My 17 yr old asked me to tell how I became pro-choice. (Long)

[Miss Alpha Centauri]

54. Pro-choice and divorce

My being pro-choice led to my divorce, also. I had been married 18 yrs and had 4 kids when a presidential election came up in 1992. The church we went to started a Pro-Life petition that Father had encouraged everyone to sign. After Mass one Sunday, my husband said we were going to sign the petition and I refused. I told him that having 4 kids plus also losing a 5th baby through a pre-birth genetic problem and a 6th baby by an extremely scary miscarriage had showed me that I had no right to tell anyone else what to do. I only had say over my own body. He was furious and yelled at me in the parking lot of the church while a lot of people stared due to the commotion. Mostly I remember him calling me a murderer over and over and that I was going to hell. For someone who was supposed to love me, how could he say such hurtful things and not accept my choice? Afterward, he refused to talk to me. After 3 mos of a total silent treatment, I realized that more was going on than just the issue of pro-choice vs pro-life. I began to examine my marriage and saw so many cracks in it that I had not wanted to see. We were divorced 2 yrs later. It was a huge economic change for me because our state did not have alimony and I had to make it on my own. It wasn't always easy but I have survived. As you have stated, I wouldn't change what I did at the time. It was the beginning of an awakening about myself and what convictions were important to me.