I’ve had abortions, worked at an abortion clinic. Why I’m horrified at Kamala Harris’ views

As a mother of three, grandmother of eleven, and great-grandmother of three, I’m not easily offended or surprised. I’ve seen and heard nearly everything, more or less. 

But having watched Vice President Kamala Harris at the recent debate and seen her lean in so hard to the dehumanization of the unborn was triggering.

The outright mockery and arrogance of Kamala Harris to dismiss so handily the lives of innocent babies have been horrific to see, watch, and read. Not only does she have her facts completely wrong, but she assumes abortion is the best decision for women, no matter the cost to the mother’s own health – mental, physical, and spiritual – and the life of the unborn baby. 

My own story with abortion is a unique one where I've experienced my mother trying to abort me, being a mother who aborted her babies, and working in an abortion clinic helping other women abort their babies.  

When my mother was early in her second trimester, she went to an abortion clinic and underwent a Dilation and Extraction abortion. Through no less than a miracle, my life was spared but the life of my twin was not. The household I was born into lacked love. I was unwanted. I grew up not seeing the value in my own life or humanity. 

To no one’s surprise, I got pregnant as an unmarried young woman. The first time, it was my parents who pressured me to have an abortion. The second time, it was my boyfriend who wanted his freedom more than fatherhood and true masculinity. The value of the lives of my babies wasn’t on my heart and those abortions were detrimental to my mental and spiritual health. 

After my abortions, I worked in an abortion clinic for almost three years, which took me to a new level of devaluing and dehumanizing the unborn lives I was working to snuff out. Like nearly everyone who starts working in abortion clinics, I wanted to help women. And I thought I was because what was more important than their bodily autonomy? What could possibly trump their own sense of self and the dreams they had for their future? I thought I was giving them a way out of their situation. 

I fell so hard for the lies that the abortion industry tells – the same lies that Kamala Harris repeated over and over at the debate and that she yells at rallies. I learned, through very difficult life experiences, that abortion is the opposite of empowerment. It takes away something so precious and unrepeatable and valuable that you can never get back. 

Kamala Harris is so resolutely one-sided in her religion of abortion that people like me don’t exist to her. 

That whole discussion on abortion during the presidential debate was very difficult to watch because I’m a mother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. Most importantly, I’m a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. None of those titles I am so honored to hold would have been possible if that failed abortion was successful. I would not exist. My children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren would not exist. My tiny body would have been torn apart in that second trimester abortion and discarded like trash — which is still happening today to thousands of unborn babies every year. Those little lives will never hold the titles of mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, sister, or brother. And Kamala Harris is doing everything in her power to make that happen for many more years. 

I’m really grateful for my life, for God’s redemption, mercy, and loving kindness. I really have a problem with the statements that Harris made during the debate, disregarding the rights and value of the unborn while elevating the rights of women in their own bodies. I realize now how important it is to value the unborn and say they have a right to life. She made a mockery of being a champion for women.