Much love to those who have shared their personal and harrowing experiences here. The toll of these should never be underestimated nor the grit and determination it requires to fight for oneself in the face of punitive bureaucracy, when its message seems to be that as a woman, you are the least worthy of support and most deserving of punishment for simply existing. I hold sorrow for those women who have been murdered / killed due to state sanctioned lunacy - if pro-lifers can use those terms then why shouldn't we?
I am opposed to the death penalty due to the possibility of miscarriages of justice. I may be considered a hypocrite by some, but I really don't think it's comparable.
Each situation where abortion is used is unique to the individual concerned.
I appreciate systemic solutions to societal and legal issues must have a standardised approach considered broadly acceptable by society, but they must also have scope for mitigation in each case and be subject to monitoring and review.
I am conflicted on the subject of assisted dying, as my biggest fears are slippery slopes and mission creep. It is ironic that suicide is being considered as acceptable when many consider it taboo because "God". But it does lean into personal rights and autonomy.
Often until one faces their particular and unique circumstances it is impossible to be aware of the nuances involved.
It is jarring to live in a world where contradiction is the order of the day.
In an ideal world none of these complex issues would need to exist, but humans are complex and Utopia for one can easily be hell for another.
Religion breeds orthodoxy, dogma, inquisition and death. It can so easily become a tool of oppression and power based on the possibility of unproveable consequences. It is replete with hypocrisy and paradox at every turn, and can reflect darkness dressed up as light.
The debate about how and why we are here is interesting and can never be settled but suffering of any kind that can be minimised and mitigated, should be.
The idea that people benefit from suffering is repugnant and underpins much religious orthodoxy. Essentially it's sadism dressed up as a greater, mysterious good.
Yes, we learn from it all, but what many people learn is to pass on their own suffering to the next available target. A pro-lifer may shout "gotcha" at this point but it's never that simple.
The lesser of two evils, the way to hell, the law of unintended consequences .... we all muddle through, and we all bear the consequences, we all learn and we all wonder why and how.
But women are worthy of as much consideration and compassion post birth as they are within the womb.
One of the pro-lifers I was arguing with used the argument that most abortions are of female fetuses as part of their gotcha moment. My brain is still pretzel shaped from that one.