I just really wish I were eligible to vote in the May 25th referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Ireland because my life was formed, at least in part, by it, and in ways I am only now beginning to understand. My father canvassed door to door in favour of the Eighth Amendment during the 1983 referendum which sought equal rights for the unborn child and the mother. “Yes, yes,” I replied hurriedly, mortified for all of us. When I was 17, I made an appointment at the Irish Family Planning Association and asked for a prescription for the birth control pill. I want my new goddaughter’s life to be free of the subconscious fears that have ruled mine.

Source: The Irish Times May 23, 2018 18:00 UTC