And I will nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and law. It is long past time for the Supreme Court to return the issue of abortion back to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade.

These are words spoken by one Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential candidate for this year’s election in the United States. Mitt Romney, a man who claims to know the difference between personal opinion and law, yet can’t seem to remove his own opinion from the equation. Mitt Romney, a man who claims corporations are people, but refuses to treat people like people.

Abortion seems to be at the center of politics this year. It feels like every day, new ways to limit accessibility to abortion are being attempted. Representative Todd Akin’s disturbing comments about “legitimate rape” only serve to prove to me that anti-choice people are so far out of touch with reality that they actually can’t be trusted to make decisions like this.

The most common argument I see against abortion is the rights of the unborn fetus. Some say that abortion is effectively killing a child, thereby personifying the fetus while simultaneously dehumanizing the pregnant person. The thing is, though, this argument often comes from people who aim to cut social welfare programs, free lunches at schools, and affordable daycare for people who do decide to not have abortion. If they are so pro-life, why do they not work to improve the lives of the living?

Comments like this always seem to be made by people whose biology does not allow them to even get pregnant, never mind have an abortion. Todd Akin has a penis. Paul Ryan? Also has a penis. Mitt Romney? He is a penis. Are there people with vaginas and uteri out there speaking out against abortion? Of course. Does that mean they’re any more qualified to make decisions about my body? Nope. Because my body is not up for political debate.

My body belongs to me and me alone. Only I may decide if I am going to get tattoos, fornicate, exercise, wear makeup, or do a sexy little dance on the hood of a car à la Tawny Kitaen. And I will do all of these things without apology, because I have the right to make decisions about me and my body all by myself.

This is my body, my vagina, and my uterus, and I reserve the right to make private decisions regarding the health and well-being of them without interference from the government. My body is currently GOP-free and I intend to keep it that way. My body is not up for political debate.

People who are anti-abortion are free to not have any abortions. Even pro-choice individuals may choose to not terminate an unexpected pregnancy, shocking as that may seem. That is their decision to make and I will happily respect that. But I will also expect you to respect and trust my decision to have an abortion if I find myself in a situation where I need to make that choice.

I welcome consideration and input in my decision-making process, but at the end of the day, there is only one person who can make decisions about my body. That person is me. And I will never allow anyone else to make a decision for me, regarding my body or not. I am a free-willed, free-thinking individual and I will not let anyone impede on that. Trust me on that.

I am sick and tired of peoples’ bodies and autonomy being objects of political debate, while people themselves are being removed from the discussion. You cannot dehumanize me to further your political career. I am a person and I expect to be treated as such. That is not too much to ask for.

My body is not up for political debate. Stop pretending like it is.

How do you feel about the political debates on abortion and other women’s issues? Share with us in the comments.

Written by Alisse Desrosiers
Follow her on Twitter and Tumblr, and check out her blog, femetits!

Opinions stated in our editorials do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Feminspire and its staff as a whole, but instead reflect the opinions of the writer.