Jan Schakowsky, Democrat for Congress Candidate, Supports Pro-choice Health Care
A Contributor Perspective: Would You Be Strong Enough to Raise a Child from Rape?
Chicago, IL 60620
United States of America
When I asked her about what her first time was like, she said it was like a nail being drilled into a wall. She described no moisture, being forced down and her mouth being covered. The more she described it, the more horrified I was and finally asked her, "Were you raped?" She stared at me and said, "If you want to call it that." The fact that she was being held against her will certainly fit the category of rape to me and the guy following her around seemed more like force than a relationship. I asked her why didn't she tell anybody, and she said, "Who would believe me?" That hurt because I certainly would've believed her.
She later had the baby. Her mother was opposed to abortions so she really had no choice. As thrilled as I was about the new baby, in the back of my mind I kept thinking, "This baby was the result of rape. You've got to be a strong woman to deal with something like that." Quite frankly, because I'm pro-choice I don't know what I would do in a situation like that. I don't think women should be having abortions like it's 2-for-1 sales at Dominick's, but there are definitely times when I feel it's justified. Every woman is not meant to be a mother regardless of what her body holds. Every woman is not financially equipped to raise a child or has the strength to endure child birth.
This is why I'm pro-choice, and why I'm set to vote for Jan Schakowsky, the Illinois candidate who is running for Democrat for Congress. Every time I hear someone speak out against abortion, I wonder, "Are you going to provide funding for this child to be taken care of? Are you going to look this child in the face who may resemble the guy who raped her? Are you going to tell her family she died during childbirth because she wasn't strong enough to endure it?" It's so easy to complain about abortions when you're not in a compromising situation.
In an MSNBC interview, Schakowsky stated, "Sixty-three House members that are running for re-election as Republicans belong to the RNC pro-life under any circumstance, rape or incest. They do not support abortions. You're going to see ads like explaining that around the country. It's that kind of Republican that we don't want, that is so extreme on so many issues, particularly abortions."
On Schakowsky's website, she talks about the triumphs of the health care bill passing into law, which protects U.S. citizens from being rejected due to preexisting conditions, bans gender rating for premiums, prevents domestic abuse victims or breast cancer patients from being denied, and expands cancer treatment.
However, Schakowsky states, "Like it or not-and we don't-the Hyde amendment prohibits federal dollars from being used to fund abortions except in the case of rape, incest or life-endangering threats to the woman. This denial of federal funding for a legal medical procedure has been contained in annual appropriations bills for many years."
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. In the final version, abortion coverage is handled by state. "A State may elect to prohibit abortion coverage in qualified health plans offered through an Exchange in such State if such State enacts a law to provide for such prohibition." The issuer of the qualified health plan will determine whether abortions are covered, according to the HealthCare.gov document. Federal funds appropriated for the Department of Health and Human Services is not permitted to be used in abortions.
Sources:
"Abortion: Should It Be Legal or Not?"
Affordable Health Care (HealthCare.gov)
"Obama's Health Care Speech" (Newsweek)
The Rachel Maddow Show with Jan Schakowsky (video)
Published by Shamontiel
Shamontiel is the author of Round Trip and Change for a Twenty, and in mid-October became the Chicago Tribune s Digital News Editor. She works on National Travel, Health and occasionally Breaking News, and w... View profile
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8 Comments
Post a Comment...insulin levels. I honestly believe that if kids were more educated on the topic of sex outside of music videos and their goofy peers, there would be less abortions. In high school, I ran into MANY girls and in college MANY more girls who got abortions because they simply were ignorant of how to take care of their own bodies. Without fail, every single young lady I talked to (including the one mentioned in my entry) never had a conversation with her parents about safe sex. All of the parents said, "Don't have sex" or kicked them out when they got pregnant. Now clearly people know the basics of where babies come from (especially Gen X and Y), but if there's no one around who will seriously listen to them or educate them about alternatives, then (as you stated) there will just be more unsafe abortions for poor girls/women. I'd rather it be covered under health care than be shunned with no answers.
...business even taking care of a hamster. I wish the kind of energy being put in anti-abortion would be put into safe sex courses so those are mandatory like British Literature and Trigonometry and Biology, three subjects I have NEVER used in my adult life. It irritates me to no end when certain states elect to not have sex education taught in their schools. You want kids to stop having kids? You want people to be safer? Stop telling them, "Don't have sex!" It's not working. Start educating them on how to be safe WHEN having sex. I went to a book signing in Missouri, and I remember having to ask if I could talk about HIV and AIDS testing facilities. While I could do it in a college setting, I couldn't do it in high schools. Why? Not allowed apparently. A college student pulled me to the side and thanked me for coming to the university to talk about the topic because the required health class discussed stuff like diabetes. Nobody in college is leaving a party thinking about their insul
Alyce, that's what I'm saying! If the people carrying photos of dead babies who march and protest all day long were a bunch of Brad and Angelie Jolie's, saving babies and adopting kids who they can afford to take on, I'd back the argument slightly more. But complaining about how someone ELSE chooses to live her life when it will not trickle down to yours is beyond my comprehension. About a month ago I was on the train with a teenage boy and two kids who couldn't have been older than 11. The girl was talking about stealing panties, how some other girl had a "big ole thang" and "she's a bad bitch," made a bet with the older guy that she could stop cursing for 24 hours "but it would be hard," and the older guy is on the phone yelling at his "baby's momma" and talking about who he'll be going out with later. The younger boy seemed to be the only one who had any kind of sense, but I wanted to scream "WHO RAISED YOU?!" There are some people who physically can have children who have no busine
Politicans who want to repeal Roe vs. Wade say "no exceptions". I say they have never heard of an etopic pregnancy. True the majority of those abort themselves, but sometimes it does not and requires an operation along with pregnancy temination to protect the life of the mother. Turning women into criminals will not end abortions. It will just make them unsafe for poor females; the wealthy ones will do as they always have done and pay a doctor to perform them. No exceptions also means no "morning after" pill in case of rape. I do not see anyone lining up to adopt all the lives they saved (or try to save), which you pointed out in the article.
There was a father that not only raped his daughter but his granddaughter by that daughter and many nieces. I do not think anyone has a right to tell children (young teens) like them that they can not opt for a safe pregnancy temination. It is between the female, her physican and God as she knows him (or her) and no one else's business.
I think what President Obama said is true "No one is for abortion." Females have been electing to terminate pregnancies for centuries. Roe vs. Wade gave U.S. females the freedom to make their own choice regarding their lives. I wish people would leave it alone.
Marilyn, I agree. If the abortion is done in the beginning stages, the child has not had a chance to form. I think the argument is that because the child was created in a hostile environment that that is somehow justifiable, and indeed that is certainly the case as opposed to someone not using contraception. But my argument THEN goes on to people who actually do use contraception, and it just didn't work. I can think of three children related to me at this very moment with mothers who used the patch, birth control pills and condoms. None worked but they did take precaution. Clearly the only full-proof contraception is abstinence, but not everybody wants children so that's basically telling a woman if you don't want children you should never have sex in life. As a woman who has never desired to have children but has desired intimacy, I don't agree with that. Anyway, thank you for dropping by.
I am pro-choice, and I cannot imagine myself raising the child of rape, even if I chose to carry it to term and give it up for adoption. What I do find is the contradiction of those pro-lifers who think it IS okay to abort after a rape or incest. Here is why: If your belief in pro-life is based on the idea that abortion is murder, then it is ALSO murder to abort the child of rape and incest. Maybe mulling those twisted logical distinctions will cause some pro-lifers do re-think abortion. I still believe it is not a child if it cannot live outside the womb.