An Unwanted Pregnancy is More than "Inconvenience"

Those opposed to abortion rightly condemn the callousness of pro-choicers referring to the fetus as "tissue" or the "product of conception."  On the other hand, I wince every time I hear a pro-lifer talk about an unplanned pregnancy as nine months of "inconvenience."

For many woman, an unplanned pregnancy ushers in a lifetime of grief. If she gives the baby up for adoption, she will spend the rest of her life aching for her child.  As much as pro-life propaganda likes to paint glowing portraits of women who surrender their babies for adoption and are glad they did, there are countless other women who endure a lifetime of sadness, regret, and clinical depression from which they never recover.

If she keeps the baby, she diminishes her chances of getting married because many men don't want to raise another man's child. The results of this are poverty, loneliness, and a diminished chance of ever having a normal family life.

Pro-lifers will sometimes publish articles about women who kept their children and regard them as blessings. They never publish the articles about women whose children turn out to be learning disabled or handicapped.  A woman I am very close to had an unplanned pregnancy almost fifty years ago. She had the child and kept him.  She was married at the time but her husband was an alcoholic, severely depressed, and drank all the food money.  She divorced him and raised three kids on her own until she married a successful businessman a decade later.

The son she never aborted is now forty-eight and a drug addict.  He has ADHD, a back injury, and depression. He is unemployed. He lives with her. The woman is raising his son, which is why she can't really kick him out and hurt the grandson. He steals from her to get drug money. She sleeps in pants with pockets so he can't steal her money. Every few weeks, another cherished possession turns up missing.

The point of this post is that while I support the Church's position on abortion, I seethe when I hear pro-lifers talk about an unplanned pregnancy as a mere inconvenience.

Just as we expect pro-choicers to be honest and not hide behind phrases like "tissue" or "product of conception," I expect pro-lifers to admit that these types of pregnancies often result in a lifetime of suffering.  Argue, if you want to, that life is so inherently good that it is worth the cost, but don't minimize what is too often a catastrophe for many women.