Today marks the 40th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court decision that ruled that state laws outlawing a woman's right to an abortion were unconstitutional. While the past four decades have seen the ruling under attack on cultural, religious, and political grounds, the ruling remains the law of the land even as access to the procedure becomes even more of a target than ever. In honor of this day participants have been asked to tell why they are pro choice.
The basic reason is that I believe that any decision regarding a pregnancy is up to the woman and her doctor. There are a number of reasons which can impact whether a woman feels ready to have a child or not. Whether it's for a medical reason (a sudden illness, the possibility the pregnancy can kill the woman carrying the fetus) or someone surviving an abusive situation or rape or whether one isn't ready financially or emotionally to have a family, the reasons can be as varied as the individual.
Because of this, expecting a one size fits all approach towards whether a woman should carry a child to term is myopic at best and dangerous at worst. Whether its telling a rape victim that her pregnancy is a gift from God or attacking a woman's reasoning in making her decision, there are many variables that factor into whether a woman wants to and can afford to bring a child into this world. To automatically assume that all will be good if she doesn't get an abortion is shortsighted at best and often reeks of an arrogance that doesn't take the other person's situation into account.
I also support a woman's right to reproductive freedom and reproductive justice because of the issue of when life begins. Many people who consider themselves "pro life" have recently moved from claiming that life begins at conception to claiming that a frozen embryo is an actual person. While it is true that a fetus is DNA, the anti choice movement claims that both a fetus and a frozen embryo is a complete human being. People forget that Roe was actually a compromise ruling of sorts that applied before the point of viability rather than actually legalizing abortion on demand. Add to this the current attempts to claim contraception is the same as abortion that the pro forced childbirth contingent is currently pushing to confuse the issue and its apparent that its less about concern for either when life begins or quality of life but as a matter to control women's lives.
Finally I want to bring up an issue that people in the anti choice movement have been trying to frame as common lately. About a year or so ago I was on my way to try and catch the end of a rally to support Planned Parenthood. As I was trying to find a good time to cross the street and get a sign, I saw that one of the anti choice protesters picketing in front of the clinic was holding a sign that said "Women Regret Abortion" on it. Almost immediately (and ever since) when the pro forced childbirth crowd tries to spin the abortion leads to regret angle the following song quote pops in my head...
"You're taking one thing that one girl does/And you're making it represent all of us." - "Do You Like Me Like That" by Bratmobile off their 2000 album Ladies, Women and Girls.
Those two lines that I couldn't get out of my head that hot Saturday afternoon perfectly nails this use of this angle for people claiming to be "pro life" to the wall. While some women may have some regret over their decision, trying to spin it as every woman who has an abortion will be racked with regret paints women as one mass group who all think and act alike rather than individuals. By ignoring this simple fact, the anti choice movement talks down to women and overlooks the mix of education, experience, and circumstances that informs each person's life overall. The refusal to realize that is one of the main facets of the anti choice/pro forced childbirth movement that I find distasteful.
I realize that the decision on whether to carry a pregnancy to term isn't a simple decision. However, it is because of what's involved in making the decision that I feel it's best to respect a woman's decision whether it's to give birth or get an abortion. Each person has their own reasons and understanding about what they're going through and it is important that a personal decision such as be between a woman and her doctor. If she chooses to let other people know about her choice, that's her right but if she doesn't there's probably a damn good reason for it. In a situation like this respecting said decision is the most prudent thing to do if one wishes to see women as people with agency over their own bodies and their own decisions.
While I feel this barely touches the surface, these are amongst the main reasons why I consider myself pro choice on this issue.
P.S.: I realize not everyone will agree with me on this issue. However, if any comments gets especially hateful, abusive, or ignorant I reserve the right to moderate and even delete if necessary. Consider this a warning in advance.
Showing posts with label Blog for Choice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blog for Choice. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Friday, January 21, 2011
Blog For Choice 2011 Post
Recently there has been a bit of concern in some circles regarding the status of choice and reproductive freedom. The recent Republican takeover of the House of Representatives has vastly increased the number of anti choice voices in Congress while a number of state elections and ballot measures have set out to, if not completely overturn Roe v. Wade, then at least severely weaken it and make it so the right to a legal medical procedure de facto doesn’t exist.
I’m concerned about the state of choice as it applied to a woman’s right to reproductive freedom and reproductive justice this year. However, the concern has been ongoing for a long time. From ballot measures designed to define the fetus as a full human being to various state restrictions based on age or marital status, the war on choice has been going on for decades now. While odds are they might not get a Constitutional amendment overturning Roe, they know that if they chip away at the right of a woman to make decisions over her won body, said right might as well not exist.
The end result is the usual mix of rhetoric that seems to favor DNA over actual living human beings. The current attack of note implies that women aren’t smart enough to make their own decisions regarding what to do with an unplanned pregnancy, either by not really knowing they’re getting an abortion or getting one just out of selfishness. This approach, while claiming to favor life, is an insult to the women the pro forced childbirth contingent are supposedly out to “protect” in the first place. From that to the “crisis pregnancy center” that falsely claim to be abortion clinics to the targeting of abortion doctors, there is a lot to be concerned about regarding a woman’s right to choose what to do with a pregnancy whether it be birth or adoption or abortion.
In a truly just world, this would be a decision made in private between a woman and her doctor. However, we don’t live in a just world but in one where many people who claim to want less government intervention and cry out over a supposed lack of freedom seem to salivate over playing Big Brother on this issue, wanting a government response to this so large and interventionist the society in Orwell’s 1984 practically seems like a progressive utopia in comparison. I’d find it humorous if it wasn’t so scary that people’s lives were at risk as a result of such attacks. Add to this some politicians on the Democratic side of the aisle seeming more than willing to throw a woman’s right to choose under the bus for a few votes and there is much to be concerned about.
So what can be done to make sure a woman’s right to choose is protected? Mainly, those of us who support this issue have to be vigilant against those who want to take away this right either by legal means or by intimidation of some sort. One can’t automatically assume a politician will uphold the right to choose on principle. It will instead take constant putting the pressure on those in power to make sure reproductive freedom and reproductive justice remain safe and legal in this country. It’s far from a new idea and one that will require a lot of effort and work. However, given that the anti choice/pro forced childbirth contingent will continue to do whatever they think is necessary to get their goals across, those who support choice have to keep the pressure up and make sure they get heard.
I’m concerned about the state of choice as it applied to a woman’s right to reproductive freedom and reproductive justice this year. However, the concern has been ongoing for a long time. From ballot measures designed to define the fetus as a full human being to various state restrictions based on age or marital status, the war on choice has been going on for decades now. While odds are they might not get a Constitutional amendment overturning Roe, they know that if they chip away at the right of a woman to make decisions over her won body, said right might as well not exist.
The end result is the usual mix of rhetoric that seems to favor DNA over actual living human beings. The current attack of note implies that women aren’t smart enough to make their own decisions regarding what to do with an unplanned pregnancy, either by not really knowing they’re getting an abortion or getting one just out of selfishness. This approach, while claiming to favor life, is an insult to the women the pro forced childbirth contingent are supposedly out to “protect” in the first place. From that to the “crisis pregnancy center” that falsely claim to be abortion clinics to the targeting of abortion doctors, there is a lot to be concerned about regarding a woman’s right to choose what to do with a pregnancy whether it be birth or adoption or abortion.
In a truly just world, this would be a decision made in private between a woman and her doctor. However, we don’t live in a just world but in one where many people who claim to want less government intervention and cry out over a supposed lack of freedom seem to salivate over playing Big Brother on this issue, wanting a government response to this so large and interventionist the society in Orwell’s 1984 practically seems like a progressive utopia in comparison. I’d find it humorous if it wasn’t so scary that people’s lives were at risk as a result of such attacks. Add to this some politicians on the Democratic side of the aisle seeming more than willing to throw a woman’s right to choose under the bus for a few votes and there is much to be concerned about.
So what can be done to make sure a woman’s right to choose is protected? Mainly, those of us who support this issue have to be vigilant against those who want to take away this right either by legal means or by intimidation of some sort. One can’t automatically assume a politician will uphold the right to choose on principle. It will instead take constant putting the pressure on those in power to make sure reproductive freedom and reproductive justice remain safe and legal in this country. It’s far from a new idea and one that will require a lot of effort and work. However, given that the anti choice/pro forced childbirth contingent will continue to do whatever they think is necessary to get their goals across, those who support choice have to keep the pressure up and make sure they get heard.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Trust Women
Okay, the theme for Blog for Choice Day is Trust Women, a slogan based on a button Dr. Tiller used to wear before he was murdered. The question: what does that mean?
In a truly just world this would be a non issue. In this context it simply means that women, as individuals and in general, know what's best for themselves and their particular situation when they make decisions regarding their own bodies. Whether that means looking at their lives and deciding that an abortion is the best thing to do at the moment or choosing to have a baby, it's still up to the individual woman to look at her life and make that choice.
Seems simple enough, right? It should be relatively obvious that the individual should make the decision over what happens to their bodies, especially in situations like an unwanted pregnancy. However, as we all know, we don’t live in a truly just world.
Over the past decade a number of bills have been proposed in various state legislatures aimed at covertly limiting access to abortion. From requiring pregnant women to view ultrasounds of the fetus to waiting periods to counseling sessions to laws requiring parental and/or spousal notification/consent, these bills (some even passed into law in some states) are aimed at making a medical procedure that’s legal more difficult to get, especially for poor women or women who have to travel long distances to get an abortion. While some people claim these measures are to protect the unborn, supporters of these measures also tend to state that they want the women to know what an abortion is before they have the procedure.
Apparently, these legislators and their pro forced birth supporters are under the impression that a woman who chooses to terminate a pregnancy is unaware that she’s getting an abortion. One of the talking points some in the anti choice/pro forced birth movement like to state regarding abortion is that women get it for selfish reasons such as to not miss a trip to Europe or to fit in a prom dress. Along with the various proposed bills, statements like these have one purpose: to imply that women act on impulse and are incapable of knowing what’s best for them when it comes to medical procedures and their own bodies. This approach not only manages to insult the intelligence and logic of each individual but manages to be the most glaring and obvious sign that they believe women can’t be trusted to make their own decisions.
The truth is there is no one reason why a woman would have an abortion or choose not to have one. The reasons are as varied as each individual and take in factors ranging from current circumstances to past abuse to the simple realization that one may not be ready to be a parent at this time. While the anti choice/pro forced birth movement would like to hypothesize women as one monolithic group, it doesn’t work that way with human beings.
That’s where trust comes into the picture. Since we can’t live other people’s lives, we have to understand that it’s up to them to decide what to do in a given situation. Abortion isn’t an issue that just pops into a woman’s mind at the spur of the moment. It’s something that a woman has thought about and discussed. As for things like the consent laws mentioned earlier, most women facing an unplanned pregnancy discuss the issue with their families before making a decision and the women that don’t bring it up to them usually have a legitimate reason not to discuss her choice. To demand the consent of a third party into what should be a personal decision between a woman and her doctor annihilates the issue of trust and turns the status of a woman from human being with agency over her life to nothing more than someone’s property. That is the issue.
Trust requires that we view human beings as individuals who can make their own decisions and deserve accurate information in order to do so. Too often, especially when it comes to issues in the reproductive freedom and reproductive justice movement, the powers that be along with certain people practicing a rigid interpretation of their chosen religion have chosen to mislead and condescend to both men and women interested in this issue rather than do the right thing and realize that individuals can and should make their own decisions regarding these issues whether it’s exercising their right to get an abortion or choosing to give birth in a manner that they don’t feel dehumanized by to even making sure that people have access to contraception and emergency contraception without unnecessary delays or other people using their values to deny someone the right to exercise the decisions they made and wish to stand by in their own lives. Only when a woman can make a choice on these matters in a climate free of intimidation or fear of reprisals and/or violence can a society be said to truly trust women.
It seems so simple when you think about it.
In a truly just world this would be a non issue. In this context it simply means that women, as individuals and in general, know what's best for themselves and their particular situation when they make decisions regarding their own bodies. Whether that means looking at their lives and deciding that an abortion is the best thing to do at the moment or choosing to have a baby, it's still up to the individual woman to look at her life and make that choice.
Seems simple enough, right? It should be relatively obvious that the individual should make the decision over what happens to their bodies, especially in situations like an unwanted pregnancy. However, as we all know, we don’t live in a truly just world.
Over the past decade a number of bills have been proposed in various state legislatures aimed at covertly limiting access to abortion. From requiring pregnant women to view ultrasounds of the fetus to waiting periods to counseling sessions to laws requiring parental and/or spousal notification/consent, these bills (some even passed into law in some states) are aimed at making a medical procedure that’s legal more difficult to get, especially for poor women or women who have to travel long distances to get an abortion. While some people claim these measures are to protect the unborn, supporters of these measures also tend to state that they want the women to know what an abortion is before they have the procedure.
Apparently, these legislators and their pro forced birth supporters are under the impression that a woman who chooses to terminate a pregnancy is unaware that she’s getting an abortion. One of the talking points some in the anti choice/pro forced birth movement like to state regarding abortion is that women get it for selfish reasons such as to not miss a trip to Europe or to fit in a prom dress. Along with the various proposed bills, statements like these have one purpose: to imply that women act on impulse and are incapable of knowing what’s best for them when it comes to medical procedures and their own bodies. This approach not only manages to insult the intelligence and logic of each individual but manages to be the most glaring and obvious sign that they believe women can’t be trusted to make their own decisions.
The truth is there is no one reason why a woman would have an abortion or choose not to have one. The reasons are as varied as each individual and take in factors ranging from current circumstances to past abuse to the simple realization that one may not be ready to be a parent at this time. While the anti choice/pro forced birth movement would like to hypothesize women as one monolithic group, it doesn’t work that way with human beings.
That’s where trust comes into the picture. Since we can’t live other people’s lives, we have to understand that it’s up to them to decide what to do in a given situation. Abortion isn’t an issue that just pops into a woman’s mind at the spur of the moment. It’s something that a woman has thought about and discussed. As for things like the consent laws mentioned earlier, most women facing an unplanned pregnancy discuss the issue with their families before making a decision and the women that don’t bring it up to them usually have a legitimate reason not to discuss her choice. To demand the consent of a third party into what should be a personal decision between a woman and her doctor annihilates the issue of trust and turns the status of a woman from human being with agency over her life to nothing more than someone’s property. That is the issue.
Trust requires that we view human beings as individuals who can make their own decisions and deserve accurate information in order to do so. Too often, especially when it comes to issues in the reproductive freedom and reproductive justice movement, the powers that be along with certain people practicing a rigid interpretation of their chosen religion have chosen to mislead and condescend to both men and women interested in this issue rather than do the right thing and realize that individuals can and should make their own decisions regarding these issues whether it’s exercising their right to get an abortion or choosing to give birth in a manner that they don’t feel dehumanized by to even making sure that people have access to contraception and emergency contraception without unnecessary delays or other people using their values to deny someone the right to exercise the decisions they made and wish to stand by in their own lives. Only when a woman can make a choice on these matters in a climate free of intimidation or fear of reprisals and/or violence can a society be said to truly trust women.
It seems so simple when you think about it.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Blog for Choice Post/Pro Choice Hopes
So we're officially a couple of days into the Obama administration and may see the government move into a direction more amenable to reproductive freedom. The question of what my hopes are for Obama or the Congress are in terms of reproductive freedom and justice issues has come up as something to discuss. In my case the challenge has been trying to determine which one to put up here as well as wondering if I have anything to add that hasn’t already been said on other blogs regarding this. Having to narrow down from the way too many things that many participating in this feel need to change after all these years of reproductive freedom and reproductive justice being under attack does tend to be a challenge of sorts. From getting rid of the Global Gag Rule to maybe simply ensuring access to abortion and birth control to more people (i.e.: maybe overturning the Hyde Amendment), it was hard to pin it down. However, I think I finally found one factor in this issue that I’d definitely like to see the Obama administration as well as Congress tackle ASAP.
The big hope I'd like to see is the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act (H.R. 1964/S. 1173) into law, thus guaranteeing women in the U.S. the fundamental right to determine what to do with their bodies in case of a pregnancy, including the right to get an abortion. Given the defeat anti-choice ballots in several states faced during the last election, this shouldn’t really be an issue. However, with reproductive freedom and justice (from abortion access to birth control) a highly hot button issue means that this bill is and/or will be contested. President Obama has said he'd sign it if it passes Congress, but I have a strange feeling that quite a few Republicans will try to filibuster this bill any chance they get just to prove their anti choice credibility (I’ll leave the decision of whether to call these people “anti choice” or “pro forced pregnancy” up to you).
In a sane and just world, this wouldn’t be an issue. This would be considered a personal decision between a woman and her doctor and left at that. Unfortunately, the anti choice/pro forced pregnancy contingent have made it clear that they intend to make the rest of us abide by their worldview by any means necessary rather than simply live their own lives according to their convictions. Thus, the issue of choice, reproductive freedom, and reproductive justice becomes politicized and what should be a personal decision places the lives of women and those that care about them at risk for threats and possible physical harm at times.
Will this bill become law? I really hope it does. However, Congress may have its hands full on this one trying to get it passed before making it to Obama’s desk for his signature. Thus, its up to us to put the pressure on and make sure the people elected to supposedly watch out for us know we want this to make it through.
The big hope I'd like to see is the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act (H.R. 1964/S. 1173) into law, thus guaranteeing women in the U.S. the fundamental right to determine what to do with their bodies in case of a pregnancy, including the right to get an abortion. Given the defeat anti-choice ballots in several states faced during the last election, this shouldn’t really be an issue. However, with reproductive freedom and justice (from abortion access to birth control) a highly hot button issue means that this bill is and/or will be contested. President Obama has said he'd sign it if it passes Congress, but I have a strange feeling that quite a few Republicans will try to filibuster this bill any chance they get just to prove their anti choice credibility (I’ll leave the decision of whether to call these people “anti choice” or “pro forced pregnancy” up to you).
In a sane and just world, this wouldn’t be an issue. This would be considered a personal decision between a woman and her doctor and left at that. Unfortunately, the anti choice/pro forced pregnancy contingent have made it clear that they intend to make the rest of us abide by their worldview by any means necessary rather than simply live their own lives according to their convictions. Thus, the issue of choice, reproductive freedom, and reproductive justice becomes politicized and what should be a personal decision places the lives of women and those that care about them at risk for threats and possible physical harm at times.
Will this bill become law? I really hope it does. However, Congress may have its hands full on this one trying to get it passed before making it to Obama’s desk for his signature. Thus, its up to us to put the pressure on and make sure the people elected to supposedly watch out for us know we want this to make it through.
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