The Student News Site of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian

The Student News Site of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian

The Student News Site of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian

Newsletter Signup

Get our news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

* indicates required

Opinion: Women’s rights compromised by politics

America is taking a step backward regarding women’s rights.

Two prominent government figures recently made statements reaffirming my belief, and I am not interested in their political stance on my body.

Gov. Mitt Romney was quoted in an interview saying that he planned to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood provides birth control to women who can’t afford or obtain it through their health insurance.

Some have argued that if a woman cannot afford birth control, then she shouldn’t be having sex. And while that is a valid point, realistically, it’s not going to happen.

Gov. Romney is infamous for flip-flopping on the issue of abortion, but ever since 2004, he has been strictly pro-life. But how does a stance against more widely accessible birth control and abortion make sense?

If a woman gets pregnant, especially as a result of limited or no access to birth control, then she should have the option of an abortion. Is this not, after all, the land of second chances?

I am aware that people have religious reasons for choosing to be pro-life, but our country is a democracy, not a theocracy. And if nothing else, abortion should be accepted in cases of rape and incest.

But Missouri Republican Rep. Todd Akin would disagree, as he believes that pregnancy resulting from rape is “really rare,” according to The New York Times.

 “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to shut the whole thing down,” he said.

Besides the fact that this is completely false, it is completely terrifying. I do not want a male who is obviously ignorant of how the female body works deciding what I can and cannot do with my body.

Rape is sex. It’s not consensual sex, but it’s sex. The point of sex is to reproduce. Therefore, rape can get women pregnant; it has in the past and it will in the future.

I am pro-choice when it comes to abortion for the simple fact that this is the twenty-first-century; people have sex, contraception is not always effective and rape and incest still occur.

What happens if a female college student with a bright future ahead of her has to give up everything because she gets pregnant? Would Romney tell her that she shouldn’t have had sex if she wasn’t ready to be a parent? And what if she didn’t have a choice – what if she was raped?

Look at the Republican plan. They want to limit access to birth control and outlaw abortion, essentially restricting the rights of women. That should not be on any politician’s agenda.

Women’s bodies are not clay for people to manipulate into what is convenient for their political views. 

Lindsay Bookout, a sophomore English major from Charlotte, is an intern news reporter.

Leave a Comment
Donate to The Appalachian
$1201
$5000
Contributed
Our Goal

We hope you appreciate this article! Before you move on, our student staff wanted to ask if you would consider supporting The Appalachian's award-winning journalism. We are celebrating our 90th anniversary of The Appalachian in 2024!

We receive funding from the university, which helps us to compensate our students for the work they do for The Appalachian. However, the bulk of our operational expenses — from printing and website hosting to training and entering our work into competitions — is dependent upon advertising revenue and donations. We cannot exist without the financial and educational support of our fellow departments on campus, our local and regional businesses, and donations of money and time from alumni, parents, subscribers and friends.

Our journalism is produced to serve the public interest, both on campus and within the community. From anywhere in the world, readers can access our paywall-free journalism, through our website, through our email newsletter, and through our social media channels. Our supporters help to keep us editorially independent, user-friendly, and accessible to everyone.

If you can, please consider supporting us with a financial gift from $10. We appreciate your consideration and support of student journalism at Appalachian State University. If you prefer to make a tax-deductible donation, or if you would prefer to make a recurring monthly gift, please give to The Appalachian Student News Fund through the university here: https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1727/cg20/form.aspx?sid=1727&gid=2&pgid=392&cid=1011&dids=418.15&bledit=1&sort=1.

Donate to The Appalachian
$1201
$5000
Contributed
Our Goal

Comments (0)

All The Appalachian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *