Pen-Elayne on the Web

Blogging for Choice

It's once again Blog for Choice Day, and so I'm just going to repeat what I wrote a couple years ago, as someone who desperately wanted children and was never able to have them:

Lots of folks are childless by choice, and I say more power to 'em, live the life you want to. But I'm different. I've wanted to have kids since I was one. But, for whatever reason, I've never been able or lucky enough to conceive. And now I'm well past safe childbearing age and not rich enough to adopt and I've learned to ignore the sorrow and push it into my mental background most of the time. Besides, I have a wonderful husband, two terrific kitties and lots of caring friends and family members, I'm pretty darn blessed with company.

Regardless, the fact that fate has denied me a childbearing choice does sadden me when I think about it, so I get livid when I see people wanting to legislate other women's lives and bodies -– our bodies! -– by denying them choices as well. Everyone has a different circumstance that leads her life path into a women's clinic; how can you presume to know each one? You can't; they're private, they're none of your business unless you know the women personally (and even then it's not your body so it's not your decision to make), and you've no moral standing on which to pass judgment.

So, you know, if you're trying to pass judgement, particularly in the form of legislation -- just knock it off, okay?