Ireland's Abortion Referendum was in 1992 -I was 14
Actually, there were three referendums held simultaneously on
November 25, 1992. Each one referred to a proposed amendment of the constitution.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but according to my understanding of the literature,
it could be read that each referendum related to a specific abortion issue? The
12th Amendment related to the issue of suicide, the 13th Amendment on the issue
of travel, and the 14th Amendment concerned the access to information.
The voting on November 25th 1992 decided that women could
undergo an abortion procedure elsewhere. The voting also demonstrated (in the
proposed 12th Amendment) a direct link between abortion and suicide. The very
nature of the amendment speaks volumes for the health issues surrounding
unwanted pregnancy. Furthermore, it was voted that women were now permitted to
learn about abortion procedures albeit from literature distributed by other
countries (as outlined in the 14th Amendment).
The referendums served, in my opinion, not just to sweep abortion under
the rug – but collectively heave and throw abortion out of the country. Consequently, there is no official record held
in Ireland of unwanted pregnancies. It remains,
to my understanding, another unmarked grave.
Another brick in the grave
Pushing abortion out of the country raises the horrible question: What
happens to the remains of Irelands unborn babies? I vote we take responsibility
for our unborn, and give them the dignity of their lifetime - certified - regardless
of its length. To me this is a Pro-Life
position, because death is a part of life, and death can be dealt with in a way
that is ethical and kind. The way it is now, if we do not include Pro-Choice in our constitution abortion continues to happen “elsewhere”. Is this not digging more holes? It has to stop. We can't just keep doing this, generation after generation, a new
version of the same thing - a complete lack of human rights. I say end the
unmarked graves, let people choose, and support their choices in a way that's
open and human.
So, Can I be Pro-Life and
Pro-Choice?
I've never had the opportunity to vote on the abortion issues in this
country. In '92 I was 14 and I had just started to go into town with
friends on Saturdays. I remember a very strong anti-abortion campaign that used
graphic images to bring home its message. I had all the literature, postcards
and everything up on my walls. I even had a silver pin, of little feet
at 12 weeks of pregnancy. I wore it on my uniform up and down to the convent. I
believed I was on the right side, unborn babies had the right to a voice after
all, and I was going to stand up for that voice.
I still stand for that voice, but I equally stand for the voice of the parents
who (for reasons that are none of my business) decide to undergo an abortion
procedure. Community health is more important to our society, than the value we
pin on ourselves of our own personal judgment. Some things just can't be about
right and wrong, they have to be about what's grey and in the half-light, but
more importantly, what keeps people healthy and exercise their rights. That to
me is a good way forward in our constitution. What's the alternative? A new door, and another unmarked grave suspended in the void?
I'm Pro-Life. I'm Pro-Choice.
At the moment I'm asking myself: Can I be Pro-Life and Pro-Choice?
I’m Pro-life: I stand for the
life of the unborn, however brief it is – that it is given an ethical and
dignified passage through life. I'm Pro-Choice: I stand for those who demand
abortion, even if I struggle to understand why (The best position I can take here is – it’s none of my business).
I want to see a Referendum on Abortion in Ireland so that I - now an adult - can vote. My opinion on abortion has matured, become more complexed and I want to voice my concerns. It's our democratic right to choose they way we live and run our country. We have the right to call for a referendum on abortion; and the sooner its called, the sooner we can rid this country of the shadow and shame of unmarked graves, darkness and fear.
