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Originally posted on 22/05/18

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To all the undecided voters,

I cannot imagine what it must be like for you at the moment; still wading your way through a sea of emotive canvassing trying to find the facts and balance them with your own feelings while your newsfeeds, daily commutes and airwaves are flooded with the debate on the 8th and you still no closer to knowing which way you want to vote on Friday.

To be fair, what else could be expected of you at this stage if you haven’t already fallen down on a certain side of the debate? For every story about a woman who fled to England in desperate circumstances and says it was the right decision for her, you will find one who didn’t and says she was right not to. For every story about a couple who say staying put was right for them, you will find a couple who says it wasn’t in their best interest. For every story of a person of faith saying abortion is against their beliefs, you will read another person of faith saying compassion overrides all in their belief system and they support a yes. How can anyone be expected to think clearly when this deeply personal and contentious issue is being battled out in public like some form of emotional ping-pong with a counter-story at every turn?

To be honest, if we take a step back from it all and catch our breath, each of these stories, albeit surprisingly, all has the same overarching message: this is not a one size fits all issue.

What is right for one person, is not necessarily the right decision for the next and this is the case across all aspects of our lives. Therefore, we cannot continue in the blanket ban fashion we have up until now where we are denying people the option to do what is right for them during a vulnerable time when they need our support. For those of you who don’t want someone to regret their decision or fear it will be abused? You cannot legislate to prevent people from regret or control their actions. We are human, our lives are a series of decisions, not certainties and voting No will not prevent what is already happening in Ireland; women accessing abortions. Voting Yes will just make it safe.

As you well know, there is so much misinformation out there, this risks becoming another Trump or Brexit vote so it’s never been more important for us to educate ourselves from reliable sources like the official referendum booklet. Regardless of which side you vote for, please let it at least be because of factual information and not fear mongering.

I will be voting yes, a thousand times yes for I believe I have no right to decide what is right for another. I believe in care and compassion of my fellow human beings and I believe in ending the dark chapter of our history in this country when it comes to our treatment of women, pregnancy and babies.

Be under no illusion, you may be undecided now but you will have the deciding vote.

#voteyes #togetherforyes #repealthe8th