Monday, 14 December 2009
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Why is Our Generation So Pro-Life?
A few weeks ago I read a New York Times article regarding abortion, and to a certain extent, the generational divide on this issue.
I have never had an abortion. And I hope I never have to. But I am grateful everyday for the option. I am 22 years old and at this point in my life, a pregnancy would feel like a bodily hijacking.
In this article, Ms. Greenberg (a pollster), says: “The language and values, if you are older, is around the right to control your own body, reproductive freedom, sexual liberation as empowerment…That is a baby-boom generation way of thinking. If you look at people under 30, that is not their touchstone, it is not wrapped up around feminism and women’s rights.”
I completely disagree. Though, I see abortion as a personal issue, it’s completely wrapped up in reproductive freedom. This is my body and if I don’t have a choice in what goes in and out of it—Then what is mine? What freedom do I have?
I respect religious opinions (and believe everyone has a right to their own), but religious opinion has no place in our government. In the United States there is a supposed separation of church and state, though it’s increasingly difficult to find.
But back to the generational divide: I recently read that this current generation is the most pro-life since the great depression. While I don’t know if that’s true (it’s certainly not in my circle of friends), it’s very scary to even think about. Is it because we've never lived in a time when abortion was illegal? Or is it something else? Either way, (as the saying goes) keep your rosaries off my ovaries.
Do you agree that there is a generational divide on this issue?
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Comments (284)
Lawl, I love that saying.
In my circle of friends, we're pretty mostly pro-choice and we range from 19-24. I know I myself am pro-choice. Though I have noticed that it is pretty evenly divided.
I'm sixteen.
I'm pro-choice.
I'm Pro-Life, and Proud!
Also, why is this on Lovelyish?? :ç
A lot of pro-lifers I've run into say they would never get an abortion but they believe other people should be able to make that decision. That technically makes them pro-choice but they tend to get upset when I tell them that. I wonder if more pro-lifers are like that and if they are large enough to skew the stats.
I'm pro-choice, 100%
Most people I know are pro-choice, to be honest.
Maybe it's because abortion wasn't as common in the past? We have better technology and techniques now, so there's less risk, so more of them are being done.
My opinion on abortion is...conflicted. I hate the people who seem to think abortion is some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card. It's not a game. Yeah, it may only be a few cells at the time, but it's life, and you're killing it. If you make stupid decisions, you should deal with them.
But on the other hand, there are a lot of people who may really need it- for medical reasons, such as the child or the mother suffering. For psychological reasons, if the mother was raped- the people who say "well you could give it up for adoption"....I ask every single of them whether or not they have been raped before. I don't believe you have the right to say that unless you've experienced it.
Alright, I'm sort of getting off topic...but overall, I agree with you and think that ignoring religion, abortion shouldn't be outlawed. Maybe restricted in some ways, but it's a personal decision.
Im pro-life, but dont vote, so my opinion doesnt matter anyways.
the only reason (out side of religion) that I feel this way is because Ive seen to many people use it as a primary form of birth control.
(in other words, they didnt care to be "safe")
I've found more and more people around that are pro-life, and not religious at all, lately. So, for where I live that statement sounds true. I'm very happy if it is true ^_^
I'm pro-choice because I'm anti-bicycle spoke, wire hanger, ball point pen, back alley butchery. And yes, all of those things have been cited as used in illegal abortions.
For most of history, abortion has been perfectly legal. When it isn't is when women were put at great risk for being butchered by "doctors" and frequently left sterile.
Really? I look around and pro-lifers are a minority. I believe abortion is murder and there is no grey areas in there. :/ But... I'm a minority. There are most certainly more pro-choice people in this generation. (Or maybe the pro-choice people are just louder? :p)
Religion has nothing to do with it. If all the world were Atheist an abortion would still be killing a human being.
For a well "reasoned" non religious response to the abortion argument see this video,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzisHrqZAbM
May we all be enlightened to the facts and reason.
~Michael
I'm pro-life for the most part--- but if the mother truly can't support the child, or the mother's life is at stake, I'm not against it.
@MsKittyCatty@xanga - I will have to agree with you on what you said!
This was an interesting read. I'm not too sure about why there would be a generational divide on the issue, but I would have to guess it has something to do with feminism and women's liberation not being as common of a topic or as forefront of an issue today.
I am pro-life because I believe children are a blessing from God & it's murder. Abortion should not be used as an easy way out in cases when people choose to make irresponsible decisions.
right ring propaganda and the fact that the evangelical church is taking over america...
also, racism. (keep african americans stuck in the wellfare state..) its fairly complicated.
essentially we're all doomed. the pro-life movement is merely a byproduct of the downfall of this country. (at least middle and working class america, the top 5% will always be ok)
(sorry for the pessimism, i'm learning about the economy in college and its all fairly enlightening. if you have anything to say against this, please do some research and then we can talk)
Abortion is NOT murder since it's an embryo. Like a chicken egg.. it's not going to know whether it's future was taken away or not. All the young mothers I see nowadays makes me uneasy, especially when I watch the news and see babies that are abandoned die bc their mother was incapable of taking care of them. I would much rather have an abortion then have the baby and not be the best mother possible.
@babymeatball@xanga - i 100% agree with you!
I agree with a comment above, i feel that our generation is more pro-choice, i know out of alot of my friends i am one of the few who stand for Pro-Life. I believe every child has a chance to live and that no one should take that away.
I think maybe the author of that article got it mixed up. In my experience, the older crowd views abortion as a religious issue. It seems the younger (more college aged) crowd tends to see it as more of a medical and ethical issue.
you do have a choice about what goes in and out of it - don't let a penis in you and you won't get pregnant.
that said, i really am unsure about my opinion on abortion, for the most part.
and of course, there are rape cases, which i would judge on a different scale.
Hardly anybody's even answering the question, just declaring which side they're on. Figures.
My two cents: I agree with the original poster. If that's true, that is kind of scary.
"This is my body and if I don’t have a choice in what goes in and out of it—Then what is mine? What freedom do I have?"
^ Agreed. 100%.
I agree but I am pro-choice
Most people I know are pro-choice, as am I. I completely agree that people's religious opinions need to stay out of government decisions. I think the generational divide (if there is one) may have something to do with how entitled we feel as a generation, and also that we don't know what its like to not have abortion available if we need it (and I live in Canada so especially here). By entitled I mean that we feel like we can take a strong stance on something, then change our minds just as quickly to suit our needs...I read an article (don't remember where! sorry haha) about this exact subject...people who work in abortion clinics find that a lot of pro-life people come in to get abortions. To those people, abortion should be illegal except in special circumstances like "rape, incest, and me".
Also I love that picture at the top...men are free to have opinions on abortion but they should NOT be allowed to make laws controlling our bodies.
Anyway, I can't really be sure if there is a generational divide on this since most people I know seem to be pro-choice. Anti-choice people put up a display likening abortion to genocide every year at my university (complete with pictures of aborted disfigured fetuses), which seems to piss a lot of people off so I'm guessing most people here are pro-choice?