Mah Buddahs

Mah Buddahs

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

My Vagina Is Not Big Enough for the State of Virginia

Virginia, Idaho, Illinois (introduced by the House Agricultural Committee?!?), Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas have all recently passed legislation mandating either an ultrasound or a trans-vaginal ultrasound prior to receiving abortion services.  What's the big deal?  The gel might be a little cold.  Or, perhaps when I have made the gut-wrenching decision to choose to terminate my pregnancy for any number of reasons, none of which are anybody's business, I would prefer to NOT have a wand shoved up my vagina AGAINST my will because you think I am too stupid to understand the consequences of my decision.

I won't even touch the fact that the lawmakers who are pushing this particular bit of legislation are predominately opposed to the federal healthcare act, are the loudest when it comes to the issues of contraceptive coverage and feel that the government oversteps our civil liberties.  No, I'm going to touch that last one.  You whine about your religious freedom and big government, yet you can't seem to keep your government out of my vagina? Hypocrites.  

Back to the point at hand...whether you like it or not, women are granted the right to choose to terminate a pregnancy.  It is every woman's CHOICE.  It would be wonderful to never be in the position to have to make that choice.  But shit happens.  And when I say shit, I don't mean it is mildly inconvenient to have a child.  I mean a whole multitude of factors that come into play when making this decision.  I'm sure they are out there, but I have never met a woman who has used abortion as a form of birth control.  EVER.  It is NOT a form of birth control.  It is painful and sad and traumatic.  It is heart-wrenching and psychologically difficult to recover from.  It is not a decision that is made lightly.  Did I mention EVER?

So when a state comes in with a law that says a doctor must rape me in order to make me understand the gravity of the decision I have made, that makes me a tad angry.  Am I being over-dramatic by using the word rape?  I don't think so.  By inserting something into my body without my consent, a doctor is committing rape.  As an emissary of the state, the state is committing rape every time a doctor inserts that wand.  

I would love for women to never have to deal with this.  Nothing would make me happier than no more unwanted pregnancies.  But with increasing restrictions on preventative healthcare and women's issues being hurled back to the fifties, I don't see that happening any time soon.  I am not pro-abortion.  I don't think many pro-choice activists are.  I love seeing other choices exercised (key word there being choice).  I like babies just as much as the next person.  But I also accept that what is right for me may not be right for you and vice versa.  So please, law makers and everyone else who thinks they get a say in what I do with my body, please, with all due respect, GET THE HELL OUT OF MY VAGINA.

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