As I walked around Wallenberg Hall last Thursday and looked at the various art pieces made in support of women and abortions, it felt heavy on my heart. I read through pieces of art with phrases like “Abortion is fine,” “Together for Abortion,” and “My body, My choice” and the words rung throughout my head. While I have never gotten an abortion myself, I know someone who has and I thought how lucky I was to attend a college that makes a space for dialogue about something that means so much to me.
The #AbortionIsNormal event was timed perfectly for the cause as January 22nd marked the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the Quad Cities is now without an abortion provider since the recent closing of Planned Parenthood in Bettendorf. My heart hurts for all the women in the Quad Cities who will have to go on journeys just to have access to proper health care.
I remember getting a phone call from my sister sometime my sophomore year here at Augustana and her explaining to me she was deciding to get an abortion. I always believed in the power of choice when it came to my body but this was my first contact experience with abortion. It was hard for me to understand. I supported my sister 100% but there were a lot of things I wanted to ask that I was afraid to. I hung up the phone and would later cry to one of my friends over the phone about not being able to be there with my sister as she went through this.
Upon this happening, I realized just how important it is for women to have the choice to do what they wish to do with their body. My sister is one of many women who were forced to make a decision they knew would hurt and cause them pain but would be the best choice for them in the long run. I think those who criticize those who get abortions and attempt to take away women’s rights to them forget these women are humans with thoughts and feelings. These women don’t WANT to get abortions but rather are forced to make an extremely difficult decision.
As Lena Hann spoke about the women’s hands she held throughout her years, I wondered if someone held my sister’s hand or if she was forced to withhold the pain alone.
Abortion is normal. It’s a right women deserve to have. You don’t know the stories of the women who decide to get abortions. You don’t know what lead them to this road in life. You don’t know whether they cry at night because of it. These women are strong and have the right to choose.
Making the space for these stories allows women to feel empowered, educated, and heard. It’s likely you know someone who has gotten an abortion but would never know because it’s a scar most women would like to keep hidden.