Following Texas state senator Wendy Davis’ failed attempts to permanently block an abortion bill in the Texas state legislature, the pro-abortion rights community has doubled-down in its rhetoric protesting any new regulations to improve the health and safety standards in abortion clinics across the nation. Abortion rights activists have reached a new level though, going beyond promoting access to abortion but actually celebrating the abortion itself.
Take, for example, an op-ed piece in the July 7th New York Times in which guest writer Beth Matusoff Merfish described how “proud” she was upon learning her mother sought an abortion when she got pregnant at the age of 20. Merfish, who describes herself as someone “determined to defend reproductive rights” was truly “proud” of her mother’s decision to abort her baby. [See video of Merfish's appearance on MSNBC below. MP3 audio here.]
Throughout the piece, Merfish described how she and her mom were “part of the crowd who raised our voices in anger as the Republicans who control the Legislature tried to shut down Ms. Davis.” The author reiterated her support for her mother’s abortion on July 9, when she appeared on Now With Alex Wagner, repeating how “proud” she was of her mother’s abortion.
What’s most shocking about the piece is how Merfish argues that:
What the movement for reproductive rights needs is for the faces of freedom to emerge from the captivity of shame. To my mother’s generation, I ask: Speak openly about the choices you have made.
Another way to look at it: Be proud of your abortion, and celebrate the decision to end your baby's life, a message that the Times is now endorsing in its pages. Oddly enough, right after Merfish claimed women should be open about their abortions, she then completely flipped, claiming that:
You have made decisions that are private, even anguishing, but the weight of this political moment demands that you shed light on those decisions.
The author seems confused as to whether abortion is a private personal decision or something public that women should celebrate. It seems according to Merfish and the New York Times, abortion is a private decision except when you want to exploit it for political purposes then you should embrace and be “proud” of your abortion.
