Dominic Baez

“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” – Voltaire

I am one opinionated guy, and because of that, I have learned to respect the opinions of others. I have lived all over the world, learning that everyone has a slightly different opinion from my own. Being gay, I have dealt with people’s opinions left, right and center. However, I have the support of my family, brothers and friends, and I hardly feel as though my opinion isn’t heard because of who I am.

However, I never force my opinion on other people, nor will I ever see fit to do so. Ask me, though, and I will let you know what I think. If you are reading this, you must already know that this is an opinion piece; continue reading at your own risk.

Rarely, though, do I get see such a blatant show of insensitivity and lack of understanding forced upon a community such as when I passed by the abortion protest signs on First Street the other day. They say, in all their ridiculous glory, “Choose life. Your parents did with you.”

Really? That’s cool. And if you can’t tell, that last statement is dripping with sarcasm. I’m sitting here, teeming with anger, trying to wrap my head around such a screwed-up sign. You would think I would have better things to do with my limited time than to give this scum the time of day, but it truly offended me. I actually slowed down while driving just to make sure that is what they actually said. It was dark; I was hoping my eyes were deceiving me.

I’m pro-choice, all the way. Just to explain to those who might be confused, pro-choice describes the political and ethical view that a woman should have complete control over her fertility and the choice to continue or terminate a pregnancy. This encompasses the guarantee of reproductive rights, which includes access to sexual education; access to safe and legal abortion, contraception and fertility treatments; and legal protection from forced abortion. I wholeheartedly agree with a woman’s right to choose, especially when it comes to a topic as serious as abortion. Who has the right to say what you can and cannot do with your body?

I don’t care if you are some crazy pro-life demonstrator who never had kids because you probably scare others away with your political idealisms or John McCain, you have no right to say that. None. And on that note, according to McCain’s Web site, he believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and, as president, he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.

And that’s not all, folks.

“Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states,” the Web site stated. “The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat. As John McCain has publicly noted, ‘At its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level.’”

You know what else is a human tragedy? Rape. Should women have to carry a child to term, one which was caused by rape, because it was wrong not to? I do not think so. If people were to ever try to stop a female friend of mine from getting an abortion she wanted, I will show them a debate they would never forget.

All in all, it boils down to opinion and the right to do as you see fit with your own body. I will continue to eat McDonalds, drink soda and stay up late, if I so choose. If you are pro-life, good for you. I’m glad you have a stand on such an important issue. However, please don’t shove your beliefs down my throat if you don’t want the same done to you.

If a woman decides to get an abortion, she has every right to do so. End of discussion.