Why I am Pro-Choice, by Godammitkitty
Today is Blog for Choice day--a day to think about why I am a proponent of a woman's right to choose.
All of my reasons for being pro-choice boil down to one over-arching conviction: I am pro-choice because I trust women.
Try something out for me: forget legal stuff for a moment. Forget stats and 'weeks gestation' and anachronistic notions of 'quickening.' I'm certainly not an OBGyn and I've never been pregnant. It doesn't matter what I think about 'when life begins' or 'maybe that woman would be 'better off' if she stopped having babies.'
Frankly, it doesn't matter what I think if I don't live in that woman's skin.
And it doesn't matter what you think, either.
Women know what to do.
For them.
For their families.
For their survival in this nutbar universe.
Women know.
I was going to spend this special post on a thorough debunking of myths. I might do that some other time, but I know many amazing bloggers are already "on it" as it were. I've listed a few good reads at the end of this post, but otherwise, I would like to keep it nice and simple today.
I was surfing along yesterday afternoon, when I stumbled upon a special blog written by two American abortion providers. Wow. After reading story after story about the women who came to their clinic, the story that made the strongest impression on me was--oddly enough--the least complicated.
It wasn't the 15 yr old.
It wasn't the recently-detoxed woman.
It wasn't the wife of a soldier in Iraq.
It wasn't the victim of sexual violence.
No, it wasn't a 'tragedy' or an 'after-school special' at all:
{Pssst...Kitty also recommends:
All of my reasons for being pro-choice boil down to one over-arching conviction: I am pro-choice because I trust women.
Try something out for me: forget legal stuff for a moment. Forget stats and 'weeks gestation' and anachronistic notions of 'quickening.' I'm certainly not an OBGyn and I've never been pregnant. It doesn't matter what I think about 'when life begins' or 'maybe that woman would be 'better off' if she stopped having babies.'
Frankly, it doesn't matter what I think if I don't live in that woman's skin.
And it doesn't matter what you think, either.
Women know what to do.
For them.
For their families.
For their survival in this nutbar universe.
Women know.
I was going to spend this special post on a thorough debunking of myths. I might do that some other time, but I know many amazing bloggers are already "on it" as it were. I've listed a few good reads at the end of this post, but otherwise, I would like to keep it nice and simple today.
I was surfing along yesterday afternoon, when I stumbled upon a special blog written by two American abortion providers. Wow. After reading story after story about the women who came to their clinic, the story that made the strongest impression on me was--oddly enough--the least complicated.
It wasn't the 15 yr old.
It wasn't the recently-detoxed woman.
It wasn't the wife of a soldier in Iraq.
It wasn't the victim of sexual violence.
No, it wasn't a 'tragedy' or an 'after-school special' at all:
a 41 year old woman with 5 kids said that she was done, no matter what, that she was tired, could not start over. she stated that when she was younger, she would never imagined herself feeling that way because she was strongly prolife. but, she said, when you are older, you come to realize that you do have limits, that you can't punish the kids you already have. when there is not enough time, energy, money to go around, all of them suffer.In other words: Women know.
[...]
while we allow room for the sadness some women and men feel with abortion, we also feel the sense of togetherness that many women develop while they are here. the media leads women who choose abortion to feel that they are a tiny minority, that they should feel terrible about their choice. but knowing that many many others also conclude that abortion is best for their families, for their futures, women can walk out of here with their heads held high. they are ready to deal with whatever emotional or spiritual issues that come up, but can move on with their lives knowing that their abortion was safe, that they did the right thing regardless of what anti abortion protesters might say or think. we value women; we trust them make the wisest decision for their own lives.
{Pssst...Kitty also recommends:
- Pro-choice Action Network
- "Let no fetus defeat us" by Joyce Arthur
- "Is Abortion Bad?" by Katha Pollitt
- Video: "The Last Abortion Clinic" by PBS Frontline}
technorati tags: Blog for Choice
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posted by Godammitkitty at 1:09 AM
14 Comments:
Well said Kitty
I can identify with that woman. After six if I were to get pregnant again I would not want to continue the pregnancy.
Nice post gdk.
If my memory serves (and I may need to look this up again) according to Stats Can, almost all abortions in Canada take place before 12 weeks and are done by married women between the ages of 25 and 40 who have already had at least 1 child.
About 10 of the so-called "late-term abortions" were done, all because the mother's life was in danger.
In other words, women know.
Thanks for stopping by, Debra & Mike!
Mike--I can't find this on the Statcan website but the ARCC indicates that 90% of all abortions are performed before 12 wks, 9.6% between 12-20 wks and 0.4% 20+ wks (they cite the Can Med Assoc). As you said, 20+ wk abortions are only performed when either fetus or woman is at grave risk.
"The Right to Choose" or "Pro - Choice" means that abortion should be available as a form of birth control if I hear you correctly.
Unfortunatly if most woman are married there really shouldn't be a worry of back alley abortions and therefore no need for such a "choice", ever.
I agree abortion to a certain extent in that someone who would have one should have one, if you know what I mean.
Abortion is the greatest single cause of premature death in Canada more than tobacco use, drunk driving, a.i.d.s., suicide, and murder put together.
Or is abortion really just another form of murder ?
Blanks57:
I'm afraid you are not making much sense.
The one sentence I could parse:
"Abortion is the greatest single cause of premature death in Canada more than tobacco use, drunk driving, a.i.d.s., suicide, and murder put together."
...is complete hokum. Abortion carries a mortality risk 1/10th that of childbirth. It is one of the safest procedures in medicine.
Don't worry about blanks57, gdk. He's obviously shooting blanks...if y'know what I mean...
An excellent and thoughtful post, GDK! And thanks for the link to yet another fascinating blog, too.
I'm pro-choice because I believe wholeheartedly in the sanctity of the individual. I guess that's another way to say that, like you, I also trust women. I've just never seen anyone put it quite the way you did. Well done.
The only one to make a yea or nay decision on carrying out a pregnancy should be the woman whose body is being used by it. Period. Not her husband/boyfriend/lover. Not her doctor. Not her parents nor her siblings. Definitely not her children. And not her teacher, priest/rabbi/priestess/guru/sensei. The choice is hers alone, and so are her reasons (which she might or might not share with anyone -- her choice on that, too).
I'm still scratching my head at blanks57's assertion that a married woman has no need of a choice... Ah, well, maybe he's got poor writing skills and I'm just reading him wrong.
Welcome, Chimera! I've been really impressed by the blogs-for-choice entries. I've learned a lot from everybody.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Cheers--GDK
PS: I didn't understand Blank's point either. Ah well.
"Unfortunatly if most woman are married there really shouldn't be a worry of back alley abortions and therefore no need for such a "choice", ever."
So a married woman should not be allowed to exercise control over her body or the size of her family? What exactly is it about married women that will prevent them from getting a back alley abortion? An unwanted pregnancy is an unwanted pregnancy....
The stats show that abortion is about married women making choices about the size and make up of a family. You do not know the reasons for those abortions. It could be that an extra mouth would doom the entire family to grinding poverty, it could be that the child would be born with a severe disability that the parents could not deal with, it could be any number of things. Abortion is morally neutral - if it prevents suffering, it is good, if it is used for sex selection it is bad. But that does not mean the choice should not be there for individuals to make.
My wife and I differ on this, but we would probably not choose an abortion. However, that does not mean we would want to enforce that choice on everyone else - if you think abortion is wrong, don't have one.
Remember, we men have always had the right to abort an unwanted pregnancy - we just walk away. Why can't women have the same right to choose what happens in their body?
This is an excellent post. Pregnancy always takes place within a particular context, and that context includes a myriad of factors about which we collectively know nothing. Since we don't collectively know, we are ill-equipped to collectively decide. Each woman knows what having a child (or another child) will mean within the context of her own life at any given time...she is the only expert and the only one qualified to make the decision.
Welcome back, Mike! "Remember, we men have always had the right to abort an unwanted pregnancy - we just walk away."
Couldn't have said it better m'self :)
Welcome, zoom! "Since we don't collectively know, we are ill-equipped to collectively decide." *applause* Here, here!
Note: I removed one comment due to (a)its *enormous* length and (b) its insulting and intrusive nature.
This is the first time I've deleted a comment on this blog. Insult me, if you must, but please don't attack your fellow commenters.
Armageddon Thru To You
If you've been wondering why it seems like the world around us is unraveling, it's because the last days as foretold in the bible are now upon us. Just as it was 2000 years ago, many were unable to discern the signs of Jesus Christ's first coming (Mat 16:3), as will many concerning his second coming, which will occur very soon. Yes many have proclaimed a similar sentiment many times in the past, but their errors have no bearing on today other than to lull you into spiritual apathy, and that too was prophesied to occur in the last days.
If you're not a believer in Jesus Christ because you're an atheist, consider that the underlying impetus for your disbelief is most likely borne of pride and here's why:
When we die, if you as an atheist were right, then there is no upside or downside for anyone regarding the afterlife. We will all simply cease to exist
However if we Christians were right about our belief in the afterlife, then we will be given eternal life and you as an atheist will receive eternal damnation
Given the choices, the position held by an atheist is a fools bet any way you look at it because the atheist has everything to lose and nothing to gain. It is tantamount to accepting a “heads I win, tails you lose” coin toss proposition from someone. And that someone by the way is Satan (see Ephesians 6:12).
The only way to explain the attitude held by an atheist is pride, pure and simple. The intellectually dishonest and/or tortured reasoning used by atheists to try and disprove the existence of God is nothing more than attempts to posture themselves as superior (a symptom of pride). And as anyone who has read their bible knows, this is precisely the character flaw that befell Lucifer, God's formerly most high angel. (Isaiah 14:12-15). Is it any wonder then why the bible is so replete with references to pride as the cause of mankind's downfall?
Pride permeates our lives and burdens us in ways that most of us seldom recognize. Ironically, pride is the one thing that can blind someone to things even the unsighted can see. And sadly pride will blind many with an otherwise good heart, to accepting the offer of eternal salvation that Christ bought and paid for with his life.
In any event, if you're an atheist, I wish you only the best for every day of the rest of your life because for you, this life is as close to heaven as you'll ever get, but for believers in Christ, this life is as close to hell as we'll ever get.
If you're not a believer and follower of Jesus Christ because you are of another faith, please take the time to very carefully compare your faith to Christianity and ask yourself, why is the bible the only religious book with both hundreds of proven prophecies already fulfilled as well as those being fulfilled today? No other religion can claim anything remotely close to this fact. Many Christians who are serious students of bible prophecy are already aware of the role and significance of bible prophecy in foretelling end time events. God gave us prophecy as evidence of his divine holiness to know the begining from the end (Isa 46:10). God also believed prophecy to be so important that to those willing to read the most prophetic book in the bible, the Book of Revelation, he promised a special blessing (see Rev 1:3), and this is the only book in the bible that God gives its reader a special blessing for reading. Something to think about.
Don't risk losing Christ's offer of eternal life by not accepting him as your savior and by thinking that the bible is nothing more than a compilation of unrelated and scattered stories about people who lived 2,000 plus years ago. If you take the time to study (not just read) the bible, you will literally be shocked to learn things you would have never imagined would be revealed in it. Did you know that like parables, God also uses particular months and days in the Jewish calendar, Jewish Feasts and customs, solar and lunar phases, celestial alignments, gematria (Hebrew numerology) early bible events and more as patterns and models to foretell future events?
Consider the following interesting facts about the bible that testify to its God-inspired authorship:
Did you know that in Gen 12:2, God said he would bless Israel?. How else can you explain the grossly disproportionate level of success achieved by Jewish people as a tiny minority in the world, especially after all they have gone through? And how can you explain the success achieved by the tiny nation of Israel, surrounded by enemies outnumbering them 100 to 1 and yet still they remain victorious in all their wars?
Did you know that as evidence to indicate that Israel is the epicenter of the world from God's point of view is the fact that languages to the west of Israel are written and read from left to right as if pointing to Israel, and languages from countries to the east of Israel are written and read from right to left, again as though pointing to Israel. Just a coincidence, you say? I think not.
Did you know that the six days of creation and seventh day of rest in Genesis is a model for the six thousand years of this age (ending very soon), that is to be followed by a 1,000 year millennial reign by Christ (see 2 Peter 3:8)? Adam was born sometime prior to 4000 B.C., therefore our 6000 years are almost up.
Did you kow that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is hidden in the meaning of the Hebrew names listed in the genealogy of the book of Genesis (Research it online)? To deny this was God-inspired, one has to instead believe that a group of Jewish rabbis conspired to hide the Christian Gospel right inside a genealogy of their venerated Torah, which is not a very plausible explanation.
Did you know that solar eclipses, which the bible describes as the sun being black as sackcloth, and lunar eclipses, which the bible refers to as blood red moons, have prophetic meaning? Research it online. God showed Adam (and us) his plan for man's redemption through the use of celestial alignments. (research Mazzaroth online)
Did you know that much of the symbolism in the book of revelation refers to planetary alignments that will occur when certain events occur as prophesied? These planetary alignments also explained the birth of Christ, just search out The Bethlehem Star movie on the Internet.
Did you know that the references in Eze 39:4-17 and Rev 19:17-21 in the battle of Gog/Magog and Armageddon respectively, in which birds of prey will eat the flesh of the dead in battle from two enormous wars is based on fact? The largest bird migration in the world consisting of bilions of birds (34 species of raptors and various carrion birds) from several continents converge and fly over Israel every spring and fall. Coincidence? I think not.
Did you know that Hebrew numerology, also known as Gematria, and the numbers with biblical and prophetic significance are hidden in the Star of David? Google the video called "Seal of Jesus Christ"
Did you know that the seven Churches mentioned at the beginning of the Book of Revelation describe the seven stages the Church will go through?
There are literally hundreds of hidden messages in the bible like these that testify to the fact that the bible was God inspired, and statistically speaking, are all exponentially beyond the likelihood of any coincidence. You can find them yourselves if you only take the time to look into it. Remember Proverbs 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings".
And finally, if you are Catholic, or one who subscribes to the emergent Church or seeker-friendly Church movement, please compare the doctrine taught, advocated or accepted by your Church, with the actual bible, notwithstanding some new-age version of the bible. And remember that although the bible is often referred to as the living bible, the word "living" was never intended to imply in any way that the bible "evolves" over time to meet, or be consistent with, the standards of man. It's just the opposite.
Well, am I getting through to you? If not, the answer might be explained in the response given by Jesus Christ in his Olivet discourse when he was asked by his disciples why he spoke the way he did (in parables, etc.) in the book of Matthew 13:10-16. What Jesus said could have easily been paraphrased more clearly as "so that the damned won't get it". Why did Christ respond the way he did when asked why he spoke this way? Is there something about pride (the bible says there is) that closes one's heart to seeing or hearing the messages supernaturally hidden in bible parables, models, typologies, and similes, etc.? That should give you something to think about, but don't take too long. Time is now very short.
If it sometimes seems like there are powers at work behind the powers we know, remember what it says in Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." If you study the bible, it will become clearer.
And by the way, if you are a scoffer, this too was prophesied to occur in the last days. See 2 Peter 3:3.
Thank you and God Bless you!
Armageddon.thru.to.you (at) gmail.com
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