No shame, no regret. My abortion story. [View all]

[PeaceNikki]

Not mine, but I am reposting a thread from 2006. Take a look.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x604255

Skinner ADMIN Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Mar-08-06 10:38 AM

I really admire all the women here on DU who have posted to share their personal experiences with abortion. It is not easy to share something so personal in such a public way, particularly when the subject matter is still so controversial.

To honor all of you, I would like to briefly share my own personal experience with abortion. To be honest, there isn't really much to tell. My experience is not nearly as compelling as the others that have been posted here on DU. And my contribution to this story is very, very small. But it's the only abortion story I have.

Because of the personal nature of this issue, I do not think it is appropriate for me to share any names, dates, places, or any other identifying information.

A good friend of mine faced an unwanted pregnancy. She had only been dating this guy for a short time, the relationship was going nowhere. The guy -- I hesitate to use the word "father" -- never even knew that there was a pregnancy. For my friend, the decision to terminate the pregnancy was terrible. I was not involved in the decision, but I do know that she had to deal with intense feelings of guilt and sadness. But I have no doubt that she made the right choice.

As I said, my contribution to this story is very small. All I did was what I was asked to do. She needed someone to pick her up from the clinic and drive her home. That's what I did. It was only a five or ten minute drive. We didn't talk much. I asked her if she was okay. She cried the entire way home. She thanked me for the ride. That's all.

Since South Dakota passed a law banning virtually all abortions, I have thought a lot about my friend and the terrible decision that she faced. I admire her so much for her strength and her courage. And I am still deeply touched and proud that she trusted me to help her out in some small way on that day. I am not ashamed or embarrassed of what I did or what she did.

Among those of us who are pro-choice, it seems pretty common for abortion to be described using terms like "a necessary evil" or something like that. I understand that many people feel that way, and I understand that there is PR value in this type of framing. But I refuse to believe that what my friend did -- or what I did -- was in any way evil. My friend is a good person, a deeply moral person, and the choice that she made was right. When she faced that crisis, she showed much more courage and strength than I ever have.