The abortion debate reminds me of the death penalty debate. We sentence convicted criminals to death as a
way to say that killing is wrong. By comparison, we obstruct women’s health care as a way to penalize
them for making choices that disagree with other people’s moral standards.
The right to abortion is a human rights issue, not a political or religious one. The people who are
against abortion already have the right not to have one.Our children are one of our most valuable
resources and should be an important priority in terms of health care, education, food, housing,
security and safety. As the mother of three adult children, I consider myself pro-life because I cannot
imagine my world without them. However, as a former community mental health adviser and advocate, I
consider myself pro-choice because my work has informed me that not everyone is able to become a parent.

Bringing a child to full term is a different and unique experience for each woman depending upon her age,
health and maturity. Some pregnant women are blessed with supportive partners, financial stability and
well-being. Other pregnant women may experience depression and anxiety before birth as well as
postpartum feelings of helplessness. Either way, pregnancy and birth can take a tremendous toll on the
mother’s physical, psychological and emotional health. After giving birth, it can take up to a year for
a woman’s body to fully recover.
No one likes abortion, but one can be pro-life and pro-choice because there are many reasons for
supporting a woman’s right to choose according to what is best for her. Why? Because it is not our job
to live other people’s lives for them. We do not have a crystal ball that allows us to be all-knowing.
However, we do know that If a woman is already struggling with poverty, domestic abuse or a mental
illness, adding another pregnancy can easily put her at risk for being a danger to herself and to her
other children.
I can certainly understand why pro-life advocates would not want to pay for other women’s abortions or
birth control based upon their faith. I, too, have conflicting values regarding going to war. However,
as a law-abiding citizen, I must pay my taxes that support wars by sending our young precious sons and
daughters into harm’s way.Unfortunately, we live in a culture today that pits women against one another
based upon religious beliefs or political outlook. If a woman chooses to have an abortion, she is a
called "baby killer" or if a single pregnant mom living in poverty decides to keep her child,
she is criticized for going on welfare. Our sanctity for life should be more than protecting the fetus,
it must also include protecting the rights of the mother.
There is a meaningful phenomenon that occurs between counselor and client. This sacred covenant is called
"holding a space" for another person. As a caregiver, one must listen while suspending
judgment in order to allow the client to hear her own voice. Holding a space happens when a counselor
facilitates a therapeutic conversation that empowers the client to think clearly for herself. When we
honor one’s personal autonomy, "the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed and
un-coerced decision," we honor all women.
In a perfect world, children would be valued and welcomed into loving homes. Unfortunately, even without
clinical abortions, sometimes natural abortions occur as nature’s way of self-correcting an abnormality.
Accepting life’s ambiguities and mysteries can eliminate much suffering. With more peaceful and
compassionate minds, imagine a world where intuitive, productive women can work together on public
policies that do note undermine and threaten our children’s drinking water, air quality or safety from
growing up in a culture of gun violence. Please do not allow the distractions that divide us to take
away from the powers within us
Bowling Green resident Norma Davenport is a former mental health worker and advocate with the
Family Service Counseling Center of Wood County. She contributes to the Sentinel-Tribune
monthly.Opinions expressed in "Norma Unleashed" are the writer’s
own.