The Abortions I Have Known

Our favourite tv shows often shape our opinions as we grow up. Author Emily Maguire's attitude to abortion changed radically from her early teens to young adulthood, as she explains in this chapter from a landmark new book, choice words.

CINDY’S ABORTION

An episode of Family Ties I haven’t seen before is a big deal, because it’s the late ’80s and afternoon TV is basically just a repeated loop of the show. But here’s something I’ve missed (or been guarded from) in previous cycles: Mallory’s friend Cindy is pregnant and since she can’t talk to her own strict mother she talks to Mallory’s progressive, supportive dream mum Elyse instead. Cindy tells Elyse she doesn’t know whether to have an abortion. Says it out loud. Using the actual word and everything. I remember so clearly because I’d never heard it from the mouth of someone considering it (rather than preaching against it) before.

I think Cindy is terrible for being pregnant and for considering killing her baby and for saying it out loud like it’s fine. I think Mallory is pretty terrible, too, for being friends with someone like that. And I can’t understand why Elyse doesn’t explain how wrong it is to murder babies and how every time you sin it’s like you’re hammering the nails into Jesus’s flesh all over again.

The episode ends with Cindy going home to talk things through with her mum and we never find out what happens to her poor innocent little baby. I watch and watch and watch every time the show is on (so, all the time) but nobody ever refers to Cindy again. My best guess is she had the abortion and died in a pool of blood and it’s too sad to speak about.

ANNIE’S ABORTION