I am going to do something drastic.” And he said, “Well, if you have your own place we will see what we can do.” He came over after I moved into this place. I remember my husband wasn’t home. I had a friend come over. We had this big dining room table from the Salvation Army — a huge solid oak table. I lay on this table and the doctor said, “You won’t be able to have an anaesthetic, because to get it I would have to have a nurse here. But I promise you that you won’t have this baby.” So my friend held my hand. There was a bucket there, and it was a horrible experience. I cannot begin to tell you. I will never forget it.

After awhile he said, “Look, you won’t have this baby, but I can’t promise you that I got everything out. You might have labour pains in a day or two. I suggest you phone up the hospital immediately and say that you fell down the stairs so that you will get a cleaning in a hospital.” It happened the way he said it would. In two days I started getting severe cramps and then I went into a really full labour. The pain was excruciating! I can’t begin to tell you. They took me to the hospital in an ambulance.

What happened in the hospital was horrible. Not knowing that the fetus was destroyed and believing my story about falling down the stairs, they kept me in bed for three days in labour. They were going to save this child! I nearly went out of my mind. I thought I was going to crawl up the walls. After the third day I was bleeding enormously. They saw that there was too much blood and my life was at stake. They took me down to the operating room and gave me a D&C.

I came home from the hospital and I looked like a ghost. I was so anaemic. Then I had to take care of a three-month-old baby after coming home from this experience. However, what I want to stress, I think for other women more than for myself, is that I don’t agree with what I have read in the paper and in the press — “Didn’t you feel terrible to have destroyed a living thing? Didn’t you feel guilt?” Let me tell you that I never felt guilt in my life. I was the happiest person, even though I felt physically weak, for doing what I had done.

I only wished I could have done it under better circumstances so that I didn’t have to suffer that much — the mental anguish and the physical anguish and not being able to confide in anybody — because it wasn’t legal to do it. If it had been legal I would have terminated it in a few weeks and that would have been the end of it without having to go through this twice, with the pain and without an anaesthetic of any kind. It was a horrible experience. But I will say that I have never regretted it and I have never felt guilty about it. I can’t understand why there are so many young women who say that they feel guilt. I don’t know who instills this guilt in them.

It was 1941, and I was twenty years old.

I have always felt that the whole thing is so political — a way to keep women down and to keep them dependent. We have no control over our bodies. Every child should be wanted, because how can you have an unwanted child? You have to have support when you have a child. Those anti-choice people would not take any child and nurture them, feed them and clothe them and comfort them. I think they want women to have babies because they want to punish them for having sex. I don’t think these young women use abortion as a method of birth control. If so, they are ignorant. On the other hand, to use women as breeders so others can adopt is also not a fair thing.

I would like to see women go freely to the Morgentaler clinic. It should be a free choice, a choice with knowledge of what is happening. An abortion done properly is really just a D&C. I have had about six of those and a hysterectomy. I have two daughters-in-law and wouldn’t wish that they would have to go through anything like I had to experience. It shouldn’t have to be this way. It is a sad commentary on our society.

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This woman's complete story and others are available at http://www.cbctrust.com/nochoice/chapter2.html

That must mean that either you aren't serious about relinquishing the Democratic pro-choice stance, or this woman's testimony persuaded you that wishing to do so is a stupid strategy.

and I will fight tooth and nail, in the streets if necessary, to ensure that she enjoys the same rights that I have. Too many women of my generation and younger take their precious rights for granted, rights that were hard-won by their mothers and grandmothers - because they have never had to fight for them. Well, I have news for all the ignorant and unaware women who assume that access to legal abortion, birth control, and being treated with equality in society is a guarantee: The fight's here, sweetie. The Christian Reconstructionists who have hijacked the Republican party have plans for us womenfolk!!! If you enjoy being barefoot 'n pregnant in the kitchen, by all means, vote Republican. Otherwise, I'll see ya in the streets.

of why any reductions of the protections offered by Roe v. Wade is impossible -- the need for terminating a pregnancy are so varied for every woman.

Roe v. Wade as it stands offers the perfect compromise on abortion.

subject 50% of the women in this country are against abortion. as far as I'm concerned this is a female issue. females need to decide the deal on this, and like it or a lot of females don't want control, or at least that's what they think. so if they are not willing to defend this right, why the hell should the dem party fight this battle.

hell we are losing female voters because we support it. think about that.

because the last time I heard that number was more like 2/3 of women favoring abortion rights.

We're women, dammit. Choice is a women's issue.

:eyes:

Next we'll be called the "womenfolk" :puke:
Women's rights affect BOTH men AND women. We need all the help from men we can get. This isn't just a women's issue!

It is an issue for both sexes.

We have already been called broads, ball-and-chains, and the "old lady" here. Some DU men need to shape up or shut up.

It's just a few asshats that give men a bad name- happens everywhere :hi:

As if we're for nothing better than breeding.

fighting for my rights. Rights are not about majority rule. I don't lose it just because the Democratic party comes to a consensus that it isn't important enough. The day that happens is the day I stop being a Democrat. It's not because I'm single issue; it's because I don't want to belong to any organization that is willing to sell out ANYONE'S rights.

Same reason Bush voters think there's WMD in Iraq. They just don't know.

There are millions of women who defend the right to choose. Don't forget them.

abortions but there are so many other issues that will need to be addressed if they overturn Roe v Wade.

Will women that have abortions be prosecuted? Jailed? Fined? If jailed how do you determine the charge? Is it murder? Are our prisons large enough.

Will the doctor or the abortionist be prosecuted? Is he/she charged with murder? Accessory to murder?

Who will be responsible for verifying a woman is indeed pregnant?
Early pregnancy tests catch many pregnancies that in the past no one would have known about and the woman would have just thought she had a late period.

What if a woman miscarries but she is accused of having an abortion?
An angry boyfriend or someone else could wrongly accuse someone of having an abortion so she faces punishment.

And who is going to be responsible for the unwanted babies? Republicans usually want to cut social programs and bitch about welfare yet they want women to have babies that they cannot care for.

The list goes on and on....

The pro lifers never think about everything involved in making abortion illegal. They just want to "protect the unborn".

If democrats budge on this issue, I will cease to be a democrat.