First of all, I am pro-choice. I think that's an important thing to say before I even go any further.

Now, let me start. I won't even argue about the whole Roe v. Wade issue as some people insist on doing, and although I don't necessarily agree with the concept of abortion itself, I'm not one to deny that it is a necessary thing in our society, something which many people take for granted and misuse.

I know a few people that have been through the whole procedure, and I myself have had a personal experience regarding it. For those of you that don't know what its like, let me break it down to you. It's SCARY. Very much so. The starch white of the walls, the tools that are sterile, that scent. . it is something that you cannot erase from your memory. Your mind can't help but wonder, "Am I doing the right thing?", and after careful consideration, you realize that you have to, for whatever reasons are acceptible to you. I won't go any further, but needless to say, it is a grim picture to paint, one that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

I have a particular hangup with people that have been through abortions 3 or more times. Haven't you learned by now? Don't do the nasty without some kind of protection, dammit! Do you enjoy being poked around and having that -- ugh. .probe in you? Or better yet, just don't have sex at all. Because the problems arise when you WANT to have children and you realize that you can't because your uterine lining is so screwed up that there won't be enough for the growing embryo to hang on to. Do you want that?

I don't want to be judgmental, but somehow that's what's coming out of this. Yes, children are God's gift to the world. I won't deny such a thing. But when situations arise such as rape or incest, or any similar situation, what do you do?

But the more gray area lies for teenage pregnancy, those girls that know they can't support their child and decide it would be better to abort than to go through with it? What do you do then? There's nothing routine about an abortion to say that doing it won't affect you psychologically. It does, truly, because you can't forget no matter how much you try to.

If you do decide to go through it, I beg you, don't go through it alone. Have a friend or someone there to help you through it. I pray for those of you that go through these things alone, because I understand how difficult a time it can be.

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