Posted on 11/04/2005 9:48:25 PM PST by Coleus
Sitting through Wednesday’s pro-choice seminar gave me a headache.
Luckily, I didn’t have to say anything during the Q&A session because I agreed with most of the information presented during the symposium.
Facts are facts, and although researchers can skew data by bad sample populations and asking ambiguous questions, most nationally-accredited data is legitimate.
Most of the issues regarding abortion are perceptual.
One of the speakers and one of the members of the audience were at opposite ends of the abortion debate.
But amusingly, the two agreed on the fact that around 20 percent of women who go through the abortion process face depression.
The speaker thought that number was low and the audience member thought it was alarmingly high.
Another perceptual problem I noticed was during Dr. Jeannie Ludlow’s speech about the “types of girls” who get abortions.
According to Dr. Ludlow, many women who have an abortion are beleaguered by the belief that “most women who have abortions are irresponsible.”
These “responsible” women try to convince abortion clinic workers that they are somehow different than the stereotype, but Dr. Ludlow said that contrary to that belief, the women having abortions are very “responsible.”
Even worse than Ludlow’s justification was when one of the younger speakers made the argument that, since women who go through abortion put a lot of thought into making the hardest decision of their lives, these women are “responsible” and deserve our respect.
As I see it, “responsible” women don’t put themselves in situations where they have to choose between the life of their own child and their finances.
And because someone puts a lot of thought into an important decision (and then makes the wrong decision) doesn’t make them a responsible person.
But at the end of the day, the only real difference between my views and the views of the speakers was the way we defined the word “responsible.”
But as abortion becomes an overbearing issue within the country, the biggest perceptual concern that I have (that was not addressed at the seminar) is the fact that men are systematically being removed from the abortion debate.
As I talk to friends and family about abortion, I get the same answer from each guy: “Although I wouldn’t do it, I’m not a woman and it’s not my problem.”
Since pro-choice advocates believe that abortion is a “woman’s right to choose,” there is no room for a man’s opinion. Even though men are responsible for half of the baby’s existence, according to the pro-choice creed, the decision belongs in the hands of the woman having the baby, and the woman’s alone.
Don’t you have an opinion about social security reform, regardless of how old you are?
Don’t you feel strongly about the gay marriage debate, regardless of your sexual orientation?
Are you opinionated about the war in Iraq, regardless of whether someone in your family is directly affected by the war?
Just because you’re not part of the population affected by the issue doesn’t mean you can’t have an opinion.
I’d much rather hear a man say that he is “pro-choice” than say “it’s not up to me.”
The latter response is a copout. It tells me that an individual is weak and, even if he has the moral conviction that abortion is the wrong way to go about a given situation, he doesn’t have the courage to speak.
And like the old cliché goes, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
This time, it’s no different.
Men aren’t speaking up against abortion because they perceive it to be a woman’s issue.
Men, it’s time to mobilize and make a difference. There’s only one male student in “Falcons for Life;” it’s time to make a change. If you know abortion is wrong, say something. Send a letter to your senator and tell him that supporting Samuel Alito is a good idea.
Abortion affects everyone’s future. What if that zygote could have been the next Martin Luther King or Ronald Reagan? We missed out on that opportunity because of some “responsible” woman’s decision.
Coleus, first to the liberal mind there is not a human being slaughtered in abortion reagrdless of the age in the womb; second, the notion of a right to kill at the whim of the woman is a feminist axiom and thus not open for men to even be considered in the decision ... never mind that half of those humans slaughtered in abortion are female human beings, they are 'acceptable' sacrifice for the empowerment of women.
It's a prevaling attitude among women who favor murder of unborn children - how dare a man have an opinion on the issue - what does he know (there is the male bashing attitude again, us men are ignorant of women, well that's the way it is - we can't know anything, except second-hand knowledge, so get used to it).
I remember a bitter argument I had with a pro-murder woman, her shrill reply to me was; "Excuse me?? What do you know??". Well I'm sorry Missy, I know abortion is plain stinkin' murder, what the Hell do you know!??!!?
So let's hope W's Supreme Court appointees will reverse Roe vs. Wade, and that will set off a trend here in Europe!
Men don't have a say, and will never have a say, as clarified from the Gomez v. Perez fight:
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/2/ARTICLE/299/2003-01-24.html
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the flaw in that argument though is it could go both ways-what if a man insists on an abortion because he doesn't want to pay for 18yrs....
I concur. Roberts has expressed in the past that he believes that the Roe v. Wade decision was based on bad law. The decision was handed down in a legal ruling without ever being touched by the constituents, the people most effected. The majority of the population does not favor abortion, which is why the libs are scared to death of a Roberts run SCOTUS. This is one of their pet issues and they can slowly see it slipping away. Thank God for that! (Uh-oh, I metioned God, better be looking for the ACLU loonies!)
First of all, it doesn't work because there are only two people voting, so if both votes are equal, and different, who wins?
Secondly, if you say men have a say, and they say no, the next trick of the lefties will be to say if they voted no then they shouldn't have to help support the child. This could eventually harm women and children enormously.
The problem is first a mis-understanding of rights-- expressed in Roe v. Wade by the ridiculous notion that the child is not the possessor of the right not to be killed.
Both parents acted to create the child - even if one or the other parent defrauded or assaulted the other. The biological facts of conception require a sperm to be made and an oocyte to be made. Both are responsible for making sure that the child is not in harm's way. Either they provide for the child until he is able to do so himself, or they arrange for someone else to do so.
it is a flawed argument because if you're only looking at it as the man would want the baby and want to save it and the woman would be the one to want to abort it.
In your perfect world, all the men would be having equal say and stopping the abortions. But if they have that equal say it is only equal if it goes both ways - so they'd be able to force an abortion?
You have to think the whole thing through, because reality is it's not always going to be the way you want it to be - their right/equal say etc.
I'm not arguing that abortion is right, it's just that your argument is flawed because it won't work out the way you want it to.
Hear hear!!! I agree completely and utterly!!!!!
You make excelent points.
I still believe that as long as a woman has the right to choose, so should a Man.
I don't know how to make that work, I freely admit. Perhaps the right to Opt out, or in the case of a man who has a child that he does not know about until years later, should not be forced to pay child support for a child he has never known about, or does not want any part of!
As long as Abortion is legal, as long as a woman can financially obligate a Man by HER CHOICE, there ought to be protections for that man, just as there are for Women. Better yet, make abortion illegal again, and perhaps the unwanted pregnancy rates will drop as people are forced to become more responsible for themselves and their choices. Perhaps girls and boys alike will abstain from sex just a little bit more often if the potential consequences are a child that must be looked after! Proably not, but there it is. There are no easy answers.
All I know is that right now, there is NOT equal protection under the law with regards to Abortion laws, it simply baffles me that this particular constitutional issue has not been brought before the court! Where is the Gardian Ad Leitem for the unborn? Where is the Dad's say in all this. Only one who gets a choice is Mommy. 1 out of 3 involved have a choice. I don't think is should be that bloody easy!
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