I enjoy watching documentaries. Educational and controversial subject matter in documentaries is enjoyable for me. When choosing this movie (Unborn in the USA), I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I made it through the entire hour and 44 minutes without turning it off (which is more than I can say about watching The Hangover). Granted, there were a few moments where I literally felt sick to my stomach due to the subject matter and the passion that resides within the abortion debate. But I stuck it out until the very end and I'm glad that I did.
A couple of points:
1. What are "pro-lifers" planning on doing with these children once they “save” their lives? Are they planning on fostering a truck load of children? This includes children who are terminally ill or who were born addicted to meth etc. That’s a lot to take on. To the best of my knowledge these are the same people who are voting against public programs. The same public programs that help children and families in need. What’s the fuckin’ plan stan?!
2. So much passion and energy goes into the abortion debate. Redirecting that energy could actually make a difference in the world. Holding graphic signs outside of clinics and being belligerent in general is hardly doing anything for the children of the world. Meanwhile (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again), there are CHILDREN WHO GO HUNGRY every single day in THIS country. If you give a shit, then show it.
3. I really believe that the abortion debate is not about life or death, it's about control. It’s never okay to tell people how to live their lives. Period. You wouldn’t want it done to you - so why do it? The only reason I can think of is to “keep women in their place” - as baby makers. That is all they are good for after all. It’s okay, just let some dudes (whom you’ve never met) tell you what to do with your body and entire life (in the name of Christianity no less). C’mon!
Please know that people who have abortions are not excited about it. There is plenty of grief involved without someone else poking their nose into the decision making process. Nobody is handing out buy 1 get 1 free coupons for abortions. You’re just a plain ‘ol idiot if you think that this is some mindless thing that people do for fun or to spite you.
P.S. I recommend this film if you wish to be informed on this perspective.
Jack Mathews writes, "Here's a movie everyone can hate. It's an inside look at the extremists in the 'right-to-life' movement..."Mathews is right. This documentary has an observational objective approach toward the "right" side of the debate. As a pro-choice individual, this movie has given me more details about the opposing side's arguments. Unfortunately for them, it has reinforced my perspective on how unreasonable these people are at times. Don't get me wrong. Pro-choice people can get foolish at times too; especially when these two groups come face to face.
A couple of points:
1. What are "pro-lifers" planning on doing with these children once they “save” their lives? Are they planning on fostering a truck load of children? This includes children who are terminally ill or who were born addicted to meth etc. That’s a lot to take on. To the best of my knowledge these are the same people who are voting against public programs. The same public programs that help children and families in need. What’s the fuckin’ plan stan?!
2. So much passion and energy goes into the abortion debate. Redirecting that energy could actually make a difference in the world. Holding graphic signs outside of clinics and being belligerent in general is hardly doing anything for the children of the world. Meanwhile (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again), there are CHILDREN WHO GO HUNGRY every single day in THIS country. If you give a shit, then show it.
3. I really believe that the abortion debate is not about life or death, it's about control. It’s never okay to tell people how to live their lives. Period. You wouldn’t want it done to you - so why do it? The only reason I can think of is to “keep women in their place” - as baby makers. That is all they are good for after all. It’s okay, just let some dudes (whom you’ve never met) tell you what to do with your body and entire life (in the name of Christianity no less). C’mon!
Please know that people who have abortions are not excited about it. There is plenty of grief involved without someone else poking their nose into the decision making process. Nobody is handing out buy 1 get 1 free coupons for abortions. You’re just a plain ‘ol idiot if you think that this is some mindless thing that people do for fun or to spite you.
P.S. I recommend this film if you wish to be informed on this perspective.
You're so right. It is ALL about control. It's about denying women the control of their own bodies so they will never be free and the patriarchy will continue to rule. It's a way of keeping women tied down. A way of curtailing their power.
ReplyDeleteIf the Right-to-lifers really wanted to end abortion they would be working to end the necessity of abortion.
Just imagine how much progress could be made if all the dollars they spend on their campaigns were spent instead on programs to provide family planning services to poor women.
Imagine a world where family planning was universally understood to be the right thing to do and all birth control devices were distributed free. Sigh.
I find the "keeping women in their place" argument interesting.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it more appropriately about preventing murder?
The "Choice" comes prior to conception; whether to perform an act that can produce a child.
Dear anonymous troll,
ReplyDeleteBeing raped is not a decision. Not having access to preventative measures or education is not a decision. Trying to have a child, then finding out you are diagnosed with a terminal illness or a disease that would make life extremely difficult or brief for the child is not really a choice.
To make abortion illegal is to deny a service to those who need it most. As Mandy points out, nobody is handing out coupons. Your comment implies that all people having abortions are doing so as an act of "birth-control" as the popular myth has it.
The myths surrounding abortion are dangerous and harmful and serve only as an attempt to control women and promote oppressive hegemony.
While I do believe that life is sacred (I refuse to kill spiders for crying out loud), I also believe there are circumstances in which abortion is necessary, and if it is made illegal, it will only cause more harm than good.
Educating students about birth control is easy, but nobody wants to talk about sex in schools. Teaching men that rape is not okay should be a priority. Teaching women that being raped is not their fault should be a priority. Instead, sex ed programs across the country that even do address rape teach girls "preventative measures" while ignoring education targeted towards men, and telling them that maybe they DON'T have the right to "own" every woman they see. Violent acts against women are so ubiquitous in every aspect of our society that just telling people to "not have sex" isn't going to prevent much.
The "murder" argument gets brought up a lot in relation to abortion by the same people who support the death penalty, war, hunger, and denial of necessary services to the needy. You haven't said peep about any of those, so I'll assume that you don't share that stance, and oppose state-sanctioned murder as well.
Hey, it's Kelly M. Seems to me the truth lies somewhere in the middle (I know, it's annoying that I ALWAYS say this). Just looking at some stats from the CDC. Looks like 44% of women who had an abortion in 2007 had already had at least one abortion. Unlikely that many of these women were victims of rape or incest twice. That's over 36,000 abortions in one year by women who had already had at least one. It concerns me, also, that over 10,000 abortions are performed after 20 weeks gestational age (only 1.3% of all abortions, but so many are performed each year that this adds up). I realize that a mother should not have to sacrifice her own life for a baby's, and if a baby is going to be terminally ill or something like that I can understand the need for options, so I disagree with outlawing abortion completely, but it seems unlikely to me that all 10,000 of those abortions were under those type of rare circumstances. I personally know a child born at 22 weeks who is now a happy healthy teen, and several others born incredibly prematurely, so these later abortions are a huge concern for me. What is the difference between aborting a viable fetus and killing one that has just been delivered? I think it is unreasonable to make abortions completely illegal, but I do think we need to draw the line somewhere. Mostly I think we should hand out contraception and sex ed like candy. There should just be piles of condoms and birth control pills in every high school, bar, and college dorm room. And thankfully Illinois is going to allow schools to teach about contraception again (DUH!). Abortion is a problem, bottom line, no matter which side you look at it from. It is incredibly emotionally traumatic for the women who have them, no matter what their stance on the issue, and it is also morally icky (even for most pro-choicers) to abort a fetus who is developed enough to feel pain or is viable (which is not the majority, but still in the tens of thousands each year). We need to find ways to reduce the the number of unwanted pregnancies through education and resources, and increase the support and reduce the stigma for women who choose single parenthood or adoption. In the meantime though, my vote would be restricting abortions somewhat. Yes women need to have rights, but it is a slippery slope in BOTH directions. Maybe we could find somewhere in the middle to teeter precariously with the law until society improves?
ReplyDeleteP.S. It's Kelly again. I was not the first "anonymous" who posted. Just wanted to clarify!
ReplyDelete