UK commentators discuss abortion rights

Two interesting columns, by Caitlin Moran and Kira Cochrane. 

Caitlin Moran, columnist for the Times (London), on 13 April argued that abortion is ‘the ultimate motherly act’:

‘My belief in the ultimate sociological, emotional and practical necessity for abortion did, as I have mentioned before, become even stronger after I had my two children. It is only after you have had a nine-month pregnancy, laboured to get the child out, fed it, cared for it, sat with it until 3am, risen with it at 6am, swooned with love for it and been reduced to furious tears by it that you really understand just how important it is for a child to be wanted. And, possibly even more importantly, to be wanted by a reasonably sane, stable mother. Last year I had an abortion, and I can honestly say it was one of the least difficult decisions of my life. I’m not being flippant when I say it took me longer to decide what work-tops to have in the kitchen than whether I was prepared to spend the rest of my life being responsible for a further human being. I knew I would see my existing two daughters less, my husband less, my career would be hamstrung and, most importantly of all, I was just too tired to do it all again. I didn’t want another child, in the same way that I don’t suddenly want to move to Canada or buy a horse. While there was, of course, every chance that I might eventually be thankful for the arrival of a third child, I am, personally, not a gambler. I won’t spend £1 on the lottery, let alone take a punt on a pregnancy. The stakes are far, far too high.’

A column by Kira Cochrane, women’s editor of the Guardian, in the New Statesman on 23 April, challenged ‘The abortion on demand myth’:

‘To have any sense of sexual freedom at all, easy access to abortion was and is entirely necessary but abortion is not available on demand.’