Women Know Something You Don't (A reader's t̶a̶n̶g̶e̶n̶t̶ response)

As someone raised in a household in which my views and doubts have always been dispelled by my Catholic parents, the abortion issue was never too much of a problem. I’d throw my dad a question as a curious middle schooler and he’d ponder the thought for a moment and counter with the usual. At the time, I went to a Catholic private institution and spent my time with Catholic students and equally religious parents. I didn't know much. And even to this day, I am surprised by all the interesting and perplexing mentalities that I have missed during my childhood days.

I don’t necessarily blame my parents for my upbringing (...sort of). It’s analogous to what we discussed during our week on depression and how many cultures can’t wrap their minds around the concept of someone having a depressive disorder. My parents don’t understand this at all either when I try discussing it with them! It can be frustrating but they've been raised to believe a certain way and it’s hard to change things that have been deeply rooted in your family history. Fortunately, my stubborn personality, persistence, and outlook has made them (mostly my mom really) consider other possibilities. I’ll be forwarding the article “Women Know Something You Don’t” to her. 

In terms of the actual article (excuse my tangent), I think the author was extremely insightful and focused. She threw at me point after point as to why women are entitled to carry out what they see fit with their individual bodies. Their bodies are theirs and the Catholic church or whoever/whatever else shouldn’t dictate what they can and cannot do with them. What really had me nodding my head in surprise and delight was how she provided historical evidence to further emphasize her argument. I had no idea that forms of contraceptives and abortifacents have been around for as long as they have been. I thought her points towards the end of the article were a little...exaggerative because I can’t see THAT level of control over a woman’s body. If something like that were to happen, my hope in humanity would dwindle by much. BUT I guess the reason I wasn’t particularly fond of it was because of how much the possibility frightens me. The thought of the government looking into our backgrounds and the thought of getting charged for murder over preventing the birth of a child of a rapist, the child of a poverty-stricken family attempting to save it from entering the unsafe environment they live in, the child of a mother destined to die due to childbirth, the child of a mother pursuing her dreams.

But no. Regardless of the situation, the mother is selfish.The mother is a killer. These statements that have circulated in my mind freely and have lied dormant within it for so many years was shattered eventually. The ignorance and even misogyny that I have unknowingly allowed myself to be a part of is shocking...