A Response to Paul Ryan’s Reasoning on Abortion at the Vice Presidential Debate

“The policy of a Romney administration will be to oppose abortion with the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.”

The single sentence that surges anger through my body. 

All of these Republican middle-aged white men who seem to think they know what a woman should do with her body fail to address the issue that gets her there in the first place.  Ryan failed to talk about the government taking measures to prevent abortions from happening in the first place.  Ryan failed to talk about promoting national condom distribution or making birth control more accessible.  Ryan failed to talk about advocating programs that educate teenagers about safe sex.

But even then, it is still a woman’s right to do whatever she wishes with her body. 

It is easy to undermine the changes that will happen in regards to abortion rights under the Romney administration.  If Romney is elected, the court case from Roe v. Wade in 1973, which secured a woman's right to choice, will be overturned and abortion will become a state's issue to decide.  A woman's body is not a political battleground, nor should it be up for debate.  

Ryan claims to respect other peoples’ opinions, yet he still tries to sway them with emotional propaganda.  “We saw that heartbeat.  Our little baby was in the shape of a bean.”  This appeal to emotions is a huge injustice to women; the decision is hard enough without making a woman feel like a baby butcher.  Ryan also states, "My faith informs me about how to take care of the vulnerable... how to make sure that people have a chance in life."  This is the same man who has no plan to protect these children after their birth, who expects women to provide for their baby with a seven dollar an hour job at McDonalds,  who is unwilling to create government programs to pay for the healthcare of these children.

Ryan also argues that the Obama administration has violated the first amendment by “infringing on Catholic charities… churches… hospitals ”  A report released by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy reveals that 20% of adolescents have sex before they are fifteen.  What’s better – governmental programs informing teens about their options to have safe sex, or a church preaching abstinence until marriage?

Declaring abortions illegal will not stop women from getting them.  It will lead to back-alley surgeries or self-abortions that jeopardize women’s health and life.

The logic is quite simple: If you are against abortion, don’t get one.  

The debate can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3roG09O6T4.