OkieBrent's Soapbox

Recorded in 1971, and not released until 1975 – amazed that this is still an issue today.

Loretta Lynn, who used to be a Republican (and may still be for all I know), recorded the following song in 1971 (I was 6 years old).  Her record label didn’t release the song until 1975 (when I was 10 years old).  Now here it is 2012, I’m 46 years old and a bunch of old, rich, white guys elected to Congress or state legislatures are going crazy voting on and discussing “The Pill” … what a crazy, crazy world.

Over my voting age life (the last 27 years) my position on many issues has changed. Sometimes only slightly and other times I’ve done a complete 180-degrees. On the issue of abortion I’ve evolved.

I hate the terms “Pro-choice” and “Pro-life” and how they divide groups of people. I consider myself to be both Pro-choice and Pro-life.

I hate abortion, but I have never in my 45 years met anyone who is pro-abortion. Pro-choice is not equal to pro-abortion. Truly, life is not perfect and sometimes abortion is the only choice, or best choice in a horrible situation.

This issue has never been one of my passions, one for which I’ve marched, or written about in an opinion piece. And until the recent onslaught of anti-choice actions in Congress and legislative bodies across the nation I had never donated money to either side of this debate.

On February 18th I made my first donation to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood prevents 600,000 unwanted pregnancies a year – not through abortion, but through access to contraception, good education and real family planning.

The reasons that I am where I am on this issue can best be summed up by the words of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before Congress on April 22, 2009.