A former "card-carrying member" of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) who once had an abortion described her transformation into a "pro-life feminist" in a lecture yesterday in McCosh Hall.
Karen Shablin, a speaker for Feminists for Life of America's college outreach program, advocated more resources for pregnant women so they will not have to resort to abortion like she did. Her talk, part of Princeton Pro-Life's Respect Life Week, was titled "Truth and Consequences" and was attended by a small audience of students, faculty and community members.
"Women deserve better," she said. "I deserve better. And certainly you, male and female, deserve better."
When Shablin became pregnant in her 20s, she feared she would be lumped into what she called the commonly held stereotype of the single black mother. Not wanting to become just another statistic, she chose to terminate her pregnancy instead, telling no one but her roommate and father about her decision.
"My decision to have an abortion in my 20s, in retrospect, was an effort to protect everything I had worked for," she said, adding that now she "oppose[s] abortion with every thread of my being."
Looking back, Shablin said, she thinks she underestimated her own strength and the support that would have been available to her had she chosen to carry her pregnancy to term. Nevertheless, she said there is a lack of practical resources, education and support for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies today.
Her transformation into an opponent of abortion, Shablin said, came when she was working as Medicaid director for the state of New Jersey. During that time, the state implemented a family cap policy, which denied additional benefits or reduced the cash grant to families who had children while on welfare. The policy strove to dissuade people from expanding their families without the means to support more children.
But since New Jersey was also publicly financing abortions, Shablin said, many women terminated their pregnancies in order to avoid losing their benefits. When she saw the first family cap report, she was "heartbroken" to see that some women had had four abortions in a 12-month period.
"Like many, I believed that women might choose abortion after [an unplanned pregnancy], but I didn't believe that women would have multiple abortions," she said.
It was then, she said, that she decided to become an antiabortion speaker, sharing her regret about her abortion with audiences across the country. "I decided at that point that others would have the benefit of my experience without actually having to go through what I did."
Shablin also discussed her organization's efforts to furnish women in crisis with practical resources. She argued that most college women who mistakenly become pregnant choose abortion because they lack the resources to carry their pregnancies to term. Such resources, she said, might include classes for pregnant women and daycare services at colleges.
One audience member, Patrick Hough '07, said he appreciated the personal perspective Shablin brought to the abortion debate. "So much of this dialogue revolves around the political sphere, the social sphere," he said.
"There's no doubt that her message is very much in need in the political and social climate of our day and age."
Read More
David Zielenziger ’74, former ‘Prince’ chairman and lifelong journalist, passes away at 72
Kian PetlinFriends and colleagues remember former ‘Prince’ chairman David Zielenziger ’74, who passed away peacefully on May 20.
Friends and colleagues remember former ‘Prince’ chairman David Zielenziger ’74 who passed away peacefully on May 20.
Remembering Dorothea von Moltke, Labyrinth co-founder and local community builder
Lucia BrownDorothea von Moltke, widely considered the heart of Labyrinth Books, was remembered by friends and loved ones for her passions for language, literature, and local activism.
Dorothea von Moltke, widely considered the heart of Labyrinth Books, was remembered by friends and loved ones for her passions for language, literature, and local activism.
Cloister Inn to pause operations for the next 2–3 years, citing “hefty renovations”
Justus WilhoitCloister Inn, one of Princeton’s eating clubs, will pause operations for the next two to three years, due to “hefty renovations” to the club’s house.
Cloister Inn, one of Princeton’s eating clubs, will pause operations for the next two to three years, due to “hefty renovations” to the club’s house.