Thread by @ajmeader

My abortion (a short thread).

I was 19. I married my boyfriend w/ a black eye. (It seemed like abuse stemmed from possessiveness, so I thought marriage would prove I was committed to him. I was wrong.)

When I told him I was pregnant, he threw me around & choked me 1/

Until I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I fled our small apt.

I knew that if I had that child, we would have been subject 2 a lifetime of abuse--physical & mental.

I wept during the procedure but afterwards, I divorced him, went to college & law school & had 2 children. 2/

Children who know a life of love. Children who are not abused or hated or viewed as mistakes.

I don't exaggerate when I say I saved my life when I made that choice. & I created space for loved, wanted children after I freed myself from my abuser. 3/

You may disagree, or would make a different choice, but that's the point: these are choices EVERY WOMAN must make for herself.

Whenever a man kills his wife or girlfriend and their child, my heart jumps into my throat bc I know that could've been me. 4/

The government cannot make these life or death decisions for women. We must decide for ourselves. I don't judge anyone's choice & I hope they don't judge mine. But every child should be born as a wanted child. Roe v. Wade helps secure that. #WhatsAtStake

And I would have gone to a back alley abortionist if I had to. I knew I had to free myself of this man and I was desperate. Overturning Roe doesn't stop abortions, it stops safe abortions.

Ppl may call it selfish, but I'm haunted by the child I didn't have. I just kept replaying the bodyslams, the choking, the punches... & I knew I could never safely bring that child into the world. & u know when ur partner can kill u. If I had the child, I might not be here now.