My beloved North Carolina

Dearest Followers,

I know you have gotten to know me

through my love of yoga

and my love of life

and of truth.

And it is because of

my love of life

and of truth

that I cannot stay silent on a beloved political position of mine:

I am wholeheartedly a pro-choice supporter.

To my dear pro-life supporters: I could not deign to convince you otherwise.

However, if you, (as I do) wish to lessen the numbers of fetal lives lost, I beg you humbly, read on.

First of all, what prompts my pro-choice “coming out” is the passing of North Carolina House Bill #695.  This bill will effectively rid NC of Planned Parenthood, an organization which provides health services for men and women. These include: breast cancer screenings, birth control, STD screenings, counseling, and abortion. The bill will effectively close all but one abortion clinic in the state.

As a yoga teacher, I MUST  position myself beyond creed, beyond religion, beyond sexual identity, and beyond political origin. I must do my work for all folks, however they identify, and support the choices of all my students, however personal, and however political that personal renders them.

The thing is, I do NOT WISH to enter between my student and their God, or their Belief, or their Choice. As I claim myself to be a teacher, I must continue to be a student. I do not have all the answers. I do not know, in the end, what is best for the woman. Should an unwanted pregnancy arise, I do not have the answers for the woman involved.

But what I CAN say, wholeheartedly, passionately, proudly, is that every woman should make her own choice. An unwanted pregnancy has several choices: adoption, abortion, and motherhood. I cannot put myself above any woman in this choice. I cannot proclaim righteousness as a teacher, because to be good teacher, I must remain a good student: interested, open, and nonjudgmental.

Positioning myself outside of a woman’s pregnancy personally, locates me CENTRALLY in the political fight for women’ s right to choose. I choose:  choice for each individual.

What I’ve said here is nothing new, nothing revolutionary.

What I want is for each individual human woman be trusted with her own right to chose when she starts a family. I love my adopted state, North Carolina, SO much. She is my home. She is where I’ve started my business and met my loving partner (husband). She is where I’ve dug in my heels to make the world a better place. She is where I’ve met strong women who inspire me, and for whom I cannot dictate any path.

If you’re one of my stalwart pro-life fans (either stalwart in your support of me, or stalwart in your support of the pro-life movement) I earnestly entreat you to read this thoughtful, kind, and respectful article which, I GUARANTEE YOU does not look down on your views as a pro-life supporter. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2012/10/how-i-lost-faith-in-the-pro-life-movement.html

Dolls, I don’t want a world full of abortions. I look forward to a world VOID of abortions and full of wanted and loved pregnancies. The truth is, countries where abortions and prophylactics are readily available (legal and safe and accessible) are the countries where the fewest abortions are  performed.

That is not a comfortable truth for everyone. I understand how terrifying the thought of a terminated pregnancy is for a mind who is set on a pro-life agenda. In the end though, it comes down to two distinct facts…

1. It is the Mother’s Choice: because she is the body in which a life can be carried to term

and

2.The more prophylactics we can offer to a populous, the fewer unexpected pregnancies will result.

If you love your state as much as I love my North Carolina, please consider Libby Anne’s argument. Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life, I assume you are hoping for fewer abortions…total. This is our way.

Thanks for sticking it out and reading to the end of my article,

Alison Hinks

PS If you are wondering what you can do to protest the passing of HB695, there will be a committee meeting in the House on July 9, 2013. A protest is planned.