Livetweetingabortion - Sometimes You Need More than 140 Characters
by Robin Marty, RH Reality Check
February 25, 2010 - 4:40pm (Print)
Although Angie Jackson used her twitter account to explain why she chose to end an unwanted pregnancy in abortion, and even more so about why she chose to livetweet the process, sometimes 140 characters just isn't enough to get a point across.
She's become much quieter on twitter, but has plenty to say in other venues that have provided her with a chance to say much more.
In her interview with Jessica Wakeman at The Frisky, Angie explains more fully why she chose to livetweet, and the surprising reaction she's received since she started.
The Frisky: What compelled you to tweet about your abortion? Why even “demystify” it for people? A lot of people consider an abortion something that should be private.
Angie Jackson: I guess I was so terrified going into this that it was going to be horribly painful, that I was going to hemorrhage. And I don’t want to be flippant that those things don’t happen [but] what I was trying to say to people who find themselves in this position is that I was relieved to find out that I had this non-surgical option [the abortion pill] and that I was early enough [in my pregnancy] to get it. I was so relieved to see how simple it’s been. The actual process has been like a menstrual period. It’s not foreign or scary.
...
The Frisky: You’ve gotten a lot of press in the past few days, not just on The Frisky, but also Salon.com, Drudge Report and ABC News. What has the reaction from people been?
Angie Jackson: I’ve been astonished. I had imagined, naively, that people would accept it because I’m in a committed relationship. I was monogamous. I was using protection. I had a kid. I have health risks. We paid for this out of pocket and not out of any taxpayer means. If I can’t talk about my first trimester abortion, which was legal and in my case life-saving, then who the hell can talk about her abortion? Or his abortion story, from the women he was with? ... I’ve just been astonished by the level of hatred and death threats and threats of violence against my son. It’s been a very ugly side of people to see.
The Frisky: Death threats?
Angie Jackson: In the YouTube comments. A lot of them are sort of these throwaway statements in the comments of conservative blog and things like that. “Someone should put a bullet in her,” or “If the whore can’t keep her legs closed ...” People have threatened to call Child Protective Services and take [my son] away from me because [of the abortion]. They’re either calling me a killer or calling me a monster, which is their right, but ... I think we need to say quality of life matters. I don’t think an embryo gets to trump the life of my live son. I see this as risking my life.
Want to hear her in her own words? You can visit her youtube video (watch out for the vitriol in the comment section), or you can listen to her first interview after starting the process online at The Mark, where she is interviewed by Chris Mitchell. In her interview she explains more about why she was so public with her decision, and why she decieded to shed light on something society usually prefers to think of as taboo.
And of course, we have written on this topic as well.
Follow Robin Marty on Twitter, @robinmarty
I think she did a noble thing by bringing abortion into the limelight and I hope that her posts and video may help a woman or two. I'm not surprised she got harrassed and threatened by anti-choicers, because that's what they do when they see that a woman DARES to abort. I hope she called the cops or has some sort of legal action against those individuals who threatened her life.Gotta love that anti-choice "love".
Good on her! She titles herself "Angie the Anti-Theist," and even signed off with "Have a godless day!" so she must have a pretty thick skin already. Through her, we thumb our noses vicariously at the women-hating hordes!
It never ceases to amaze me how sites are glorifying her decision and giving her free press to have her material read by 13 year old boys.
Angie has confessed on another blog that she was pretending to herself about the condoms. Her IUD fell out, but the IUD does come with a string to check to see if it is in place.
Many young teenagers are following and reading, and now someone else has signed up to have one two. Angie is not a hero in her actions she is a fool,
On top of this the real heros to the story are not even being covered, such as the people trying to prevent further suicides?
The risk of suicide increases by over 200 percent when a woman has an abortion. No mention of all the prolifers trying to save a life in any of these articles?
It disgusts me as you folks lead others to read her material and make her look like she is wearing a damn cape?
The risk of suicide increases by over 200 percent when a woman has an abortion.
Can you source this with something authoritative and peer reviewed? I'm always interested in learning, but I've never read any research that demonstrates a causative link between abortion and suicide.
