Last week I was asked to participate in a peaceful vigil outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Champaign. A girl I knew came up to me during breakfast with a big binder, opened it up and showed me some signs she had ready for the vigil that said “Pray To End Abortion,” in bold black letters. She was part of a group of students from Saint John’s Catholic Newman Center who were part of the 40 Days for Life campaign.

It’s a campaign in which people in more than 170 cities in 45 states will be coming together for one of the largest anti-abortion mobilizations ever. The 40 days started Sept. 24 and will continue through Nov. 2. The campaign is an anti-abortion effort composed of prayers, peaceful vigils and community outreach. In most cities, including Champaign, it will take place outside of a Planned Parenthood, which is the largest abortion provider in the country.

When this girl originally came up to me and asked me if I wanted to go to the vigil in front of Planned Parenthood and help stop abortion, the movie “Juno” popped into my head. One of the things I never forgot after watching it was when Juno told her friend she couldn’t get an abortion because babies have fingernails. “Fingernails!” And a month ago at Quad Day, I remember walking up to the Students For Life booth and getting to hold small replicas of fetuses when they were 4, 8 and 12 weeks old. I found out that a 5-week-old fetus has a beating heart, and yes, even fingernails.

As a Catholic, I’ve always been against abortion. It’s part of my religion, part of my family, and therefore, a part of me. However, I can’t say I’ve always thought that my religion was right. I’ve questioned it, but throughout the years, I’ve become a stronger person in my beliefs. I had to find out what I personally believed in and not simply what I was told to believe in. And now, I can say that I am hands down anti-abortion, no doubt about it.

I have always liked to pride myself on the fact that I respected other religions, as well as other people’s decisions, especially decisions considering their bodies like getting tattoos or piercings. And while some people consider having an abortion as just another somewhat insignificant decision as getting a tattoo or piercing, it’s not just about their body any longer.

I don’t believe you personally get to decide to abort a child. You get to decide to have sex. You get to decide to have safe sex, to use condoms, birth control or the pill. But you by no means should get to decide to abort a child. You have your own rights to decide what to do with your body, but when you have a child, it’s no longer just your body. It’s not your decision. It shouldn’t be.

It doesn’t even matter what religion you are. Abortion doesn’t discriminate apparently. Contrary to popular belief, 37 percent of abortions in America are obtained by Protestants, 31 percent by Catholics, 1 percent by Jews and 23 percent from people with no religious affiliation. And 18 percent of those getting abortions characterize themselves as born-again evangelists.

Abortion is a choice, right now: the wrong one. But it shouldn’t be a choice at all. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

Of course, I’m not oblivious to the other side of abortion. There are certain cases where people want to get an abortion because they want to avoid potential health problems, because they were raped or because of incest. Nevertheless, I see no reason to abort that baby, an innocent baby. There are options, there is adoption.

And people who want to have an abortion because of potential health problems, rape or incest only make up 7 percent of the total population in America of women who have abortions. The other 93 percent of abortions occur for social reasons. Social reasons!

Simply, if you’re not ready to make a commitment to take care of another living being, to take responsibility and to be a mom or a dad, then practice safe sex. It’s not that hard to find a condom, especially on campus (hint: McKinley).

There is always an option, and never a reason to abort.

Annie is a freshman in broadcast journalism and she thinks Rollo was right: That ain’t no Etch A Sketch. This is one doodle that can’t be un-did, homeskillet.