Growing up i was raised in a religious lifestyle. I went to catholic school and church every Sunday,sometimes even throughout the week. I heard all sorts of things about abortion. All bad. “it’s murder, it isn’t the baby’s fault”,” it’s a blessing”, “it’s a sin”. I am grateful for the individuality I seem to have been born with. I never let someone’s perspective influence mine. I always did what was morally and humanely right. It never sat right with me that people felt above others enough to dictate what they could do with their life and their bodies. Having a family that had nothing and always tried to make something of it, I grew up quickly..never really had a childhood. At a young age, I was able to grasp the fact that a child is a human being, and if you are going to bring them into the world, it takes a lot of responsibility and resources. I know exactly what it feels like to have nothing so it is heart-wrenching to see Women forced to give birth to an individual life that they consciously know they are not fit to take care of. Love is not enough. I would hear stories on YouTube or on Television, of women who grew to resent and mistreat their children even going as far as to mention they wish they had aborted them. It’s moments like that, that opened up my eyes to the fact that if you are not ready to provide that child with love and necessities then you should not be allowed to have a child. Every child deserves a parent, but not every parent deserves a child.

I picked abortion as the topic for unit 3 to open a wider range of perspectives for Pro – lifers as to why Pro-choicers feel that way. I wanted to help create an understanding between both parties because as somebody who is Pro-choice, I feel like pro-lifers are opinionated on why they think abortion is wrong versus so many women who have needed abortions as literal health care to save their lives and even keep their lives on track. I made a podcast with my friend who actually went through the decision of having an abortion. I felt like this was the best approach to speak to the audience because yes you can have your opinion and I respect that, but you won’t ever know what it is like to have to sit there and make that crucial irreversible decision until you are in that position. I posted it to YouTube on a public platform and left it for people to watch think of and take in. It was a mix of all 3 logos pathos and ethos. I feel like a podcast / YouTube video worked the best because nobody wants to read a long article or interact much. I find it more effective to have somebody tell their story. It was a logical approach in my opinion because I did notice as I observed that the audience I presented it to, which were my classmates, actually paid attention to videos in the class more than slide shows or lectures.

I originally wanted to do a short film showing insights into the life of a pro-life advocate vs someone who is pro-choice showing both sides and opening a wider range of perspectives from both parties. It was very creative but I needed more time that I did not have. I then had the idea to have a podcast interviewing my sisters. I have one sister who is pro-choice and one who is pro life so I was going to just have them debate their points. I then decided to interview a friend who actually had an abortion. I used my laptop and a mini mic that my sister used when she did her podcasts and I used it to cover the camera to keep my friend’s identity private. Throughout the podcast, she goes into detail about what an abortion physically and mentally felt like. I feel like she did a pretty good job of touching on topics that many people may have misconceptions about towards women who have had abortions. I actually had a way better video than the one I presented in class but lost the footage. I appreciate my friend Isabella for being so open about such a sensitive topic and I applaud her for deciding that although was hard for her, was so beneficial that she does not regret it at all now. She can vouch that Abortion is not a reckless heartless decision, it is a hard process. It is not easy at all but sometimes, what’s best for you is not always going to be an easy process.

I think it turned out good but not great. I honestly was just trying to beat a deadline I already got an extension for so I did not get to put more creativity into it like I hoped to. If I had more time and resources I would bring that short film vision I had to live. I am still thinking of doing it, just for fun and awareness. I’m happy that the conversation throughout the podcast flowed and it was very informative and raw. It was not difficult, I just wished I focused more, I believe I would have had a better outcome. I was more annoyed doing this in college i wish we were just required to do a final essay like usual in English classes. I would’ve done way better 100%. It was calm though. Maybe if I was more prepared I would have had more fun with it but overall it was a calm project.