Monday, October 09, 2006

Music: Wilco - Any Major Dude Will Tell You
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God I'm going to regret posting this...But I have to get the fire out of my system. I'm so upset I'm about to cry.

South Dakota. They are about to mkae the biggest mistake in the history of personal responsiblity.

The anti-abortion lobby is trying a new approach to getting their message across. Good for them. They needed one. They have put a happy face on their campaign and proclaimed that access abortion is contrary to women's rights. I read this on the website campaigning to maintain the state's near complete abortion ban. They said that abortion is not a woman's fault and that we need to stop making it an option.

They said this...And I was confused.

How is such a personal, potentially heartbreaking decision...Not the individual's decision? Let's say that they're right and abortion can send a woman in to a deadly depression (I wouldn't know since I can't speak from experience). Let's say that abortion is the worst thing the woman has ever done to herself.

Starting from this point of view, I pose the question: Should we ban drain cleaner? For those unaware, drain cleaner is a highly toxic substance sold in supermarkets, hardware stores, and convenience stores across the country. Drinking drain cleaner can severely impair a woman's quality of life insofar as side-effects may include brian damage, organ failure, and death. Where are the lobbyists protecting women from drain cleaner? The stuff is easily more available than an abortion and the side effects of drinking it are almost guaranteed, while there will always be a percentage of women who get an abortion and (as awful as it sounds) really won't give it a thought afterwards. Yet despite its availbilty, you don't see a whole lot of people who would otherwise be leading healthy and normal lives dinking drain cleaner. Why? Because it fucking drain cleaner and people are smart enough to know it will have consequences! That's why! And no one is forcing people to drink drain cleaner, also keeping the incidences down. Drinking drain cleaner would be a personal choice, as is anything that may harm your pysical or emotional health.

The site, Vote Yes for Life, makes it wound like, because abortion is legal, women are being strapped to the table and butchered against their will. Legal does not mean required. You don't accidentally or unintentionally have an abortion at a clinic. Back to my drain cleaner example, it's possible to accidentally drink such a toxic substance. You don't accidentally go to a clinic, make an appointment, have an exam, wait for the medical results, and undergo the procedure. No one is so stupid that they would accidentally have a (currently)legal abortion.

I promise you, if this thing goes through and South Dakota gets its way they'll be back to coat hangers. That's right. I said it. Coat hangers. There will always be people desperate not to have a baby. Abortion has been around for longer than we can comprehend. South Dakota is closing its eyes to reality.

Some people are not meant to be mothers. They just aren't. Not everyone can be a Virgin Mary replica. It's unrealistic to expect that.

What the fuck happened to us? When did this society decide that we have to march to the same drum. If a 15 year old incest victim wants to have her baby, I don't think anyone is going to stop her. Because it's Her. Personal. Choice. It's the reason we stay in this country despite all the other shit. You can choose to have a baby or you can choose to admit you can't handle it. Availabilty of abortion is neither a commendation of the practice nor an obligation to use it. It's just a sad option.

I can't think of anything more personal than the decision to become a mother. There is so much responsibility that goes with it and the rewards can be beyond wonderful...but for those not emotionally ready to deal with it...Well...

It's bullshit to say that access to abortion is against women's health. That's all I mean. It's treating a symptom of a problem in the most naive way possible and treats women as flakey damsels who don't know what's right for them even when it applies to their wombs.

Let the hate flood in.

On a side note, can I just say that I tune out every time I hear a man talk about abortion? Pro or anti. It really turns me off that they think they know a fucking thing about what women are going through when they are making such a painful decision. And guess what? In my mind men don't get to have an opinion on Post Partum Depression either.
This transmission logged byErisSaid on 1:23 PM

[web-design by may]