Many years ago when I was eleven years old, my Catholic mother, who opposed abortion, received a frantic telephone call from a close friend. Unknown to mom, her friend was pregnant had gone to a ‘back alley’ abortionist and began to hemorrhage when she returned home. My mother was the only person she could trust. My mother bolted from our house, sped out of our driveway, picked up her friend, and rushed her to the hospital. She saved a woman’s life. She saved her friend, and it changed my mother’s belief in legal abortion and the right of choice. Personally, did not believe in abortion, but she never wanted any friend of hers to ever risk her life again. This woman, her friend, was in an abusive, sexless, loveless, marriage and had had an affair. As mom said many times thereafter, who is she to judge?
Those were the days in the deep-south when abortions were illegal and contraception was limited to foam, diaphragms and condoms. Men controlled their wives and daughters. There were many times when desperate women would use all sorts of devices on themselves, including clothes hangers. If poor or middle class, the ‘back alley’ or their bathroom was their only choice. Wealthy women, on the other hand, had private doctors where they could turn for help.
We have begun to return to those backward days of the past. It is in the deep-south, and this time led by the Tea Party Republicans.
America, we are in deep trouble.
Day began his career in 1980 with the Philadelphia Bulletin. He has also worked for the Detroit Free Press and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. In 2009 he was laid off at The Commercial Appeal. Bill won three national awards the following year.
Bill and his wife Susan have three teenage sons, Sam-20, Robby-17, and Zack-16.
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