In the not-too-distant past, American women were typically relegated to being support staff in their own lives. The sexual revolution and the advent of widely-accessible birth control and safe, legal abortion had an immense impact on the American woman, and whether or not you see that as a good thing depends largely on whether you consider yourself a liberal or a conservative.

The rift could not be more apparent when you look at social phenomena like the widely-publicized Duggar family. The Duggars are essentially living the ultra-conservative "good life," with lots of contraceptive-free sex subsequently resulting in 19 children (so far). The older kids are "assigned" a younger sibling to look after, and mom stays home to supervise.

Never mind that most people don't have the will or the wealth to handle over a dozen children and a $3000/month grocery bill. The question isn't what you want for your life, or even if you can afford that life you don't want. If you're good to God, God provides.

If you don't believe in the prosperity gospel (essentially: the rich are rich because God likes them), or don't believe the fundamentalist Christian interpretation of a deity, the idea of dropping all your little plans for your own life and donning a financial blindfold might seem a bit rash. Which is probably why 98% of U.S. women who've had sex have, at some point, used contraceptives.

The point I'm getting at is NOT that the Duggers are bad people, or that they shouldn't be able to live the lifestyle they've chosen (as long as their children are sufficiently cared for), but that it's not a life many of us would choose. Virtually every vocal pro-choicer has been called "selfish" for their beliefs about contraception and abortion, which essentially amount to the belief that women should be at the helm of their own lives, deciding if, when, and with whom they want to become parents.

Let's be frank: refusing to be a doormat in the face of someone else's perceived ideological authority isn't selfish. Personal liberty is at the heart of every precious freedom we have. I refuse to ignore the incredible sense of entitlement that necessarily accompanies the belief that you know how other people should live their lives and form their families.

I'm not a perfect person. I can be selfish far more often than I'd like to be. But my belief in personal liberty for all human beings, including my belief in freedom of choice, is one of the least selfish things about me.