Family Forward Oregon’s Communications Director, Lisa Frack, shared her opinions about the false choices mothers face in the United States in The Portland Tribune (5/17/12).
When I read Peter Korn’s recent article, “Women choose different paths as single mothers” (March 15), I was struck by a word in the title that plagues the entire American conversation about motherhood: choose.
“Choice” is a loaded term in our culture because it implies a woman’s right to choose whether to end a pregnancy. And while the abortion debate has everything to do with motherhood, it is rarely framed that way. The truth is, beyond this initial choice to become a mother when pregnant, mothers experience precious little choice in this country.
A perfect place to start is the “choice” to become pregnant. According to the American Pregnancy Association, 50 percent of pregnancies are unplanned.
Yes, the sex that brought about the pregnancy is often planned, but beyond that, we often think we’re making real choices (for example: will I stay home and care for my child, or will I work?), when what we’re in fact doing is navigating a system of public policies, workplace policies and largely outdated cultural norms that heavily dictate our “choices.” Read her full guest opinion piece here.