Let me begin by saying I was born in 1965. I am adopted. The abortion act came was passed in 1967. If it had be easier in 1965 I may not be here to write this. I am still in two minds about abortion. I believe that there are enough safeguards in the current bill to protect both the rights of the unborn child and the mother.
When I stood for election as a local Councillor (last time round), I was bombarded by letters wanting to know my position on abortion. I refused to answer. Many of these missives emanated from the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC). I discovered that as a lobbying organisation they had used some pretty underhand tactics in the past and where openly homophobic – Not like.
With this week’s that the Catholic Education Service has written to schools in Wales urging that children as young as 9 sign a petition against gay marriage I feel that enough is enough.
We do not need the unelected church meddling in our rights. We are who we are and our bodies belong to us.
This morning (Saturday 28th April) despite the biting cold, around 50 pro-choice protesters turned up to a demonstration In North Cardiff, to protect a woman’s right to abortion. The demonstration was called in response to a SPUC “Road side vigil”. Vigils were being held in twenty cities across Britain today. There were around 10 – 20 SPUC members, and they appeared swamped in comparison to the pro-choice contingent.
It was an interesting mix of pro-choice individuals, including a heavily pregnant woman with “My Body, My Choice” festooned on her bump. Several children also attended the demonstration, including 9y ear old Che Hughes, who said:
“I cant understand why people would tell women what they can and cant do with their won bodies, it’s not up to anyone else”.
Many of the passing cars showed their support for the pro-choice view, by beeping and shouting support. One motorist shouted at a SPUC member “You’re a disgrace”. This shows public support for pro-choice ideas. A recent study demonstrated 90% support for a woman’s right to choose in Britain today, and this prompted protesters to sing loudly “There’s many many more of us that you”.
There was a bright atmosphere, and a real sense of achievement that the SPUC vigil had been completely dominated, with very little support from the public.
Pro-choice demonstrator Cath Jones said:
“We will fight any and all attempts to take away our rights to abortion. This government are using the financial crisis to attack our rights in many areas of welfare, health and anti-discrimination, we will not stand by and let this happen”.
This sentiment was echoed by Gail Somethingelse, who went on to say:
“These attempts to take away the rights we have fought for and protected over the last forty years will be met with a real fight, we cannot allow these attacks to undermine our position”.
Many of the pro-choice demonstrators attempted to engage the SPUC members in a conversation about their beliefs. One law student claimed her non choice belief was based on “logic” and that it “isn’t logical for a woman to terminate a baby on a whim”. A pro-choice demonstrator commented that “Abortion is absolutely logical if a woman finds herself pregnant, with no wish, nor perhaps means or ability to have a baby”.
Another SPUC demonstrator claimed “Satan is responsible” for many of the signs on show. For example, Peter Davies was holding a sign saying “Choirboys don’t get pregnant”, and was told that “Satan is watching and laughing”. Mr Davies replied:
“I somehow doubt that, but if he is, he’s got a lot more to answer to than this sign”.
Another SPUC demonstrator got into an interesting discussion about the sanctity of life, whilst simultaneously trying to defend their position on the restoration of the death penalty!
