Sentencing Reproduction

From the Austin American Statesman - A judge is Travis County, TX has ordered a woman, under terms of her probation, to not have children.

Really?

Yes, The judge felt that this 20 year-old woman, Felicia Salazar, should no longer to able to be a mother. Is she fit to be a mother? I don't know but this isn't the point. The point is that this is the epitamy of limiting reproductive freedom. You cannot and should not be able to mandate motherhood or lack thereof.

Judge Charlie Baird states: "When you look her background, the circumstances of this case," he said, "a reasonable condition of her probation was that she not conceive or bear any children." Lets look at her background: No prior criminal history and an admission of a failure to protect charge. Salazar has relinquished her parental rights to her one child.

People are arguing this is unconsitiutional - and hopefully a higher court will agree. However a lot of the current buzz about this is that the terms of parole are unforceable. While I would argue this point as well, it shouldn't be the main point! The main point - you cannot take away a woman's reproductive freedom, the ability to chose when and where and how to become a parent. Period.

What to expect...

I recently came across a personal blog that moved me. A blog that I think everyone should read, a blog that is more human than most, a blog that takes you through a young woman's experience with abortion.

What to Expect When You're Aborting

It's so real and something that we need in our culture. Real experiences. Real dialogue. Real conversations. I want to thank this young woman for what she is doing, putting a face on the issue of abortion that isn't political, but rather personal.

Check it out. What are your thoughts?