The longstanding pro-choice movement has gained traction in recent years with the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. The presidential election is fast approaching and once again reproductive rights are on the table. Former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris support widely different viewpoints on abortion rights, with Harris taking a pro-choice stance and Trump being pro-life. But what does it mean to be pro-choice?
Being pro-choice is often misunderstood as a stance for being pro-abortion. The movement, however, is rooted in a much deeper cause. It is a longstanding movement which seeks to provide women with jurisdiction over their bodily autonomy.
The American Civil Liberties Union was the first organization to push for a woman’s “right to choose” in 1958, but the term pro-choice wasn’t coined until the 1970s. The ACLU was also involved in the two court cases that established a woman’s right to choose an abortion, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. These two court cases changed both the pro-choice and pro-life movement greatly, pushing them into what they are today.
Since its creation, the pro-choice movement has continued to push toward women having the right to choose what healthcare decisions they partake in, without outside forces.
The decision to have an abortion is a difficult one, both physically and mentally. That decision should ultimately be up to the woman, as it is her body, soul, heart and brain affected, something which should be respected. Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts discusses this by saying, “We’re fighting to ensure that everyone can get the care they need, that they have chosen, and that their decisions will be respected and uplifted.”
Whether or not a woman chooses to have an abortion, for whatever reason that may be, it is her right to make that decision. The opinions of government entities should not determine what choice a woman makes.
There is no one-size-fits-all law that can make every decision in terms of reproductive care. It is up to the mother with the help of her support system to make that decision, and the pro-choice movement supports this. There is more that lies in the movement than just the right to abortion, though.
The pro-choice movement serves to promote the right for a woman to choose in any aspect of her life. Whether that choice is to have a lifesaving abortion, put a child up for foster care or give birth, the right over what happens to a woman’s body is her decision to make. Allowing women to choose what happens with their bodies values them as individuals by empowering them to make the choice on their own. However, this choice is polarizing in politics and everyday life.
It may seem like both sides disagree heavily and very rarely find common ground. In reality, there is a lot of commonality. Forbes reports in detail, writing, “85% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in at least certain circumstances.” There is far more agreement on whether abortion should be legal than people realize. Therefore, there should not be laws against the right to choose, especially with most Americans disagreeing.
Planned Parenthood discusses the issue, saying, “There are plenty of people in that majority who feel abortion wouldn’t be the right decision for them personally, but do not want to stop others from making a different decision.” Everyone should be able to make their own decision that aligns with their religious, moral, financial or general well-being needs.
Picture this: your daughter comes to you saying that she is pregnant. You don’t know the circumstances, but she says she has thought about it and wants to get an abortion. She has made the decision. Do you drive her to the clinic? No matter what you are feeling or what you tell her to calm her or convince her, she does not change her mind. Your personal beliefs aside, do you think she gets to make that choice?
The pro-choice movement serves to put the individual beliefs of women at the center. Decisions and choices that a woman makes are strictly hers and those decisions should not be impacted by outside parties. Everyone, if it came down to it, would make a different choice about their own lives and they deserve to figure out that choice on their own. So does every woman in America. This election day, remember that this right is on the table.
Clara Leder is a junior studying education and journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Clara know by emailing her at cl125221@ohio.edu.
