On Wednesday, Feb. 4, state officials will hold a hearing to review the State Department of Health and Hospital’s absurd abortion clinic regulations.
In the last three years, Louisiana has been named No. 1 in anti-abortion legislation and the worst state for women in the country. And abortion politics prove that.
In an effort to make sense of things and settle some unresolved opinions once and for all, I spoke with the president of LSU’s Students for Life organization, Shellie Pergola. 
From the moment Pergola agreed to sit down with me, I felt a bit nervous. Abortion is not a light subject, and for that reason the two sides can be radical. 
But as soon as we started speaking, I felt more at ease. Pergola had just returned from March for Life in Washington, D.C., and she was full of ideas and talking points that were refreshing compared to the traditional anti-abortion talks I’ve heard. 
“I dislike that there are sides, because we should be working together. It sounds like pro-lifers aren’t for women making choices,” Pergola said, touching on the baselessness of the argument itself. 
The most radical members of any advocacy system are the ones who will be the loudest, and the abortion debate is no different. I’ve kept my space from this debate, mostly out of annoyance for how we are handling it.
Anti-abortion advocates will pit the mother against the child, whereas abortion rights supporters claim the government is controlling the female body. 
When we frame the argument to be woman versus child, the country accomplishes nothing.
We would benefit from remembering this — the women who want abortions do not want abortions like they want a new car or a present. The women who seek abortions are desperate, like animals caught in a trap. 
Throughout my discussion with Pergola, I realized that yes, Louisiana is leading the country in anti-abortion legislation, and we are seeing fewer abortions, but there is little being done to help children once they are born. 
If we truly were a pro-life nation, we would have free health care, education opportunities and prison rehabilitation. If we fight for a fetus’ right to life, we cannot abandon it once it is born. 
Otherwise we are not pro-life, we are pro-deciding-when-they-die. 
Pergola had excellent additions to this idea, and she pointed out how LSU is not welcoming to student mothers. 
“There are no diaper decks or nursing stations in the bathrooms,” Pergola said. “There are no pregnancy resources in the Women’s Center or Student Health Center.”
Beyond basic pregnancy tests and limited counseling, Pergola is right.  The University doesn’t provide adequate resources for pregnant students.
The largest benefit of abortion for women ages 18 to 21 is being able to continue education. This is evident in the studies that show there are 145 abortions for each adoption at Planned Parenthood. 
Pregnant students are gawked at or shunned, not supported. Adoptions put women through nine months of judgement, whereas abortions allow immediate relief. 
If there is one thing I never thought I would say, it is that I agree with the Students for Life organization. But I do.  For Louisiana to truly be pro-life, we have to support women in all walks of life. And we are a long way from that. 
It starts by allowing women freedom. Knowing there are options gives women time to think things over and look at available resources. 
In order for a real change to come about, our country needs to rethink its definition of pro-choice. Choice defines multiple options, whether adoption, raising a child, or terminating a pregnancy. 
Pro-lifers play an important role within the pro-choice community. They have the power to lobby for resources and programs to support women and their children. 
The most disturbing effect of politicizing abortion is that it keeps women in limbo, never fully aware of all their options or the resources available to them. 
It’s time to accept that our current debate does not accomplish anything, and rethink how we discuss abortions. 
Jana King is a nineteen-year-old communication studies sophomore from Ponchatoula, LA.