Nettie

Injustice, that's what it is.
Children that he has raised, they are not even his.
She blames me when I just can not say, that those babies were conceived in the worst kind of way.
This village we came to with gifts and goodwill,
Is denying it's people and oppressing them still.
For living this life I think one thing we've all earned
 is the right to our bodies and for us to learn.
These children are bright but their vision is clouded,
by the veil of naivety under which they are shrouded.
Scars under their eyes 
carved out by the guise 
of adulthood.
Adulthood- where freedom is expected but most certainly not protected. 
Black and white were not meant to fight but the plight of our lives has been taken in spite 
of this.
We miss,
The peace and naivety of infancy- torn away at the first sign of mobility.

Caught Up in the Moment

You wanted to get out and move forward,
And that's totally fine with me.

But when you did, well you left me
dragging behind.

And without thinking twice you severed that line
that held us
together.



I was caught up in the Moment-
waiting.

You had no time to wait.

Me

Complain, show disdain

For I just can’t take this pain

From the strife and all the strain

That life’s inflicted on my brain.

On my body, on my soul

The world has swallowed me up whole.

Oh the memories that I once stole

Finally have taken toll

I felt the pressure, felt the heat

Said I would not choose defeat,

But this life has got me beat,

And there is nowhere to retreat.

Tell my family, tell my friends,

That I will try to make amends.

But until this struggle ends

There is no way one can depend

On me.

All these lies and all these cries

For help to end my slow demise

They were feeble and unwise—

So I must apologize

Please dear, open your eyes

It’s no surprise you’ve earned your prize,

And it is I who sits and sighs,

Saying goodbyes and asking “why’s?”

I must stand up and redefine

where I stand upon this line

of being great or merely fine
for isn't status just a sign?

Of how, and why, and when, and where 
we must belong once we've resigned.

Abortion: Civil Right or Murder?

An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal of a fetus or embryo from the uterus. The United States laws regarding abortions vary state-by-state, but in general most will allow an abortion to take place without restriction in early-term pregnancies. There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the topic of abortion, and people’s views on whether abortions should be legal or illegal are affected by moral ideals, the right of choice, and the questioning on if a fetus is, in fact, alive or not. The government has already outlawed the idea of simply stating an all-inclusive law that promotes or is against abortion, and for years have been working towards the most logical and acceptable compromise. The legalization of abortions has both positive and negative aspects, and while some view it as an indisputable civil right, others see it as murder or an excuse to partake in sexual intercourse without contraceptive.

            Citizens of the United States are given many rights in what is deemed “the land of the free”.  Being able to control one’s pregnancy is a right that many women believe should be granted to them. Even in areas where abortions are not legal, they are still performed. These unmonitored procedures are often very dangerous and carried out in ways that could severely harm both mother and the unborn child/future children. ''Most people saying it [an abortion] compromises safety actually have an agenda to make abortion illegal, which we know from decades of experience actually makes abortion unsafe”. (Tracey Weitz) The legalization of abortions would not entirely put a stop to these unsafe practices. In fact eighty-seven percent of United States counties do not provide abortion services for those eligible(Abortion ProCon), and some women would have to travel very far to get to a clinic. Abortion being an option for women is something that not only terminates unwanted pregnancies, but also prevents children from being born into a family or life that cannot support them. Contraceptives should be used to avoid these unwanted pregnancies, but an abortion performed in the very early stages of a pregnancy is a relatively safe and harmless emergency backup.

            Morally, many have issues with the concept of abortions, as it is essentially the murder of an unborn fetus. The main point of dissent is whether one’s life begins at the time of conception, at birth, or sometime in between. “There is substantial evidence that the process of an abortion will cause the unborn fetus pain…Images of the fetus have fueled a reassessment of fetal capabilities along with suggestions that the fetus can respond both emotionally and cognitively.” (SW Derbyshire) The idea that fetuses are capable of reacting to the process of abortion was not really relevant before Derbyshire’s work, as it was thought that a fetus so undeveloped could not possibly be formed enough to feel any pain. This is why many laws now only allow abortions within the first few months of a pregnancy, and not otherwise unless doctoral consent is given or the mother’s life is at risk. There have been abortions that were conducted later on in a pregnancy, which resulted in a fetus being born alive, sometimes dismembered, and then potentially killed. The infamous Doctor Gosnell was put into prison with three counts of murder that display how abortions can go very wrong, and need to be restricted in ways so that live births cannot be terminated as if the fetus was still within the uterus. Gosnell’s practices were seen as an “operation "house of horrors," prosecutors allege the doctor created an "assembly line" of patients, performing more than 1,000 abortions a year profiting lavishly, while treating women with unsterilized equipment and employing untrained workers.”(Joseph A Slobodzian, Philidelphia Inquirer) These abortions were clearly perceived as murder, so why aren’t all? The gray area between being alive and not is what has stopped this decision. Abortions conducted when the fetus is clearly developing are ones done in ignorance and complete insensitivity towards the beauty that is life. There is no real excuse for why one would not get the abortion upon finding out about the pregnancy, rather than waiting, except for serious medical issues.

            Whether or not abortions are morally allowable is heavily affected when it comes to religion and rape victims. Instituting a law that bans abortions, but not in the circumstances of rape or severe financial changes would not work, as anyone wanting an abortion would just try to lie to fit into those standards. A child conceived during the unfortunate incident of a rape legally has as much of a right to life as any, but in carrying a child that is a direct product of that incident, the mother could face psychological issues. “The psychological damage done to rape victims should not be increased…especially not by the addition of a child that is the product of the rape.”(Andrew P. Nappoliti) It is not fair to make a woman carry a child conceived in this manner if she does not want to, so any pro-choice advocate could argue that it is not fair to make any woman carry and birth a child that they are not prepared to take care of. Abortions are viewed as murder in the Christian church, and murder of course violates the fifth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”. However there are many Christians who say that abortion is not murder, and it is an acceptable way to avoid having a child. The separation of church and state has always been a problem and the separation of personal right and religious right is an issue within the church. Religious values influence the abortion views of many, and religious defenders often petition against pro-choice movements, claiming that it is ungodly to allow such procedures to be carried out. Christian Universities have been faced with the difficulty of promoting a religious environment as well as providing substantial healthcare to their professors. There have been great disputes and outbursts, but “not three weeks had passed since Pope Francis said the church had grown “obsessed” with abortion, declaring, “We have to find a new balance.”’(Ian Lovett) This quote from none other than the Pope himself proves that perhaps abortion isn’t the biggest issue people should be worried over.

 Not only should the government be addressing the legality of abortions, but the illegalities in performing unsanitary and unregulated procedures as well. The F.D.A. has approved certain medications for non-invasive abortions, where the pregnancy is terminated via a poison of sorts that expels the embryo from the uterus. However, “ninety-six percent of medication abortions in the United States are now provided according to a regimen different from the one described in mifepristone’s F.D.A.-approved label.”(Adam Liptak) The laws that have been set are not being upheld, so many think that making abortions illegal altogether would only cause more problems.

            Abortions are a way to regulate overpopulation, end unwanted pregnancies, and protect the safety of children that may be born with a fatal disease or into a harmful environment. They are for the most part safe, but should not be taken for granted or used as a form of contraceptive, as there are inherent risks and problems that can come from getting an abortion. Abortions take away life from a mother; they prevent a child from ever coming into the world. The topic of abortion will always be debated, because as people we have differing views, and some believe it is a right that all women should have, and a choice that should be made personally, while others still think that it is wrong and immoral. The legality of abortion practices has not been set in stone, nor shall it be, based on recent governmental discussions. Rather, it is something that must find a compromise, because “The availability of modern contraception can reduce but never eliminate the need for abortion. Direct costs of treating abortion complications burden impoverished health care systems, and indirect costs also drain struggling economies”. (David A. Grimes) Abortions have their positive points and their negative ones, and nobody can give a full argument either way, because the moral and civil rights are subjective to the person in question.

Flush

Down and Down

everything  rushing,
why try when you can simply
float along; give up