At the beginning of November my social work professor asked us to write a paper about a social topic that interests us. So naturally I chose the abortion/pro-life debate. Ok, maybe I was trying to push some buttons but I firmly believe that if you cannot go against the grain sometimes then sit down and shut up.
We were then asked to pick a political candidate and write about whether they agreed or disagreed with our topic. We then had to talk about the social work code of ethics and whether the candidate followed them or not. My political candidate of choice was Tim Walberg. Tim Walberg is very pro-life.
He is endorsed by the Right to Life of Michigan and the National Right to Life. In 2007, he voted no on the expanding of research to more embryonic stem cell lines and he co-sponsored the Right to Life Act which states that the right to life is guaranteed by the Constitution and is vested in every human being. The Act defines a "human being" as a person in all stages of life meaning from the moment of fertilization.
In my paper I then wrote about some of the social worker's code of ethics and how this topic ties into them. The first one I wrote about was that the job of the social worker's obligations is to work toward social justice for all. According the to social work field social justice begins once the baby is born, however, I believe it starts at the moment of conception. Then I wrote about how social workers are supposed to help end discrimination for all people regardless of sex, lifestyle, race, and AGE. What greater form of discrimination is there then deciding someone does not deserve life and then taking that life? Also, social workers are supposed to allow people the right of self-determination. Which means giving someone the option to decide for themselves.
I do not believe everything is black and white. As a pro-life activist, do i believe abortion is wrong? Without a doubt...yes. Do I think it will ever be illegal again? No, I don't. That being said my goal as an activist and future social worker is to help educate people. A pregnant woman who realizes that she may not be able to properly take care of her baby MUST be provided with all the options, details, facts, and more importantly...resources. Once she is provided with all that then she is more prepared to make a decision, hence self-determination.
Armed with confidence and satisfaction I turned in my paper. I understand that some people would have been worried about getting a bad grade by turning in a controversial paper because most professors anymore are pro-choice especially social work professors. I, on the other hand, was not worried at all.
Here is why:
1.) I was already getting an A in the class and even if she gave me a bad grade on the paper i would still pass.
2.) I'm tired of pro-lifers being afraid to voice their opinion in a pro-choice world.
3.) you can say you are pro-life until you are blue in the face BUT until you take action it means nothing.
4.) I wanted her to know my opinion,that I am not afraid to voice it, and that I am aware that it is my right.
Anyways, two weeks late we got our papers back.
Here is what mine said:
"The social profession does believe in choice for all women - choice to keep a pregnancy, choice to end a pregnancy. This value/belief is based on the history of some females being force to undergo sterilization against their will, while other women were forced to carry pregnancies against their will. Social Workers believe that freedom of choice and informed decisions is the only route to reproductive justice."
She was nicer about it than I expected although what choice did she have? My question to her and to all the other pro-choice people out there is what about the baby? Do they not count? Do they not deserve justice too? Where is the line? Soon we are going to have pro-choice people tell us that the sick and elderly do not deserve life...oh what that has already happened... i.e. Terri Schiavo and euthanasia.
Think about it.
On a good note: I got an A+ on the paper AND Tim Walberg won :-)
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