The Catholic Church’s message of pro-life rang in her ears as she walked into the one place she never imagined she would visit – the El Monte Planned Parenthood Clinic. Although there was an inviting tone to the reception area, she knew what existed past the flowery walls, plush carpeting and fluffy couches. It was the cold, hard surgical rooms where abortions were performed.
All Jamie could think of was the nuns in school who preached how only evil women had abortions.
She discreetly whispered her name to the receptionist and slowly took her seat among the other young ladies. For the first time in her life, she was the elder. Only 20, she seemed years older than most of the girls. There was one girl who looked no older than 15, accompanied by her mother. Her long, black, silky hair touched her stomach, which was just beginning to show. She was quietly sobbing in the comer. With every tear, she closely pulled her Rosemead High School letterman’s jacket closer to her face. Jamie wondered why the girl might be crying. Maybe she had no other choice, either?
Like Jamie, maybe the possible high school Homecoming Queen had a child already. Or maybe the high schooler thought she could not possibly be a mother. They did have something in common. They had decided to end both their babies’ lives. Sitting in the relaxing reception area, Roe v. Wade was a million miles away.
Decked in a traditional white dress, the nurse came to the area and called their names. They both forgot everything they had been told about abortions. Slowly, they followed the lady into a steel room, undressed, were poked and pushed and began to fade away as the IV took its toll.
Two hours later, Jamie and the teenager woke up, face to face to one another, not as two prospective mothers, but in their minds, as murderers.
In 1973, a record case was decided providing these two women the right to have. a legal abortion in the United States. The words that allowed abortions to be legal shocked America.
“Word ‘person’ as used in the 14th Amendment does not include the unborn,” reads the Supreme Court’s ruling on Roe V. Wade.
The rights of Americans do not include the unborn.
The court went on to establish that a fetus could not be a human being because it was unable to sustain life outside the mother. It also established certain limitations for abortions. These include strict third trimester restrictions.
While the Court was allowing women to· have abortions, it was also offering a choice for women like Jamie, women who were too poor to pay for an illegal abortion. It allowed a whole other avenue for women with no alternatives. All women could have abortions.
The quick, two-hour procedure cost only $500 for Jamie and less for the teen, who was on her parents’ health care plan. Before Roe v. Wade, women had to spend outrageous amounts of money for unlicensed doctors to perform unclean abortions. Many of these women suffered severe health problems as a result.
The past 20 years have given women an enormous amount of choices. They can choose to terminate their unborn child’s life or to have their children. Unfortunately for many women like Jamie, it does not help the situation.
“I was happy I had the choice, but when I look back at it, I would not do it ever again,” said Jamie in retrospect.
I agree with Jamie. It is nice to have the choice, but- just because you have it does not necessarily mean you should use it.
Last year, Jamie was faced with another choice. She and her husband decided to have a child. If she had the baby, both she and the baby could possibly die due to a uterine problem developed after her abortion. She opted not to have the abortion and has a beautiful baby girl now.
