I wrote this article in 2013 and was inspired to post it today upon reading Leslie Salzillo's diary re: Sister Chittister and the subsequent comments.
I have already discussed the issue of abortion at great length and in some depth in the past (1) and thought I had said everything I needed to say about it. Lately, however, I have noticed in the public debate two recurring themes which demand further discussion, namely, a lack of understanding about basic biology, and the implications of "personhood" with regard to civil rights.
Many of us had believed that the fight for sovereignty over our own bodies was settled years ago, back in the 1960s and 1970s, in America. But we were wrong. Now that we are menopausal, here in 2013, our daughters and granddaughters are facing the same battle. One might think that this right to bodily integrity was self-evident, but apparently it is not, based on the quantity of legislation being introduced and the many commentaries posted on the subject.