Unless you have been living in an underground lair for the past week( or maybe just Amish) you would know abortion has been in the headlines a lot, particularly in regards to our potential presidential candidates and and what policies they would like to see enacted nationwide. One candidate, Donald Trump, did s,etching I have never seen an anti-abortion rights candidate ever do. He took responsibility for the fallout that would logically follow from his ideological stance. He has since retracted his stance, but the damage is done. He single handedly exposed perhaps the BIGGEST Inconsistency of the anti choice movement. He stated on a tv show during a forum that if abortion becomes illegal, there should be s,e sort of punishment for women who acquire them despite the law. Pro choice groups justly and rapidly condemned his outrageous comments as archaic and misogynist, which they are. But the response from the anti abortion community? Well that is where things get interesting. I wish I could say I was surprised by the responses but alas, I was not in the slightest. Major figures in the anti abortion rights movement swiftly and soundly condemned his comments saying that they have no such intentions of punishing women and that women who abort are victims of a predatory abortion industry that preys upon their vulnerability. To those of us in the reproductive justice movement, this rhetoric is nothing new. Indeed it is standard. The anti choice movement relies upon the caricature of a scared and desperate woman who just doesn't know better in order to pass their paternalistic laws that women must be "protected" from abortion and thereby must undergo such things as mandatory ultrasounds and also forcing clinics to close due to imaginary threats of abortion clinics not being up to par with safety even though they do not insist on such safety measures for medical procedures that are far more dangerous than abortion. But spend any amount of time on an abortion debate forum, or better yet, spend time escorting women into abortion clinics as I have and you will see pretty quickly that such sentiments are a farce. Anti choice protestors routinely harass women entering such facilities and even sometimes perpetrate acts of violence against employees of such institutions. The truth is that anti choice organizations are not upset with the idea of imprisoning women for abortions as Donald Trump espoused. They are upset that Donald Trump exposed their true motives. If anti choicers sincerely do not wish to see women punished for abortion, they don't have to wait for abortion to become illegal in the country. There have been several cases within the last few years of women being punished for self aborting, which raises another thorny question that I wish Donald had been asked. For the sake of argument I will accept the mainstream anti choice movement's position that only those who perform abortions should be punished and not the women who undergo them. What then happens to women who self abort? Also if anti choicers do not want to imprison women for abortion, then why do they do so in countries where abortion is illegal?
To go on a Segway here, I feel compelled to take a moment to address a particular argument I have often encountered when conversing wth people within this movement. In regards to the topic of abortion concerning rape induced pregnancies, a common defense for banning abortion for these victims is that when a woman is raped, she is a victim but when she aborts any resulting pregnancy, she then becomes a perpetrator. Yet now the same people who use that argument are now saying that women who undergo abortions are not culpable for doing so. They can't have it both ways. Indeed, they can't have it both ways on the topic of punishment either. When has there ever been a law against something without a legal consequence for anyone who breaks it? Donald Trumps comments were awful, but not be use they were illogical but because the entire mission of the anti choice movement is awful. It is difficult if not impossible to berate women who abort as filthy baby killing whores ( yes an actual term I have heard used) and then to coddle them as helpless victims of their own stupidity in the next and seek to excuse their behavior instead of punish it. The anti choice movement has two choices. They can accept the current legality of abortion and leave women who procure them the heck alone both socially and politically or they can follow their own medieval logic to its logical and misogynist conclusion and ban it while simultaneously imprisoning women who have. It remains to be seen which one they will choose.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Friday, November 20, 2015
How do you solve a problem like Syria?
I am writing this on Friday November 20, 2015, exactly one week from the terrorist attacks in Paris. Like most of the world I have been in a daze the past week over the shocking level of brutality committed by radicals in the name of some misbegotten interpretation of their religion. Perhaps some people are numb from hearing reports such as this considering how common they are in the word. For whatever reason, I am not. I want to preface my following statements by saying that I respect differing viewpoints and fully understand that there are valid opinions other than my own. This blog is just MY PERSONAL stance on the subject of the ensuing Syrian refugee crisis and how the world, and particularly the United States, should respond. Over the past week I have seen several arguments for and against allowing Syrian refugees to enter America. I would now like to cover a few of them and give my rebuttals with a conclusion of what I think needs to happen regarding this crisis.
One argument I keep hearing is that we should not allow them in because we " already have people here in need of assistance." I get it. Our country is a mess with rampant unemployment and homeless veterans. These are issues we can and do need to address. My problem with this sentiment though is that prior to this crisis it did not seem like there were so many people who found the state of our country intolerable. I honestly wonder how many of the people who are using this argument call their congressional representatives regularly to demand better treatment for our underprivileged citizens. It is also worth noting that EVERY country in the world has poor people in it. Should every country in the world reject these refugees because they have not yet made their own lands a utopia? While I am on the subject, why not cut off immigration altogether until we have completely eradicated poverty?
Perhaps the most common argument I hear is that it is just plain unsafe to allow the refugees in because there may be secret ISIS members that have infiltrated them. I understand the fear. I do not want to relive the horror of 9/11 over again anymore than anyone else does. It is true that as long as America allows refugees or ,indeed, even tourists or immigrants from any land into the United States, there WILL be bad apples in the bunch. No vetting process can completely screen out evil intentions as no scanner can survey the human heart. This is also true of our own citizens. As long as American citizens keep having babies, some of them will grow up and either commit extreme acts of violence against other Americans or possibly even other nations. The only way to stop this would be to get the human race to become antinatalist and that is a blog for another time. There is an old saying that history repeats itself. This past week, I have seen that truth unfold right before my eyes. During world war 2 Americans overwhelmingly rejected the idea of allowing European refugees fleeing the Nazi regime to enter America due to fears that some might be Nazi spies or sympathizers. As a result hundreds if not thousands perished in the concentration camps after being denied asylum in the states. Going back even further to the Titanic, the people in the lifeboats were afraid to go back to rescue survivors in the water for fear that they would swamp the boats. Make no mistake, taking in refugees WILL cost the citizens of the United States. It will cost Americans because it would be an act of heroism and heroism always costs the hero something. What makes heroes different from everyone else is that they are willing to put their own welfare in jeopardy for the sake of someone else. History is a terrific teacher. We the people of the United States have made grave mistakes in the past regarding our treatment of not only our own citizens but those who wish to come here. We have a chance to make a different choice with this current situation. You can sit in the lifeboat if you want. As for me, I am grabbing an oar. REFUGEES WELCOME
One argument I keep hearing is that we should not allow them in because we " already have people here in need of assistance." I get it. Our country is a mess with rampant unemployment and homeless veterans. These are issues we can and do need to address. My problem with this sentiment though is that prior to this crisis it did not seem like there were so many people who found the state of our country intolerable. I honestly wonder how many of the people who are using this argument call their congressional representatives regularly to demand better treatment for our underprivileged citizens. It is also worth noting that EVERY country in the world has poor people in it. Should every country in the world reject these refugees because they have not yet made their own lands a utopia? While I am on the subject, why not cut off immigration altogether until we have completely eradicated poverty?
Perhaps the most common argument I hear is that it is just plain unsafe to allow the refugees in because there may be secret ISIS members that have infiltrated them. I understand the fear. I do not want to relive the horror of 9/11 over again anymore than anyone else does. It is true that as long as America allows refugees or ,indeed, even tourists or immigrants from any land into the United States, there WILL be bad apples in the bunch. No vetting process can completely screen out evil intentions as no scanner can survey the human heart. This is also true of our own citizens. As long as American citizens keep having babies, some of them will grow up and either commit extreme acts of violence against other Americans or possibly even other nations. The only way to stop this would be to get the human race to become antinatalist and that is a blog for another time. There is an old saying that history repeats itself. This past week, I have seen that truth unfold right before my eyes. During world war 2 Americans overwhelmingly rejected the idea of allowing European refugees fleeing the Nazi regime to enter America due to fears that some might be Nazi spies or sympathizers. As a result hundreds if not thousands perished in the concentration camps after being denied asylum in the states. Going back even further to the Titanic, the people in the lifeboats were afraid to go back to rescue survivors in the water for fear that they would swamp the boats. Make no mistake, taking in refugees WILL cost the citizens of the United States. It will cost Americans because it would be an act of heroism and heroism always costs the hero something. What makes heroes different from everyone else is that they are willing to put their own welfare in jeopardy for the sake of someone else. History is a terrific teacher. We the people of the United States have made grave mistakes in the past regarding our treatment of not only our own citizens but those who wish to come here. We have a chance to make a different choice with this current situation. You can sit in the lifeboat if you want. As for me, I am grabbing an oar. REFUGEES WELCOME
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Open letter to a movement
Cosmopolitan Magazine recently had an article on the annual
crisis pregnancy center conference. In it one of the leaders stated that it is
their job at crisis pregnancy centers to “protect” women from abortion just
like “ an adult teaches a small child not to touch a hot stove.” This type of
rhetoric is of course nothing new to us who work for reproductive justice. Laws
all over the country disguised in the cloak of “wanting to protect women” have
been passed in order to save women or so they say. Everything from TRAP laws
designed to close down clinics to bans on telemedicine or forcing doctors to
lie to patients about the risks of breast cancer from abortion even though that
has been thoroughly debunked. In a way I am very glad that this woman said this.
She did my job for me by exposing what is at the heart of the anti- choice
movement: a paternalistic worldview that sees women as helpless individuals
incapable of making their own decisions who need someone to make them for them
because they do not have the intelligence to do it themselves. Never forget
folks what these people are really about. In response to this insane ideology I
have only this to say.
ANTI-CHOICERS: I do not need to be rescued. I am a grown woman with the life skills necessary for making decisions and accepting whatever consequences good or bad might come from them. I have stated before that should I ever become pregnant abortion will be my choice although I hope to never need one. If my life ever goes down that path, I will accept any fallout from that decision whether it be positive or negative. And the women of this world do not need you to lead them like wandering sheep about to fall into a creek. We are a strong capable people who own our choices and none of those choices concern you.
ANTI-CHOICERS: I do not need to be rescued. I am a grown woman with the life skills necessary for making decisions and accepting whatever consequences good or bad might come from them. I have stated before that should I ever become pregnant abortion will be my choice although I hope to never need one. If my life ever goes down that path, I will accept any fallout from that decision whether it be positive or negative. And the women of this world do not need you to lead them like wandering sheep about to fall into a creek. We are a strong capable people who own our choices and none of those choices concern you.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
More strawmen to light a cornfield with
http://bluecollarphilosophy.com/2012/01/if-casey-anthony-was-raped-then-pro-choice-logic-dictates-caylees-life-had-no-value/
:IF CASEY ANTHONY WAS RAPED, THEN PRO CHOICE LOGIC DICTATES THAT CAYLEE'S LIFE HAD NO VALUE"
It is a bad sign when the very TITLE of an article is a strawman. NO ONE SAYS THAT! Pro choice people have adopted children born of rape as well as raised them. It is pro-CHOICE, as in women have a choice to abort or not.
"What is the cry of the pro-abortion Left in regards to abortion?"
More strawmen. It is pro-CHOICE not pro abortion. You refer to us as such in your title. Why the change now? And it is our "cry" for very legitimate reasons. Rape is about power and NOTHING would make a rapist happier than to know he can literally choose any woman he wants for his own personal breeding machine. 32,101 women in America ALONE every year become pregnant through rape. 20% of teen pregnancies are a DIRECT result of rape. Not to mention in 31 states rapists have the SAME PARENTAL RIGHTS as other men to any children they sire.
" No woman should be forced to give birth to a child she does not want, but even more so if that child is the product of a rape."
Yep, truth right there folks. Thanks to modern contraception and abortion techniques, we can make sure that children are born only when their parents truly want them. It is called progress.
" Liberal blogs regularly attack any attempt to restrict abortion, and if you oppose abortion even in the case of rape, you are some sort of moral monster in their eyes"
We attack such restrictions for good reason. The situations that lead women to abort are too complex for any legislator not personally involved to know what is the right course of action. And yes, opposing abortion in cases of abuse is beyond the pale to most people for reasons that should be obvious. To take away reproductive choice from a person who was ALREADY forced into said situation is exponentially increasing the abuser's control over them.
" If we allow the means of conception to substantively impact the value of the thing created, then at no time can the value of the thing change."
It isn't about devaluing anyone based on conception circumstances. It is about recognizing that to give rights at conception is to devalue the BORN.
"I have previously argued that Casey Anthony should be considered a feminist heroine since she essentially had a late-term abortion. In this case I am referring to the life of Caylee Anthony and her possible conception through rape."
I know people in your camp LOOOOVE to exploit late term abortions even though over 90% of abortions take place in the first trimester, but the truth is this doesn't even come close! Abortion involves pregnancies. There was NO PREGNANCY INVOLVED in the crime of Caylee's death. And where in the heck do you get off saying that women who abort are automatically heroines? There are plenty of women who have not aborted that are respected within the pro choice community. And her possible conception through rape? So we arn't even sure if that is the truth. And considering how Casey is a chronic liar, I would not be too surprised if she was lying about this.
" Upon conception, there is nothing added or subtracted from the developing baby."
Bullcrap! If that was true it wouldn't take 9 months to come out. And the point is that you can't give human rights to an embryo without stripping the woman of her humanity in the process. Contraceptives fail, rape happens, birth control sabatoge happens. These are realities and abortion is the medical procedure to help minimize the damage done by these tragedies.
"It is a continuous process where a substance, a person, grows in a non-degreed sense. Meaning that from conception to death one is fully human at all times."
A continuous process? I thought you said everything was complete from the beginning?
"If we adopt the Left’s view of personhood, then it can be degreed and the power to decide that is with the mother or the State."
Or the state? I am not sure why the state would really be involved in the final decision as it rests with the woman.
"Not only that, her mother, Casey, was well within her rights as the mother to take Caylee's life anytime she saw fit."
More strawmen. NO ONE is advocating infanticide. Ironically, countries that have outlawed abortion have HIGHER rates of infanticide and child abandonement than countries with legal abortion.
"One would also have to tell others who came into existence through rape that their lives were not valuable as a result."
There are pro choice individuals who were born from acts of rape. Next....
"The pro-choice position, which is really a pro-abortion position, requires that infanticide and filicide be accepted."
Sigh. I think I defeated this argument in the above remarks so I will just let this one slide.
"The only way to prevent this slide is to adopt and argue that personhood is non-degreed and that it fully present at conception."
Look at countries where abortion is legal. Are they sliding into anarchy? NO they are not. Quite the opposite.
"Otherwise as we have seen in the world’s history, unimaginable evil results."
And we have seen in world history that banning abortion does incredible harm to the lives and welfare of women and their ability to participate fully in society.
YOU FAIL.
:IF CASEY ANTHONY WAS RAPED, THEN PRO CHOICE LOGIC DICTATES THAT CAYLEE'S LIFE HAD NO VALUE"
It is a bad sign when the very TITLE of an article is a strawman. NO ONE SAYS THAT! Pro choice people have adopted children born of rape as well as raised them. It is pro-CHOICE, as in women have a choice to abort or not.
"What is the cry of the pro-abortion Left in regards to abortion?"
More strawmen. It is pro-CHOICE not pro abortion. You refer to us as such in your title. Why the change now? And it is our "cry" for very legitimate reasons. Rape is about power and NOTHING would make a rapist happier than to know he can literally choose any woman he wants for his own personal breeding machine. 32,101 women in America ALONE every year become pregnant through rape. 20% of teen pregnancies are a DIRECT result of rape. Not to mention in 31 states rapists have the SAME PARENTAL RIGHTS as other men to any children they sire.
" No woman should be forced to give birth to a child she does not want, but even more so if that child is the product of a rape."
Yep, truth right there folks. Thanks to modern contraception and abortion techniques, we can make sure that children are born only when their parents truly want them. It is called progress.
" Liberal blogs regularly attack any attempt to restrict abortion, and if you oppose abortion even in the case of rape, you are some sort of moral monster in their eyes"
We attack such restrictions for good reason. The situations that lead women to abort are too complex for any legislator not personally involved to know what is the right course of action. And yes, opposing abortion in cases of abuse is beyond the pale to most people for reasons that should be obvious. To take away reproductive choice from a person who was ALREADY forced into said situation is exponentially increasing the abuser's control over them.
" If we allow the means of conception to substantively impact the value of the thing created, then at no time can the value of the thing change."
It isn't about devaluing anyone based on conception circumstances. It is about recognizing that to give rights at conception is to devalue the BORN.
"I have previously argued that Casey Anthony should be considered a feminist heroine since she essentially had a late-term abortion. In this case I am referring to the life of Caylee Anthony and her possible conception through rape."
I know people in your camp LOOOOVE to exploit late term abortions even though over 90% of abortions take place in the first trimester, but the truth is this doesn't even come close! Abortion involves pregnancies. There was NO PREGNANCY INVOLVED in the crime of Caylee's death. And where in the heck do you get off saying that women who abort are automatically heroines? There are plenty of women who have not aborted that are respected within the pro choice community. And her possible conception through rape? So we arn't even sure if that is the truth. And considering how Casey is a chronic liar, I would not be too surprised if she was lying about this.
" Upon conception, there is nothing added or subtracted from the developing baby."
Bullcrap! If that was true it wouldn't take 9 months to come out. And the point is that you can't give human rights to an embryo without stripping the woman of her humanity in the process. Contraceptives fail, rape happens, birth control sabatoge happens. These are realities and abortion is the medical procedure to help minimize the damage done by these tragedies.
"It is a continuous process where a substance, a person, grows in a non-degreed sense. Meaning that from conception to death one is fully human at all times."
A continuous process? I thought you said everything was complete from the beginning?
"If we adopt the Left’s view of personhood, then it can be degreed and the power to decide that is with the mother or the State."
Or the state? I am not sure why the state would really be involved in the final decision as it rests with the woman.
"Not only that, her mother, Casey, was well within her rights as the mother to take Caylee's life anytime she saw fit."
More strawmen. NO ONE is advocating infanticide. Ironically, countries that have outlawed abortion have HIGHER rates of infanticide and child abandonement than countries with legal abortion.
"One would also have to tell others who came into existence through rape that their lives were not valuable as a result."
There are pro choice individuals who were born from acts of rape. Next....
"The pro-choice position, which is really a pro-abortion position, requires that infanticide and filicide be accepted."
Sigh. I think I defeated this argument in the above remarks so I will just let this one slide.
"The only way to prevent this slide is to adopt and argue that personhood is non-degreed and that it fully present at conception."
Look at countries where abortion is legal. Are they sliding into anarchy? NO they are not. Quite the opposite.
"Otherwise as we have seen in the world’s history, unimaginable evil results."
And we have seen in world history that banning abortion does incredible harm to the lives and welfare of women and their ability to participate fully in society.
YOU FAIL.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
The " I Will" campaign
My name is Leia Peison. I am a 26 year old autistic college student living in America. I have a wonderful family and a good life. I am currently single but would like to marry someday. Although I will get my tubes tied before I marry, I know that there is always a small possibility that it could fail. If it were to ever fail me, I will have an abortion, whether it is legal or not. I have absolutely no desire to have children and am ill equipped. Nor am I willing to place a child in the adoption system where it will grow up without its genetic parents. If a child is ever born to me, it will be born from love knowing I had a choice to have it or not. If you are a woman who has had or WILL have an abortion if you become pregnant, I ask you to join in on this campaign. Anti choice rhetoric has silenced women for too long. We need to let others know that women who have abortions are good women who are making a responsible choice. Thank you for your time.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Doesn't speak for all impregnated rape victims
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTTGJzTpE9g
The title of the video is "Cristen Hemmins doesn't speak for all rape victims." When did Cristen ever say she did? And this woman you are feauturing isn't proposing to speak for all rape victims impregnated who have aborted?
" If rape is worthy of a capital punishment, well perhaps we can make a case for the father, the rapist being prosecuted."
Prosecuted? Or put to death? They are not the same.
" Many women who have become pregnant as a result of rape say that the abortion was just as traumatic to them as the rape itself."
And many don't. What is your point?
And now a rape survivor begins to speak.
" I was raped a month before I turned 18. And because of that rape I was so fearful and so shameful that I chose abortion."
I am sorry you were raped. But there are already problems with your first statement. You chose abortion because you were pregnant not because you were fearful. And the fact that you admit that you were fearful and unsure of your decision is testimant that you did not come to your decision to terminate after careful consideration. So of course you are going to have trouble adjusting. Anyone would.
"My rape was nothing compared to what I did to my child."
Once again, sorry to hear that. But once again you are coming from a position where you truly didn't want to abort and thought you had no other options. Your background is one of detesting abortion so to come from that background and then abort is going to cause problems. And you are very disingenuous to compare aborting a non sentient embryo to being the victim of rape. I don't buy it
" My rapist didn't kill me I'm standing here alive right now. I have 3 beautiful children at home and a husband who loves me. But I chose to kill my child out of shame, out of guilt out of fear."
I'm glad your rapist didn't kill you. Many do, whether it is during the rape, afterwards, or by driving their victims to kill themselves. Once again, no one should abort unless they are sure of their decision. You obviously weren't and that is why you suffered.
" Rape is no excuse for abortion. I want to say that."
Because you had a bad experience doesn't justify taking away choice from other victims.
"I'm the mother of a child that I aborted who thank the LORD is in heaven."
I was waiting for a religious plug. This entire personhood amendment is about religion. It is not about saving babies. And if your baby is in heaven, why be sad about it?
" I pray for my rapist every day that he comes to know JESUS."
Glad to hear it. That is noble. I hope he comes to know JESUS too.
" I'm tired as a person who was raped and a person who had an abortion I am telling you right now I am tired of using rape as an excuse."
Excuse might not be the best choice of words here. More like reason. I don't think women are trying to make excuses. And instead of saying as a person who was raped and had an abortion, a more accurate description would be a person who was raped and aborted under duress without really wanting to.
" Who do we believe creates life? Did my rapist create the life that was inside of me? No. God almighty created that life."
Whether that is true or not has no bearing on secular law and you have no right to dictate that others must comply with such a belief. You are free to believe that. But you are not free to force others to follow it.
" Do doctors and nurses in petri dishes create life? No, JESUS CHRIST creates life."
Blatant scientific lie. We can OBSERVE the doctors mixing the sperm with the egg. We KNOW how to make it. JESUS has never once come down from heaven, put on a lab coat and gone to work.
" A baby still has to be able to sustain itself inside its mother's womb."
Exactly. And that is just one of many reasons why it is up to her to decide what happens to it.
" This lady is a good lady she protects both the mother and the child."
Women don't need "protected" from their own decision making. They need guidance and support in deciding what is best for THEM.
"But who was there to protect me?"
A better question would be to ask why was no one there to stop you from being raped in the first place. And if you were that unstable to not be able to make a sound decision regarding termination what makes you think you would have made a good mother?
" For years I lived in depression, I contemplated suicide, I attempted suicide. I spent years drinking to numb the pain. To numb the horrific nightmares. Was later diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, not just because of the rape but because of the abortion."
Really? All of the symptoms you describe could just as easily be attributed to rape alone. And did the doctors actually SAY that your diagnoses was from the abortion also?
" I was done with my rape. I was trying to conceive how in the world did I choose to kill my child."
Not exactly sure how someone could be "done" with rape. And you have already stated how you did it. It was a decision made out of fear.
" Who was going to speak for me as an 18 year old girl who didn't have a family to support her?"
And the tale just gets more twisted. No WONDER you were messed up. To unwantedly go thru a post rape abortion as a teenager with no family support would mess anyone up. But that doesn't mean all women are in your situation. Your trauma comes from your background not the abortion itself.
" It not just about the babies. It's for the moms like me who think they are making a good decision and they're not."
You DIDN'T think you were making a good decision. You admit to that. And now you assume that every woman who aborts is going in with the mentality that you had.
" When you're in the moment you make decisions sometimes that arn't the wisest decisions."
That is why women should stop and truly think about what they are doing before they do it. No matter what decision they come to. But what about women who after careful deliberation decide to go ahead with the abortion? Are they still not making a wise decision.
" Rapists don't create children. GOD creates children."
YIKES!!
" If we believe in the bible, the bible says speak up for those who can't defend themselves."
I wonder how many of the people in that room actively fight child sex slavery, abuse and other atrocities that are going on right now. I wonder how many of the people who are clapping to your story fight to stop rape culture. And rape victims couldn't defend themselves. That is why they became victims. And by supporting reproductive choice, we ARE speaking up for those who can't defend themselves.
More to come.
The title of the video is "Cristen Hemmins doesn't speak for all rape victims." When did Cristen ever say she did? And this woman you are feauturing isn't proposing to speak for all rape victims impregnated who have aborted?
" If rape is worthy of a capital punishment, well perhaps we can make a case for the father, the rapist being prosecuted."
Prosecuted? Or put to death? They are not the same.
" Many women who have become pregnant as a result of rape say that the abortion was just as traumatic to them as the rape itself."
And many don't. What is your point?
And now a rape survivor begins to speak.
" I was raped a month before I turned 18. And because of that rape I was so fearful and so shameful that I chose abortion."
I am sorry you were raped. But there are already problems with your first statement. You chose abortion because you were pregnant not because you were fearful. And the fact that you admit that you were fearful and unsure of your decision is testimant that you did not come to your decision to terminate after careful consideration. So of course you are going to have trouble adjusting. Anyone would.
"My rape was nothing compared to what I did to my child."
Once again, sorry to hear that. But once again you are coming from a position where you truly didn't want to abort and thought you had no other options. Your background is one of detesting abortion so to come from that background and then abort is going to cause problems. And you are very disingenuous to compare aborting a non sentient embryo to being the victim of rape. I don't buy it
" My rapist didn't kill me I'm standing here alive right now. I have 3 beautiful children at home and a husband who loves me. But I chose to kill my child out of shame, out of guilt out of fear."
I'm glad your rapist didn't kill you. Many do, whether it is during the rape, afterwards, or by driving their victims to kill themselves. Once again, no one should abort unless they are sure of their decision. You obviously weren't and that is why you suffered.
" Rape is no excuse for abortion. I want to say that."
Because you had a bad experience doesn't justify taking away choice from other victims.
"I'm the mother of a child that I aborted who thank the LORD is in heaven."
I was waiting for a religious plug. This entire personhood amendment is about religion. It is not about saving babies. And if your baby is in heaven, why be sad about it?
" I pray for my rapist every day that he comes to know JESUS."
Glad to hear it. That is noble. I hope he comes to know JESUS too.
" I'm tired as a person who was raped and a person who had an abortion I am telling you right now I am tired of using rape as an excuse."
Excuse might not be the best choice of words here. More like reason. I don't think women are trying to make excuses. And instead of saying as a person who was raped and had an abortion, a more accurate description would be a person who was raped and aborted under duress without really wanting to.
" Who do we believe creates life? Did my rapist create the life that was inside of me? No. God almighty created that life."
Whether that is true or not has no bearing on secular law and you have no right to dictate that others must comply with such a belief. You are free to believe that. But you are not free to force others to follow it.
" Do doctors and nurses in petri dishes create life? No, JESUS CHRIST creates life."
Blatant scientific lie. We can OBSERVE the doctors mixing the sperm with the egg. We KNOW how to make it. JESUS has never once come down from heaven, put on a lab coat and gone to work.
" A baby still has to be able to sustain itself inside its mother's womb."
Exactly. And that is just one of many reasons why it is up to her to decide what happens to it.
" This lady is a good lady she protects both the mother and the child."
Women don't need "protected" from their own decision making. They need guidance and support in deciding what is best for THEM.
"But who was there to protect me?"
A better question would be to ask why was no one there to stop you from being raped in the first place. And if you were that unstable to not be able to make a sound decision regarding termination what makes you think you would have made a good mother?
" For years I lived in depression, I contemplated suicide, I attempted suicide. I spent years drinking to numb the pain. To numb the horrific nightmares. Was later diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, not just because of the rape but because of the abortion."
Really? All of the symptoms you describe could just as easily be attributed to rape alone. And did the doctors actually SAY that your diagnoses was from the abortion also?
" I was done with my rape. I was trying to conceive how in the world did I choose to kill my child."
Not exactly sure how someone could be "done" with rape. And you have already stated how you did it. It was a decision made out of fear.
" Who was going to speak for me as an 18 year old girl who didn't have a family to support her?"
And the tale just gets more twisted. No WONDER you were messed up. To unwantedly go thru a post rape abortion as a teenager with no family support would mess anyone up. But that doesn't mean all women are in your situation. Your trauma comes from your background not the abortion itself.
" It not just about the babies. It's for the moms like me who think they are making a good decision and they're not."
You DIDN'T think you were making a good decision. You admit to that. And now you assume that every woman who aborts is going in with the mentality that you had.
" When you're in the moment you make decisions sometimes that arn't the wisest decisions."
That is why women should stop and truly think about what they are doing before they do it. No matter what decision they come to. But what about women who after careful deliberation decide to go ahead with the abortion? Are they still not making a wise decision.
" Rapists don't create children. GOD creates children."
YIKES!!
" If we believe in the bible, the bible says speak up for those who can't defend themselves."
I wonder how many of the people in that room actively fight child sex slavery, abuse and other atrocities that are going on right now. I wonder how many of the people who are clapping to your story fight to stop rape culture. And rape victims couldn't defend themselves. That is why they became victims. And by supporting reproductive choice, we ARE speaking up for those who can't defend themselves.
More to come.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Prolife Alabama: you are next
http://www.chooselifealabama.org/help.html
"If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, STI, birth control decision, or thinking about adoption as an option, you need to know all of your options before making any major decisions."
Agreed. Problem is you don't WANT there to be a decision. Because you don't support reproductive choice. The fact that you mention adoption and NOT abortion or parenting is proof enough that you don't want your reader to consider all the facts. But this is actually a common tactic of anti choice pregnancy centers. They tell women to "think on it" before making a decision until she is too far along to legally make the decision to terminate. And people need to think before they get treated for an sti? What other choice is there but to treat it or let it ravage the body?
"Abortion is not a procedure most women undergo casually."
True. Although I am shocked to actually see an anti admitting it. And it is the fact that the majority of women DON'T undergo abortion casually that they should have the choice to do it since they have exhausted all other options beforehand.
"It is something you are driven to in desperation, when the alternatives seem too awful to contemplate."
You just contradicted yourself. If women don't undergo this casually it means they have thought the issue thru and considered all the alternatives, which means they ARE contemplating alternatives. And yes unplanned pregnancy CAN be an awful experience. And no, your paternatlizing statement of women being driven to desperation show that you are just trying to emotionally manipulate the reader into making the choice YOU agree with.
"Ironically, the very act meant to produce relief, in the long run, often produces its own special brand of agony. If you are suffering from the effects of an abortion, you can Get Help Here."
I am not going to go too indepth into this one because it has been discredited so many times I frankly get tired of speaking on it. But it is not surprising to me that antis spend sooo much time trying to convince the world that every woman who has an abortion is emotionally scarred for life, as if adoption or parenting don't come with any liabilities. But if you ARE a woman who has had an abortion and you feel as if you have unresolved issues surrounding it, there is a non judgemental hotline you can call at www.exhale.org. Trained counselors will be with you on the other end. Blessings and good luck.
"Decisions you can live with should be based on facts, not opinions."
Says the person who just stated that abortion is chosen out of desperation and not rational decision making.
"More than 80 teenage girls find out that they are pregnant every HOUR in the US."
Very sad indeed. It should be noted that teen pregnancy rates are HIGHEST in 'anti choice" states.
"Option #1 — Parenting"
And here we go. Let's see what they have to say.
"Positive Adoption Language
Don’t Use—”Real Parents” Instead Use—”Birth or Biological Parents”
Don’t Use—”Gave Up or Put Up” Instead Use—”Make an Adoption Plan or Choose Adoption”
Don’t Use—”Keeping It” Instead Use—”Parenting
Wow. The manipulation in this last part is stunning. You are clearly trying to get women to give children up. This has nothing to do with treating women as people capable of making their own decisions regarding pregnancy.
YOU FAIL!
"If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, STI, birth control decision, or thinking about adoption as an option, you need to know all of your options before making any major decisions."
Agreed. Problem is you don't WANT there to be a decision. Because you don't support reproductive choice. The fact that you mention adoption and NOT abortion or parenting is proof enough that you don't want your reader to consider all the facts. But this is actually a common tactic of anti choice pregnancy centers. They tell women to "think on it" before making a decision until she is too far along to legally make the decision to terminate. And people need to think before they get treated for an sti? What other choice is there but to treat it or let it ravage the body?
"Abortion is not a procedure most women undergo casually."
True. Although I am shocked to actually see an anti admitting it. And it is the fact that the majority of women DON'T undergo abortion casually that they should have the choice to do it since they have exhausted all other options beforehand.
"It is something you are driven to in desperation, when the alternatives seem too awful to contemplate."
You just contradicted yourself. If women don't undergo this casually it means they have thought the issue thru and considered all the alternatives, which means they ARE contemplating alternatives. And yes unplanned pregnancy CAN be an awful experience. And no, your paternatlizing statement of women being driven to desperation show that you are just trying to emotionally manipulate the reader into making the choice YOU agree with.
"Ironically, the very act meant to produce relief, in the long run, often produces its own special brand of agony. If you are suffering from the effects of an abortion, you can Get Help Here."
I am not going to go too indepth into this one because it has been discredited so many times I frankly get tired of speaking on it. But it is not surprising to me that antis spend sooo much time trying to convince the world that every woman who has an abortion is emotionally scarred for life, as if adoption or parenting don't come with any liabilities. But if you ARE a woman who has had an abortion and you feel as if you have unresolved issues surrounding it, there is a non judgemental hotline you can call at www.exhale.org. Trained counselors will be with you on the other end. Blessings and good luck.
"Decisions you can live with should be based on facts, not opinions."
Says the person who just stated that abortion is chosen out of desperation and not rational decision making.
"More than 80 teenage girls find out that they are pregnant every HOUR in the US."
Very sad indeed. It should be noted that teen pregnancy rates are HIGHEST in 'anti choice" states.
"Option #1 — Parenting"
And here we go. Let's see what they have to say.
- "Nearly 80% of teen moms will end up on Welfare.
- The cost to the American taxpayer for children raised in fatherless homes was $9.1 Billion in 2007.
- Less than 5% of teen dads stay in contact with their girlfriend/child after the child’s first birthday.
- 60% of teen moms do not graduate from high school.
- Of all of the prisoners in any prison in the US, 80% came from fatherless homes.
- The Father is the #1 influence in a child’s life." So basically they go on a litany of the horrible effects of teen pregnancy. I am curious though as to why they spend so much time on teen pregnancy when the majority of abortions take place in early 20 something women. And considering this is a Christian agency, I find it surprising that they would go on such a spiel about how terrible parenting can be considering how much is preached within christendom about the blessings of parenthood. And how dire is the situation of fatherlessness you preach against going to be if the option of legal abortion is taken away?
- "There are 1.2 million abortions performed each year in the US.
- Since 1973, there have been over 50 million abortions.
- A heart beat can be detected at 18-22 days after conception.
- Brain waves can be detected at 40 days after conception.
- All major organs and body parts are present at 8 weeks of development.
- Fetus—a Latin term for “offspring” or “young”.
- It does not mean blob of flesh or tissue.
- 90% of women who see an ultrasound will NOT go through with an abortion.
- There are 2 basic types of abortions—Surgical and Chemical
- Life begins at conception." Regarding the brain wave statement, I have heard conflicting details about whether that is true or not. And as for all present organs being complete at 8 weeks, many of the important pathways in the brain that lead to pain response are not present until AT LEAST the third trimester. And with the advent of RU-486, abortions can now take place at around 4 weeks. And so what if the latin term for fetus means "offspring"? The term zygote means yolked. And I'm pretty sure everyone reading this was aware before hand that the term Fetus didn't mean blob. Stop being pretentious. And I just LOOOVE how you end your sentence with "life begins at conception" as if conceptual personhood is universally agreed upon. So much for basing decisions on facts and not opinions eh?
- "Option # 3—Adoption
- There are 2 million couples waiting to adopt a baby.
- Less than 1% of unplanned pregnancies end with an adoption plan.
- If 1 of every 10 women seeking an abortion would choose adoption, then there would be 120,000 children placed with adoptive families. There would NOT be any unwanted children. T
- here are 3 types of adoptions—Open, Semi-Open, and Confidential
- In adoption, ALL decisions are made by the birthparents." And here it is. The piece that exposes these people for what they truly are. There intent in running this center has NOTHING to do with helping women make wise decisions for their personal situations. It has EVERYTHING to do with manipulating them into bearing children at all costs to their personal lives and preferably giving the children away to nice Christian couples to be raised in a "proper" environment. I have heard of this phenomenon before. It is called shotgun adoptions.
Wow. The manipulation in this last part is stunning. You are clearly trying to get women to give children up. This has nothing to do with treating women as people capable of making their own decisions regarding pregnancy.
YOU FAIL!
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