Abortion - What's your stand?

I received an email last Friday from Feminist Majority about anti-abortion protesters in Atlanta, USA.

Although I understand that some people think that unborn children have a right to life and some may even scream bloody murder, I can’t help but think about the life choices in which the mother is denied. I’m aware that some people may have differing opinions on sensitive matters such as this but as a mother myself, I really do think that perhaps we should look at this in a sensible manner. Motherhood is no child's play. It takes a tremendous amount of sacrifice and effort to be a mother.

We have to be responsible for our actions, yes. However, not every woman who is pregnant wants to be so. Some could be pregnant due to sexual violations so in this case it is entirely unfair to heap all the blame on the woman. Of course it is still possible that a woman in this predicament carries the baby to full-term then puts it up for adoption. Have anyone ever had a thought for the woman who's carrying a baby inside her womb? How she is bound to develop a bond with the child and how difficult it is to expect her to just give it up? To not give it up would mean that she will be faced with the child of her perpetrator and be reminded of the crime against her. I'm sure people will argue that the child is innocent. I agree, absolutely. But so is the mother.

I think that abortion is a life choice for the woman going through the pregnancy. It is not for us to decide for her, or the baby inside her, because whatever choices she makes will have a greater impact on her than the rest of us. It is easy to comment when we are outside looking in but for those who are going through it, it’s a choice that will change their lives, for the better or worse. Life-changing decisions such as this is not ours to make.