Silence Will NOT Fall

I’m feeling angry and horrified right now, and, like some are saying, a bit like our country has been going backwards for the last several years.

Mr. Bookworm often is the voice of reason and tells me not to write about some things because I don’t want this blog to be political. But, right now, I feel like it’s not just about being political.

Let me preface this by saying that I know many people who have had abortions. And many people who haven’t. And I remember learning one side of abortion going through (Catholic) school. And I also remember learning about ‘back alley’ abortions and learning about infections and hemorrhaging out and other horrific things.

I don’t perform abortions. But I support a patient’s right to choose to have one.

I could have had three abortions. I didn’t. All three of my kids were planned and wanted and loved. I had many people question why I decided NOT to terminate Macy when I found out that she had trisomy 18. The thing is—it was never a choice for me. But I will adamantly support any person who was in my shoes and chose to terminate. Because it was their choice. And they have a right to that choice.

Except in Alabama, right now, they don’t.

When I read about the proceedings, there were many questions to the mostly male committee about when a woman would know she was pregnant. Most of the answers were noncommittal and along the lines of ‘well, I’m not a doctor’. I don’t think you have to be a doctor to do your research about a law that you are voting on.

“I’m not a doctor” is not an answer.

Well, I AM a doctor. And I AM a woman. And I AM a mom. And I have been that person who has talked with my friends and my patients when they have been faced with a choice.

If I had to do it again, I would choose to carry to term. And I would hate for any one else to make that decision for me. Just like I wouldn’t want anyone to decide for me that I HAD to carry to term.

It’s not okay that one of my colleagues could face up to 99 years in prison for performing an abortion. It’s not okay for an uninformed government official to vote against abortion even in the cases of rape or incest when they admittedly don’t even know when a woman would know that she was pregnant. It’s not okay for us to be going backwards with human rights.

In the end, I’m deciding to speak out. Because silence is not okay in this instance. And I’m encouraging any of you who believe that what the Alabama government did today is WRONG, to please donate what you can to the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. That’s what we as a family are doing today. Supporting our rights as humans.

[Side note: Yes, the title of this post is in reference to Doctor Who.}