When I became pregnant, I knew it was an enormous responsibility that I chose with eyes wide open. Today, our adult children are our greatest sources of pride. Much of this stems from the fact that I had choices about my reproductive decisions. How different would things have been if those choices had been severely restricted?
My religion taught that life begins at conception. Our Constitution includes an equally sacred tenet: freedom of, or from, religion. Our individual beliefs cannot be forced on others, no matter how virtuous we think they are. The ethical choice is not always the obvious one.
An individual’s reproductive decisions should not be diminished. Forced birth doesn’t guarantee a child’s life. It doesn’t promote a sense of security or liberty from oppression. It can’t promise joy. The right to choose is what makes all the difference. Without it, freedom itself has no meaning.
Teresa Mosteller, Seattle
