Madison Thacker, 22, of Columbus, Ohio, has not lived free of bumps, bruises, and difficulties. No stranger to the trials of life, she says she would rather live than not have lived at all. Though this life may include things harrowing, heart-rending, arduous, and irksome, she values it.
Recently, Thacker has learned to value life in a way she never had before.
In an interview with The Epoch Times, Thacker—who grew up believing in a woman’s right to end a pregnancy before her child is born—shared what eventually led her to uphold the “humanity of the baby in the womb.”
Thacker says the influences that shaped her pro-choice persuasion were all around her: pro-choice views were venerated by the news that played in her living room, hallowed by public celebrities, affirmed by social media, and upheld by the opinions of family members and her friends at school. She was engulfed in a raging current of thought that portrays the right to choose an abortion as favorable and advantageous, harmless and helpful.
“It’s easy to fall for the abortion industry’s lies when so many go along with this abortion-positive narrative,” Thacker said. “They treat pro-lifers as some sort of monster out to get women; so many young women fall for this unfortunately.”
Thacker rode right along on that tide. All the while, she never questioned her own beliefs. Her ride ended one day when she listened to a podcast by Ben Shapiro on the topic of abortion. It was Thacker’s boyfriend of five years who sent her Shapiro’s podcast episode.
Her 23-year-old boyfriend, a college student studying to be an accountant, has views that are pro-life. Thacker says she was stubborn and did not want to heed his suggestion at first, but she decided that she should at least know for herself both sides of the pro-choice vs. pro-life argument.
Thacker’s simple decision to listen to the podcast proved to be direction-changing. “[Listening] changed my stance almost immediately,” she said. In a volte-face, Thacker started out on a new voyage of her own.
In his podcast, Shapiro had mentioned a pro-life organization called Live Action. Thacker looked it up and was inspired to do her own further research and investigation; she watched online videos depicting abortion procedures for each trimester of pregnancy. Thacker then sought out other pro-life organizations and studied fetal development and the abortion industry.
Her response to all of this new information: heartbreak and disgust. Thacker says that observing abortion procedures showed her the “violence of abortion.”
“I was disgusted that I turned a blind eye to this and accepted it,” she reflected. “I was heartbroken and shocked. I felt so deeply saddened for the women that are pulled into this facade, for the poor babies involved. It showed me that no human deserves to be treated this way, that no one should be stripped of their right to life.”
Perhaps Thacker did not realize it yet, but her change would be one that resembled an upstream swim. Her new convictions did not match those that were widely embraced by the world around her.
Friends abandoned their friendship with Thacker in disappointment with her new views. Some close family members did not support her newly formed opinions. Even her grandmother accused her of being antagonistic toward women’s rights; of pushing women “backward in history.”
Adding proximity to the matter, and in a further attempt to persuade Thacker of the virtues of abortion, her grandmother revealed that Thacker’s own mother had previously aborted a sibling. The current pulling in favor of abortion was strong around Thacker. She did not have an easy swim.
Thacker, however, navigated steadily on against the tugging tide. Though young, she was already well acquainted with opposition and difficulty. Her childhood had been riddled with it.
“My mother was a drug addict who was abusive, and my father is an alcoholic,“ she said. ”I was sexually assaulted at 14—I was on drugs at 14.”
Thacker was raised by her grandmother for most of her young life. Mastery over adversity was in her belt.
So, when it came to facing the adversity and backlash of those around her when Thacker adopted a pro-life attitude, she was already well prepared. She says it was challenging to be deemed an outcast, enemy, or ignorant by others when she left the pro-choice camp, but she pressed on.
“I knew no matter what, I was on the right side, protecting human life,” she said. “Knowing I’m doing the right thing is what helps me.”
And then, Thacker demonstrates that empathy is necessary.
She says that, in a culture that pushes to normalize abortion, with an abortion industry that promotes it, and in a society that agrees with it, it is easy for women to go along with the pro-choice narrative. She understands how a woman with pro-life opinions can be portrayed as hateful and antagonistic to women. But, to those who still hold a pro-choice position, she says, “You don’t have to support abortion.”
“I was pro-choice once too,“ she said. ”I know it may seem difficult to switch your stance and leave a movement that bullies people of the opposite beliefs. I know being pro-choice seems like the norm, and I know it seems like you almost have to be pro-choice. You don’t.
“There are better options to help women. We can help stop unplanned pregnancies and the want for abortion.”
There are better solutions to the true problems. Thacker believes that the normalization of abortion is a poor solution and a “bandaid” to the real issues of poverty, rape, abuse, and more. Abortion is then only adding one more problem to the existing heap.
“Abortion fixes nothing but destroys lives every single day, ” she said.
Thacker intimately recognizes that life is bound to include negative experiences; they are an inevitable and unavoidable part of living on this earth. And yet, she does not believe that abortion is a valid excuse in the name of protection. She does not agree that ending life is a sane or viable way of preserving people from potential bad life experiences. She has had the courage to swim her course, and all that has come along with it, whether good or bad. She wants others to have the same opportunity.
Today, Thacker’s forward trajectory looks heartening. She is 22 and has healed from the trials and consequences of her childhood. She is healthy and happy, working as a manager at a job that she loves, and moving into her first apartment on her own. She now has a loving boyfriend and family. And, she is an active promoter of the pro-life movement.
Thacker invites others to come along and enjoy the swim. Traveling upstream, the water is quite nice, and the direction is even better.
