Jesse A. Schroeder

I've received several emails and heard various discussions regarding president-elect Obama's intentions to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act, which would essentially remove all restrictions and limitations on abortion. There is a conservative movement aimed at preventing this law from being enacted. The emails and the rhetoric is strong, and so I did just a little bit of research. I am still working through my thoughts regarding abortion, because essentially I am realizing that it is not as black and white an issue as many would like to make it. It can't be the one issue to determine my political vote, it can't be equated with the Jewish Holocaust, and arguments can't be won by simplistic thinking.

When I hear accusations against Barack Obama, I try to read his website to what he is really saying about the issue. And it is true that he intends to support a woman's right to have an abortion, however, his words are much more nuanced, and in my opinion make several valid points:

"But we also know that Roe v. Wade is about more than a woman's
right to choose; it's about equality. It's about whether our daughters
are going to have the same opportunities as our sons. And so to truly
honor that decision, we need to update the social contract so that
women can free themselves, and their children, from violent
relationships; so that a mom can stay home with a sick child without
getting a pink slip; so that she can go to work knowing that there's
affordable, quality childcare for her children; and so that the
American dream is within reach for every family in this country. This
anniversary reminds us that it's not enough to protect the gains of the
past – we have to build a future that's filled with hope and possibility
for all Americans."

When I try to think outside of my own perspective on the abortion
issue, when I try to imagine myself as a young, single woman facing the
possibility of raising a child with no job, no health care, no support
from family, church, school or government, I begin to realize that
unless we work to make life a truly viable option, we can't take away
that woman's right to choose what she may see as the lesser of two
evils.