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moominmuppetThe biggest things on my mind this past week or so have been my dog and our asinine Supreme Court. You've all heard about Harry. You've also all heard about my reaction to Gonzales v. Carhart, I know. However, thinking about that (and working out the escort schedule for May) has reminded me of various stuff (like the escorting post yesterday, for example). And I'm at work 'til 11pm tonight, so I've got time to ramble.
Following are a few links that I keep misplacing when I really want to be able to refer to them to refute various tactics:
Analysis of the various posters used by anti-abortion protesters -- if anyone knows of other similar sites, I'd be interested in links or search tips; this isn't a complete compilation of all the common images in use out there, and I'd like to find info about the rest.
When the Anti-Choice Choose -- an interesting assortment of stories from clinic staff about treating patients who are also protesters (all identification of patients is removed -- because clinic staff are a hell of a lot more ethical than the sorts of people who harass and threaten them).
And two sites that I just dig in general:
I'm Not Sorry -- a site for women who don't regret their abortions, to attempt to provide balance to the high-profile but non-representative cases where women do.
And finally, Exhale After-Abortion Counseling Line -- This is a brilliant and beautiful idea, and I just wish that more women knew about it. Abortion is a challenging and difficult decision for many women, and can cause sadness and grief. Life is complicated, and there's plenty to sort through, both good and bad, after almost any major life decision. No one tells a new mother who's struggling with the demands of parenthood, and grieving over the losses that can come with new responsibilities that it means she should never have had a child, and now she's ruined her life forever. But plenty of folks will tell a woman who's had an abortion that if she has any complicated feelings at all, any grief at all, that it's a message that she made the wrong decision, and that argument is often made in some particularly manipulative and abusive ways*. To see a counseling line come into existence that's not an anti-choice conversion attempt in disguise is a wondrous thing.
* I think it's worth noting here that I do believe it's possible for women to make a poor decision in either direction (our foster care system wouldn't be as overloaded as it is, if everyone made all the right decisions about whether and when to have children), and that's hard to struggle with, but I don't accept that as a justification for restrictions on reproductive freedom. Any freedom is inherently a freedom to make a bad decision. Or a good one. I happen to believe very firmly that there are many instances in which abortion is a good and wise decision. I also believe I'm not capable of making the decision about which times those are for anyone except myself. I just get heartily tired hearing idiotic arguments against abortion that we would never accept if they were transposed to any other life event.
"That root canal is going to HUUUUUUURT! You'll be in PAIIIIIIIN! Maybe they'll mess you up so badly you'll never be able to chew AGAIIIIIIIN!"
I think I've yet to encounter anyone who found getting an abortion "fun". Yes, abortion ranges from awkward to uncomfortable to painful. Even under the gentlest of circumstances, it's no fun to have most medical procedures. This is not generally accepted as logic supporting the argument that they're evil. I got a root canal on Tuesday. It's still a little achy and weird. I wish I didn't have to have it. I also had an incredibly gentle dentist, and I know the root canal was the best decision for my health, even if I shudder at the sound of a drill. (and it's worth noting that since pregnancy and childbirth are substantially higher risk and more painful than abortion, making the "pain=bad" equation really doesn't work to the advantage of the antis on any logical level)
Basically, I find both the "it'll hurt so it's evil" argument and the "You may have intense and conflicting feelings so it's evil" argument both to be so lacking as to be laughable. Or at least they would be laughable, if it weren't for the way they're targeted at the patients.
I don't find the fact that some people feel abortion is tragic to be laughable. I do generally disagree, but not because their logic is inherently faulty or manipulative -- it's basically an honest difference of perspective and belief. And I don't object to systemic examinations of our culture, exploring why our unintended pregnancy rates are so high, and how we can fix that, and how we can provide support for women so that we can eliminate abortions that occur for purely practical/financial reasons. I'm fine with making sure other options are available and accessible, but I will work to make sure women aren't pressured or guilted into those options, either. I will always, always fight to keep abortion legal and accessible, and to see that the amazing and compassionate people working in the clinics are valued and respected as they so richly deserve.
Following are a few links that I keep misplacing when I really want to be able to refer to them to refute various tactics:
Analysis of the various posters used by anti-abortion protesters -- if anyone knows of other similar sites, I'd be interested in links or search tips; this isn't a complete compilation of all the common images in use out there, and I'd like to find info about the rest.
When the Anti-Choice Choose -- an interesting assortment of stories from clinic staff about treating patients who are also protesters (all identification of patients is removed -- because clinic staff are a hell of a lot more ethical than the sorts of people who harass and threaten them).
And two sites that I just dig in general:
I'm Not Sorry -- a site for women who don't regret their abortions, to attempt to provide balance to the high-profile but non-representative cases where women do.
And finally, Exhale After-Abortion Counseling Line -- This is a brilliant and beautiful idea, and I just wish that more women knew about it. Abortion is a challenging and difficult decision for many women, and can cause sadness and grief. Life is complicated, and there's plenty to sort through, both good and bad, after almost any major life decision. No one tells a new mother who's struggling with the demands of parenthood, and grieving over the losses that can come with new responsibilities that it means she should never have had a child, and now she's ruined her life forever. But plenty of folks will tell a woman who's had an abortion that if she has any complicated feelings at all, any grief at all, that it's a message that she made the wrong decision, and that argument is often made in some particularly manipulative and abusive ways*. To see a counseling line come into existence that's not an anti-choice conversion attempt in disguise is a wondrous thing.
* I think it's worth noting here that I do believe it's possible for women to make a poor decision in either direction (our foster care system wouldn't be as overloaded as it is, if everyone made all the right decisions about whether and when to have children), and that's hard to struggle with, but I don't accept that as a justification for restrictions on reproductive freedom. Any freedom is inherently a freedom to make a bad decision. Or a good one. I happen to believe very firmly that there are many instances in which abortion is a good and wise decision. I also believe I'm not capable of making the decision about which times those are for anyone except myself. I just get heartily tired hearing idiotic arguments against abortion that we would never accept if they were transposed to any other life event.
"That root canal is going to HUUUUUUURT! You'll be in PAIIIIIIIN! Maybe they'll mess you up so badly you'll never be able to chew AGAIIIIIIIN!"
I think I've yet to encounter anyone who found getting an abortion "fun". Yes, abortion ranges from awkward to uncomfortable to painful. Even under the gentlest of circumstances, it's no fun to have most medical procedures. This is not generally accepted as logic supporting the argument that they're evil. I got a root canal on Tuesday. It's still a little achy and weird. I wish I didn't have to have it. I also had an incredibly gentle dentist, and I know the root canal was the best decision for my health, even if I shudder at the sound of a drill. (and it's worth noting that since pregnancy and childbirth are substantially higher risk and more painful than abortion, making the "pain=bad" equation really doesn't work to the advantage of the antis on any logical level)
Basically, I find both the "it'll hurt so it's evil" argument and the "You may have intense and conflicting feelings so it's evil" argument both to be so lacking as to be laughable. Or at least they would be laughable, if it weren't for the way they're targeted at the patients.
I don't find the fact that some people feel abortion is tragic to be laughable. I do generally disagree, but not because their logic is inherently faulty or manipulative -- it's basically an honest difference of perspective and belief. And I don't object to systemic examinations of our culture, exploring why our unintended pregnancy rates are so high, and how we can fix that, and how we can provide support for women so that we can eliminate abortions that occur for purely practical/financial reasons. I'm fine with making sure other options are available and accessible, but I will work to make sure women aren't pressured or guilted into those options, either. I will always, always fight to keep abortion legal and accessible, and to see that the amazing and compassionate people working in the clinics are valued and respected as they so richly deserve.
no subject
Date: 2007-04-28 01:34 am (UTC)I remember the comment, although without a PC at home at the moment, I've been really spotty about replying -- I read the comments on my cell phone most nights, and by morning I'm swamped at work and forget to go back and reply.
Need to find it and post it to the story site you mentioned.
*nod* I think that's an excellent idea. Part of the reason I'm writing about this so often is that I think the silence around abortion is damaging to all of us. When more than a third of all adult women have had abortions, yet it seems so many feel isolated, and as if they're the only one going through it, there's something wrong.