We Asked, You Answered: Your Earliest Memory About Abortion

We asked our Twitter followers: “What is your earliest memory on the topic of abortion?” Here are a few of our favorite replies, lightly edited for clarity.

Colette M.: Being in fifth grade (1975) and learning in a class that some some women terminated their pregnancies. I understood exactly what that meant immediately and I couldn’t believe it.

Micaiah B.: My parents taking me to the March for Life when I was about 5 or 6.

Sarah T.: When I was around ten, I asked my mom what abortion was, and she said it’s when a woman is pregnant but doesn’t want a baby, and a doctor fixes it so she doesn’t have a baby. So I thought that sounds fine, there is nothing wrong with abortion.

Kay B.: I was working on a socialist newsletter in high school suggesting articles. “Marriage equality!” “Yeah!” “Minimum wage increase!” “Yeah!” “No killing prenatal humans!” *record scratch* I was naive. I really thought everyone would agree. Obviously this wasn’t my first experience with the topic. But I don’t remember when I learned about it. So it is my first recorded memory.

Elizabeth B.: I was at a high school aged homeschool speech competition listening as an eleven year old to a fifteen year old give a speech on how bad abortion is. I remember thinking “People kill babies in the womb? Not surprised, but how awful!”

Zoe: I think I ran into something from Live Action in early college. Not sure I had thought about it before, but that began a journey.

Ellie: I was about seven and some adults were arguing about it and I interjected “Why not live and let live?” Because I just saw it in a movie and the pro-life adult pointed at me and said “OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES!” At the time I don’t think I understood “killing.”

Mark: Bill Clinton saying “Safe, legal, and rare” and finding it completely reasonable.

Robert M.: My eighth grade field trip to the March for Life in 1986. Those of us from Missouri had scheduled a meeting with our Senators and Congressmen. Dick Gephart (Democrat) backed out on us at the last minute.

Colin H.: My mother was encouraged to receive an abortion while carrying me because I was suspected to have Down Syndrome. She indignantly refused.

Deb: Reading an article in a magazine about a teenager who didn’t tell her mom she was getting an abortion and she ended up dying from complications, and her mom couldn’t help. Also, the article glossed over what an abortion is. My mom, thankfully, didn’t and explained in detail.