Judth Arcana's piece examines motherhood with the theme of abortion. It paints a broad picture that being a mother is not an easy job, not to mention being pregnant. Motherhood is a complicated and Arcana argues that abortion not only implies a pregnant woman but a child that is growing inside her. Arcana compares the decision to carry out an abortion to a mother's decision to send the child to school or not. Although both circumstances differ in degree of importance, I think Arcana's point is that abortion is a choice a mother makes while keeping their child's well-being in mind (whether or not the mother can provide a safe and good home for them, nourish them, whether or not the child can survive and succeed, etc). Hence, Arcana defends motherhood, particularly women who have chosen to relinquish their child, as the most responsible and hardest decision a woman can ever make. Therefore, she urges the public not to view abortion as evil or put the woman in shame, rather, we should try to empathize with the hard times they confront.
The article "How it all began" discusses the efforts of a German woman to fight for the rights of abortion. By joining on this movement together, women in Germany were united more so than ever before. According to the author, women should be allowed "to determine their own destiny" and should not be forced to cowardly pursue in help and abortion behind the law. Thus, the author makes clear that abortion is a right, an action that even if it is termed illegal does not mean that it is not practiced. So, for the sake of helping women in this world, there should be a movement to demand the right for abortion, a step that will unify women.
I found Arcana's piece to be very interesting. While I was completely turned off and offended by it when I read it at first, after our conversation in class I eased up a little bit. The reason I was so offended to begin with was because of her dismissal attitude toward abortion. It offended me when she talked about the decision to get an abortion and compared it to decisions like, whether someone should send their child to sunday school or which park to go to with your child. Getting an abortion is an extremely important decision and should be treated as such. However, after rereading the piece and discussing it in class, I understand what Arcana's intentions were for this article. She is simply stating that when women decide to get an abortion, they are not just making a decision that affects them as a women, they are making their first decision as a mother. I do not necessarily agree with this since I am a firm believer that life starts when a baby is born, however, I can understand where Arcana is coming from. I, personally, am pro-choice. I agree with Arcana in that women have the right to choose. I believe that getting an abortion is an extremely important decision. I disagree, however, that it is a decision that has to be made by a mother. I think it is a decision that should be made according to what is best for the man and women to which the fetus belongs.
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