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I'm in the, "safe, legal, and rare" camp. I do not think abortions should be a substitute for birth control, or a decision to be undertaken lightly. But I don't think they should be performed with wire hangers in back alleys. So I support the right to chose abortion, and oppose unreasonable restriction on that right.
I've had two experience that guide my personal feelings on the issue. In college, I had a pregnancy scare. I had used birth control and all that, but for one reason or another had a late period. I made up my mind right then and there--"I'm having an abortion." A few days later, I got my period, but the experience made me feel like I could squarely count myself in the "pro-choice" column. Then, a few months ago, I had another late period. (again, we used condoms, but you never know) I had just started dating the guy, and absolutely dreaded having to tell him I'd gotten knocked up on our first time. I ended up being several days late, and to put my mind at ease decided to take a home pregnancy test. (That in itself was a new adventure--I've never been great at peeing-for-accuracy) I bought myself the Cadillac of home pregnancy tests (the one with the digital words), I peed on the stick, and waited the requisite amount of time. I walked into the bathroom with a great amount of fear, waiting to read the word "Pregnant" on the little screen. I took a deep breath, looked at the screen, and read what it said--"Not Pregnant". The magic words....and yet, they didn't feel very good. I felt a sense of loss, in a way. I was relieved, of course, and very glad I didn't have to immediately shake up what seemed to be a very promising relationship in its earliest days. But I felt the strangest sense of disappointment as well. And that's when I began thinking what it would have been like to have an abortion--to have read the word "Pregnant" on the screen and made the decision to erase that word. It was then that I realized I might not make that decision for myself. It did not change how I feel about the subject in general--but it did change how I feel about what I would do.
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"With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."
-Desiderata
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