Heated debates about the Texas Heartbeat Act are still continuing on. Women are not at all happy about how the government is treating them and they are employing metaphors, comparisons and appealing to the politicians' conscience to make them understand that approving that bill was a mistake and that it violates their rights.
This topic is trending on Twitter and there are many people saying what their stance on it is. One of them is Dr. Elizabeth Markowitz, who spoke out the thoughts of Sam Scanlon, the person behind the blog Memiors of a Moddler, in her tweets and got a lot of support for saying that she doesn't want babies murdered, she just wants women to stay alive and healthy.
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Blogger Sam Scanlon shared why abortion has to be a woman's right and when Dr. Markowitz shared it on Twitter people really resonated with it
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Having an abortion is never an easy decision to make. Both an abortion and pregnancy may have long-lasting consequences on a mother’s mental and physical health. So choosing one or the other is tough.
What is easy is blaming women for murdering their unborn children. It is easy to categorize people into pro-life and pro-choice as if there is nothing in between and mothers who choose to terminate their pregnancies are the most evil people in the world who have no souls.
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
It’s really not that straightforward. And Sam Scanlon gives perfect examples of that. She gives 11 hypothetical situations that are all true and are reality to many women all around the world. The stories really resonated with people as the thread was liked by 66k people.
Yes, a child that is growing in a woman’s womb is a life, but what if they are so undeveloped or are at high risk of having an incurable disease that their life would be constant pain and would consist of constant hospital visits? It is possible that they even wouldn’t survive for that long and that would be even more heartbreaking to witness as the parents would have already created a relationship with the child.
The blogger Sam Scanlon presents 11 hypothetical situations that a lot of women are in and who should be able to have the choice
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
Sam talks about women who were raped and realized they are carrying the child of their assailant, or girls that were sexually abused and then had a baby growing in them when they themselves are just children.
The blogger also talks about women who have to choose not to have the baby because otherwise it would be them who would not survive. There are also situations when women have to think about their financial situation and even if they want another child, they just couldn’t provide them with a quality life.
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
The situations are heartbreaking and showcase that deciding to have an abortion is not easy as some may paint it to look like
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
Bored Panda reached out to the National Abortion Federation (NAF), the membership association of abortion providers and talked to The Very Reverend Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, President & CEO of the Federation. We asked what did she think of this thread, presenting examples of various situations when women need to have an option to chose for themselves if they would like an abortion.
Her reaction was positive and she believes that these types of conversations help people to understand the issue more. She told us, "We need to dismantle the systems and stigma that allow laws like SB 8 to be passed. One way to do that is to talk openly about the moral good of abortion and share all kinds of stories and abortion experiences. On the NAF Hotline, we talk to people every day who know that an abortion is the right decision and they deserve to obtain the health care they need no matter their reason or where they live."
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
There are so many other heartbreaking situations, even more than mentioned in these tweets. Deciding to have an abortion is not the same as deciding which flavor cake to buy for your birthday. Whether in the end a woman chooses to do it or not, it will have an impact for the rest of her life.
And the only person who knows best what consequences she can live with more calmly is the woman and no one else. People in the comments were saying that a woman doesn’t even need to have a super wild reason to end her pregnancy. The emotional aspect is enough. Not feeling prepared to be a parent is enough. It is dangerous to make a person have children if they feel in their hearts that they will not be able handle it.
With these stories, the blogger and the Twitter user are saying that they indeed are pro-life and the lives they are defending are women's lives and their futures
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
The Very Reverend Katherine Hancock Ragsdale said that when the bill was first introduced people working in the NAF didn't expect it to "pass as it is so extreme and malicious." After they found out about it, the Federation "members and partners fought on the ground to try and stop it and they continue to advocate for their patients and communities who deserve to access abortion care where they live."
We were curious to know if they had any guesses why the bill was approved despite the backlash and people saying it was unconstitutional. The CEO explained, "As we have seen in other states, some politicians are more focused on their own political agenda than the health and well-being of their constituents. This law was passed by politicians who have their own personal agenda of banning abortion, even though it is not in line with what the majority of Texans want or believe."
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
The members at the Federation fear that "this Texas law sets a dangerous legal precedent that could clear a path for states to override people’s constitutional rights. If the courts let this bill stand we can expect to see similar bills introduced in states across the country." But at the same time are hopeful that "there will be some kind of relief from this harmful, unconstitutional ban soon."
People will not stop fighting and those who say their piece help to advance the fight to the right direction. Because if people like Dr. Markowitz or Sam Scanlon can convince someone to change their mind, it is still a positive change.
Even if the reason why a woman chooses an abortion is not life-threatening, the blogger still claims that it's their choice
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
Image credits: ElizMarkowitz
Dr. Markowitz who shared Sam Scanlon's thoughts wanted to show that women who choose an abortion or would like to have it as an option are not murderers. These stories show that women are actually pro-life and those lives they cares about are their own and other women’s.
The blogger suggests that women deserve a quality life and they deserve the right to be the ones in charge of their future, so she is not only about when a woman is at risk of dying because of her pregnancy.
So what do you think of this thread and the stories that Sam presented? Do any of them resonate with you and do you think that they could convince someone who is anti-abortion to consider the other side? Leave us your thoughts in the comments!
Many people in the comments strongly agreed with the thread and saw the Texas abortion restrictions as unconstitutional
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If someone needs help in Texas, the NAF Hotline (1-800-772-9100) can help you find a local provider or can help you find a clinic in another state and if you qualify, they may be able to help you book and pay for your travel. If you want to inform yourself more about the NAF, you can click here to see their website.