Open Discourse

Ah, yes, abortion. The deep dark secret thing that everyone's a little bit scared of. The nytimes did a piece on Dr. Susan Wicklund, whose book This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor is going to be hitting bookstores soon. Here's what I admired about the article, and how Dr. Wicklund seems to be handling this touchy issue, it was neither completely supported nor completely disparaged. It swings more towards support since it was written about her profession, but she talks about her own reservations on when to perform the procedure (21 weeks was too late) and how she thinks the topic should be addressed in a smart way. We need to get it out in the open and talked about. Open discourse leads to education, and education leads to making smart choices.

"'We don’t talk about it,' she said in a telephone interview. 'People say, ‘Nobody I know has ever had an abortion,’ and that is just not true. Their sisters, their mothers have had abortions.'"

I've heard that. I've probably said it. It's a tough subject to discuss, no doubt, especially because there can be such violent reactions to even uttering the word. But, here are some shocking numbers for your consumption which caught me off guard.

Based on current rates, nearly 40 percent of American women have abortions during their child-bearing years.

Nearly a quarter of all pregnancies in the US end in abortion.

Check out the article. If you can, pick up the book. Abortion isn't pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but it's important to remember that there are people who take that step because it's necessary to them. Isn't it better if we give them all the information before hand, and provide them with safe, sanitary options than whatever desperate measures they'll take on their own?