BY SHARON MARTIN

Making abortion illegal doesn’t make abortion go away, it just makes it dangerous. If we strip women of their right to choose, and if we close safe abortion clinics, we return to the bad old days of back alleys and coat hangers.

If you aren’t pro-choice, please don’t call yourself pro-life.

Now, let’s get into solutions. How do we make abortions as rare as they should be?

First, education. Public schools and quality sex education programs are the first line of defense against unwanted pregnancies and spreadable diseases.

If you want your children and their children to have the best possible chance in life, make sure they get an education before they have to make tough choices about dropping out of school or giving up a baby for adoption.

Second, we can reduce unwanted pregnancies among all populations by making condoms and other contraceptives both available and affordable.

Third, let’s make sure there are resources to protect young people in dangerous situations. Legislators, fund schools well enough that school counselors and nurses are available for every child and not just those in high-rent districts.

Fourth, healthcare for everyone! Universal healthcare should include discussions with medical personnel about sex if that is more comfortable for you and your child. And it should absolutely include contraceptives.

Fifth, let’s pay workers a living wage. The ability to feed and educate a child and to pay for childcare figures in childbirth decisions.

The rights of women to choose when and if they become mothers will be just another good-old-days story if Vice President Pence, Judge Kavanaugh and all those who beat the pro-life drums get their way. If they were really pro-life – that is, pro every single life – this discussion wouldn’t be necessary. But they aren’t and it is.

Let’s take this discussion to the streets.

– Sharon Martin lives in Oilton, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer. Her latest book, Not A Prodigal, is available through Barnes and Noble. Her recent children’s book, Froggy Bottom Blues, can be purchased in hardcover or paperback from Doodle and Peck Publishingand in paperback from Amazon.