Money = Choice

At the risk of dating myself…

I remember the days when the only place a young, sinlgle woman could buy affordable birth control pills– without being judged or lectured– was Planned Parenthood.

I remember riding the Columbus city bus for an hour and a half each way to go to the near east side clinic– to the ghetto. I remember the dark, dingy waiting room packed with young black women, little kids, and college students like me– all waiting for a free exam and contraception.

I remember those days before Roe v Wade legalized abortion in the US.

I remember women in my dorm– crying when they found out they were pregnant. Most of them scraped together the money to fly to New York City or drive to Detroit to have abortions because those were the only places in the US where that service was offered. I even drove a friend to Detroit… a somber, desparate journey.

We don’t want to go back to that time

… a time when women had to deal with the circumstances of an unwanted pregnancy without a full aray of choices.

… a time when only wealthy women had the right to choose what is best for themselves, their bodies, and their families.

Here are two eye-opening stories about how choice is being whittled away by political and religious leaders.

As It Was Before Roe, So It Is Again: “Choice” Often Comes Down to Money

The real impact of a 20 week abortion ban
[tnivideo caption=”War on Women: Extended Cut” credit=”MoveOn.org”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=834jIeRQd3M[/tnivideo]