The unintentional irony—tragedy, really—of the graphic that accompanied the celebration of April as “Abortion Wellbeing Month” is hard to miss: two hands grasping each another with “You are” written on one and “Not alone,” on the other.
There is, however, a “you” who is alone: the unborn child.
We’ve written about Exhale and its founder, Aspen Baker, before. Likewise for its now fourth annual celebration of “Abortion Wellbeing Month,” whose goal, Baker tells us, is for “those with personal abortion experiences and their allies can come together to honor and acknowledge the importance of wellbeing”
Why? Baker says [the boldface is in the original]
“Women with personal abortion experiences are too often told how to feel or judged for feeling certain ways. Allies are too often unsure how to acknowledge and support those with personal experiences.
“This month is a time when, together, we can raise awareness that emotions of all kinds after abortion are common; and that feeling heard, supported and respected – without judgment – is important to the wellbeing of every woman who has an abortion.”
Baker argues that health and wellness after abortion requires “Understanding the whole picture of abortion in our lives.” She maintains,
“Each of us is more than just one person with our own thoughts and feelings—we are members of our families and communities. We’re in relationships. We experience nature. We share faith and spiritual beliefs. And abortion, while an event that happens in our body, is connected to so much more of who we are and what we believe in the world.”
So, she concludes, “Join us in celebrating wellbeing, connectedness, compassion, respect for those with personal abortion experiences by modeling the change you want to see in the world.”
What can we say?
We can say that just as much as her mother, the unborn child is a member of the family and the community.
We can say that the failure to “judge” the decision to abort is making a judgment—that none is needed. We can also say that condemning the woman (as opposed to the action] who has aborted is very unhelpful and highly unlikely to help her heal.
We can say to Baker, who describes the “storytelling” approach at Exhale as “pro-voice,” that we agree with her that abortion is “connected to so much more of who we are and what we believe in the world.” That is known as relationships, which we celebrate and which abortion severs.
We can say that where we most vigorously disagree is that in stilling the voice of the smallest, most vulnerable member of our family, she is “modeling the change you want to see in the world.” Abortion is the very opposite of what all of us ought to be striving for: win-win solutions.
Were it only so that there would be no need for an “Abortion Wellbeing Month” because there are no abortions.
By Dave Andrusko, NRL News
