*Cringe*

Oh boy, Sherri Shepard*. If you haven't heard, it's getting around that she's had "more abortions than she'd like to count." How cringe-worthy is that statement. I did a little research to avoid falling prey to the popular-these-days sound bite. I was unaware of how horrible her life has been in the past. At one point her self esteem was so low, from abuse from her parents (?) and a past relationship, that she says if someone killed her, it wouldn't have made a difference. That too is a very sad statement. Knowing this information, I'm not sure how to process the abortion bit. Is it wrong for me to think that she should have been on birth control? If she's been pregnant that many times, wouldn't BC have been the logical choice. It's like, $7-30 a month. I have no idea how much an abortion costs, but I'm sure it's more money than that.

This got me thinking about my personal view on the subject. I am Pro-Choice. I believe a woman (maybe because I am one) has the right to make such a tough decision if she finds herself in that position. I do not agree with abortions as a form of birth control, so let me clarify that. I think the idea of teaching kids abstinence is a lost cause. Kids are going to have sex. Period. Makes a lot more sense to teach them how pregnancy and STD's happen. Better to inform them, then to tell them not to do it and leave them in the dark...forcing them to figure it out on their own. Kids aren't stupid. If they want to do it, they will...if they don't want to do it, they wouldn't.

I think it's horrible to chastise a woman (or worse, a young girl) for making the hard decision to end her pregnancy. Getting pregnant takes two people, but women often shoulder the blame. What I think some people fail to acknowledge, is that getting pregnant by accident can happen to anyone. And until you find yourself in that situation, you have no right to judge someone or force them into something they don't want to do. I know friends in the past who have had "scares." Luckily for them, it was just a scare. But does that make them any better than the girl who actually got pregnant? I have also had friends who have become pregnant and have gone through with it. My hat goes off to these women. Raising a baby, obviously, has to be one of the toughest (and most rewarding) things a woman can do.

That's my two cents. Thoughts? Comments? :)

*Sherri Shepard is a co-host on The View. Understanably, you may not know who she is. I happen to be a pop-culture junkie.