Thinking about Roe v Wade

I don’t like the idea of abortion. I never have. The fact that a brand new human DNA sequence that never existed before in the universe coming into existence at conception has always driven this dislike. Is it a human being worthy of protection under the law? Should it be illegal to terminate this being/potential being? If so, when does that protection begin? Are people guilty of murder for procuring an abortion? Is doctor who performs it guilty of murder? Is the person who drives them to the clinic an accessory to murder? I believed all these to be proper moral thought. And I have been a pro-life proponent in the past, advocating Cardinal Bernadin’s “seamless garment”/consistent life ethic; abortion being part of a tapestry of violence including war, the death penalty, torture, abject poverty, racism, etc.. I still believe these things.

But none of MY moral conundrum or ethical philosophizing matters.

I will never, ever be pregnant. 

I do not know what pregnant folks have to go through when they contemplate abortion:

Will my partner stand with me or leave me, whether I choose to abort or not?

Will my family/friends/community shun me?

Will I be able to stay in school?

Will I be able to get a job?

Will I be able to financially support this/another child?

What if the pregnancy is the result of rape, whether with an abusive partner or another attacker?

Will my pregnancy interfere with my current career?

How will pregnancy and/or birth affect my physical health, as opposed to abortion?

How will pregnancy and/or birth affect my mental health, as opposed to abortion?

Is this an ectopic pregnancy?

DO I WANT THIS PREGNANCY TO CONTINUE INSIDE MY BODY???

These and I am sure scores other life-altering questions are ones I will never be faced with, simply because I don’t have a uterus. It doesn’t matter a lick that I think I would “be there” for my partner through any/all of these scenarios; many don’t have that support. And as a white man in a fairly affluent area with access to many resources, it would be arrogant for me to address the misogynistic/racial/poverty implications many pregnant folks are forced to face, so I am not going to do that.

We as a species haven’t even learned to care for one another; the BORN people right in front of us that challenge us, irritate us, love us, enrage us. It is easy to advocate for the unborn; they make no demands on us, they cost us not a penny, they have no history face or name, and once they’re born, the job is done. On to the next pregnant person.  Where are these advocates once the unborn becomes the born? Where are the food programs, the education programs, the social programs, the job guarantees? Thoughts and Prayers…

That’s not pro-life.

That’s pro-birth.

I struggle with this. But I will never ever be pregnant.