Abortion Talk

Melantha over at Rekindling the Inner Fire makes some interesting points about abortion.

Here's one of my favorites:

Abortion is about motherhood, raising children, and self responsibility and knowledge.

Motherhood is not about a ball of cells, it’s not about pregnancy. The fact that you are physically capable of having a child and getting pregnant does not make you a mother. Birthing a child does not make you a mother. Every damn animal on the planet can pop out kids, only humans truly have mothers.

I know my mother isn't my mother because she gave birth to me (although she did). She's my mom because she helped raise me. My dad is my dad not because he donated to my genetics (although he did). He's my dad because he helped raise me. I know it's a self-evident kind of thing, but it's something that we need to be reminded of.

Every person in America knows someone who has a "parent" that's not biological. If there's one that doesn't, they've been living in a cave somewhere. This phenomenon stretches back through history, too. It's not just local to the US and it's not a new phenomenon.

I like Melantha's conclusion, too. It speaks for itself:

No woman who wants to become a mother should be forced to abort her child.
No woman who does not want to become a mother should be forced to have a child.

I can't help but agree.