I am a woman who has two grown sons.  I never truly needed the services of Planned Parenthood.  Perhaps that was because I was born into a stable, middle-class family in which sexual abuse did not occur.  I was given many privileges throughout my life (stable home; college education, etc.).  However, I work with women who did not have these privileges.  They were born poor, or they were born into unstable situations, or they have been abused.  And, because of these things, they allow continued abuse--thinking that they deserve such treatment.

And, so, they sometimes get pregnant.  Many of them know that they can not care for a child--they cannot even care for themselves.  However, what can they do?  They can abort the fetus if they have the resources to do so.  None of them do this without some soul searching.  We, the privileged, can  waggle our fingers at them and blame them for  getting pregnant.  How dare we!  If we have never had to have sex to have a bed to sleep in; if we have never known a "trusted" adult to come to our beds at night; if we have not walked a mile in these shoes, we should keep our opinions to ourselves.  We should show compassion.

So, now, we in Virginia must decide that those  places to get a legal, safe abortion should be closed.  Those women who "got themselves in their position should pay the price!"  Shame on us for this value judgement.  And, shame on us for couching this value judgement as a medical decision.  There is really NO medical reason for these laws. 

So, what is the outcome?  What if we close down all abortion clinics?  Will that stop abortions?  Abortion did not come about after Roe v Wade.  Women have had abortions for a plethora of reasons for as long as women became pregnant.  Often they were performed in back-street offices or motels or other places where sanitation did make these procedures extremely unsafe.  I guess we could go back to these.  But, remember that this is the decision you're making.  It is not between abortions and no abortions.  It is between safe abortions and back-street operations. 

Please vote to help these women and their children.  Please do not make abortion clinics have to decide whether to spend their money on remodeling or helping women.  Please keep safe abortions available to women in Virginia.