Living as a Prochoice Christian

Christians Can Support 10 for Tebow Too

2012-01-18T11:48:00.000-05:00

Crossposted from AbortionGang.

Hi. I’m a writer here at AbortionGang. I’m also a Christian. Nice to meet you!

It seems that a lot of press around our recent #10forTebow campaign is suggesting that we hate God, or Christians, or Jesus, or faith. This is simply not true.

If you take a second look at Sophia’s original post, you’ll see she never says a single bad thing about Christianity. She may laugh at Tebow’s excessive focus on his faith, but that is entirely about Tebow’s actions, not the religion he follows.

Some people may believe that being antichoice and Christian go hand in hand- to attack one is to attack the other. This also is untrue. Taking a stand against being antichoice is not taking a stand against Christianity.

Christianity has been separated into many different organized religions, and some Christians choose to create their own faith, outside of organized religion. I am not here to say which group or type is a/the True Christian, but I do want to point out that this diversity means there is a diversity of beliefs among Christians related to abortion.

One of the first abortion funds ever established was created by ministers, who were counseling women with problem pregnancies, and seeing the horrible effects of back-alley abortions. These ministers worked together to direct women to medically-safe abortion locations, and eventually they raised the money to fund an abortion clinic in their area. In this way, Christians were some of the first supporters of abortion funding, and keeping women safe.

Christians today continue to support a woman’s right to choose. There are many Christian organizations and denominations that have spoken up for women and their families: Catholics for Choice, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, The United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and more.

Christians have a long history of supporting choice, and we will continue to support choice in the future. Being prochoice does not mean one hates God, or is against faith. Donating to an abortion fund as part of the #10forTebow campaign is one more way that Christians can do good in their community and help their fellow human, as God has asked us to. This campaign is for everyone who disagrees with Tebow’s antichoice position, not just atheists or agnostics who disagree with him.

What does HHS really think of young people?

2012-01-18T11:45:00.001-05:00

Crossposted from AbortionGang.

Yesterday, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced that they are blocking Plan B from being sold on pharmacy shelves to whoever needs it. This goes against FDA recommendations to remove all restrictions to accessing Plan B, including lifting age restrictions and requiring Plan B to be sold on pharmacy shelves instead of behind-the-counter.

Plan B One-Step is a brand of morning after pill, which works the same way as birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. It’s more effective the earlier it’s taken, but can be taken up to 72 hours after sex. Plan B cannot terminate a pregnancy- -it is not an abortion pill. Plan B is currently available over the counter to people 17 years old and older. Anyone under 17 must go to the doctor and get a prescription before they can get Plan B.

Plan B is extremely safe, and as the FDA’s approval has shown, there is no reason for it to be locked away. A report released this month makes this clear, stating that “no deaths or serious complications have been causally links to emergency contraceptive. According to the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, there are no situations in which the risks of using [emergency contraceptive pills] outweigh the benefits.” Compare that to the 450 deaths from liver failure in 2004 due to an overdose of acetaminophen,the drug found in Tylenol. And yet walk into any pharmacy and you’ll find Tylenol available over the counter.

Although it’s clear that Plan B is safe for women and girls of all ages, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled the FDA’s medically-based, scientifically accurate decision. In her very brief memorandum, Secretary Sebelius claims to worry about the 10% of girls who begin ovulating by 11.1 years old. Yet she doesn’t seem to suggest a problem of health, but instead “significant cognitive and behavioral differences between older adolescent girls and the youngest girls of reproductive age.” It seems that she is suggesting that young teens would not understand how to use Plan B, or that they would not act in a mature enough manner for Plan B.

This attitude is extremely condescending. No one fears that teenagers, even young teenagers, will not know how to use or will misuse Tylenol or Benadryl or Aleve, and thus should not have access to them. Even more damning is that condoms ARE available on the shelves. If we can trust people of any age to buy condoms, why can’t we trust them to buy Plan B? I am willing to bet that anyone 12, 13, or 14 years old who is going into a drugstore to buy Plan B is buying it because they need it. Young teens can’t drive and often don’t have large disposable incomes, so many would be purchasing Plan B with the help of their parents, older sibling, or friend. And if you don’t live in a city with easy public transportation, it takes a lot of effort for someone under the legal driving age to get to a drugstore without their parent’s knowledge; this is not something you’d do on a dare.

Young teenagers know about sex. They see it in our media, they hear about it in school (despite abstinence-only efforts) and they learn about it from their parents or friends. Plan B is a time sensitive medicine that is used after something has gone wrong. Whether that something is rape, a broken condom, or drunken, unprotected sex is important, but not so important as to block access to Plan B. If we’re worried about the “cognitive and behavioral differences” of young teens, we need to work on putting comprehensive sex education into schools, not taking away access to a safe medication.

It’s hard to understand how the Secretary thought there was good reason to contradict the FDA, especially when many clinicians, members of Congress, reproductive rights advocates and healthcare professionals saw no evidence to prevent Plan B from being over-the-counter. In fact, the effort to make emergency contraception available to all people of reproductive age started six years ago. In 2005, Susan Wood resigned from the FDA because of delays in approving Plan B over the counter. Today, she’s quoted in the Washington Post, saying:

“There is no rationale that can justify HHS reaching in and overturning the FDA on the decision about this safe and effective contraception. I never thought I’d see this happen again.”

Abortion, Disability, and Coercion

2012-01-18T11:43:00.001-05:00

Crossposted from AbortionGang.

I recently read an article on the DailyMail website which has me infuriated.
Six years ago, a woman in the UK learned she was pregnant and the fetus had Down syndrome. While the woman and her husband were confused and nervous about coping with a child with special needs (on top of caring for their other six children), they never considered having an abortion. They wanted to continue the pregnancy and give birth.

And yet the woman had an abortion.

According to the article (and we have to take the Daily Mail with a grain of salt), she and her husband were bullied by their doctors and nurses. When they went in to discuss how “to be prepared for the fact we might have a disabled child,” the nurse only counseled her on a termination. The nurse continuously pushed abortion even after the couple told her they wanted to continue the pregnancy. Eventually, with a nurse and a consultant bombarding her to terminate, the woman was in a state of shock, and began the abortion.

This is infuriating. This is disgusting. This is anti-choice.

There are actually two problems going on here. First, there is discrimination against people with special needs. As a pro-choice advocate, I support a woman’s right to choose. Without taking away that support, I also question why so many people are afraid to have a child with special needs. In recent studies, researchers have found that 79% of the responding parents “felt their outlook on life was more positive” because of having a child with Down syndrome. In fact, “only 4% said they felt sad about their life.” While more challenging at times, life with a child with special needs is not the horror story many people imagine.

The difference between the viewpoints of families with children who have Down syndrome, and the women who are considering termination because of Down syndrome is huge. It leads me to question if the pregnant women are fully informed about their decisions, or if they’re just basing their ideas on popular cultural views (I am not trying to imply that women are choosing termination lightly or ignorantly–just that people in positions of power are not giving them the full picture, and they have no way of knowing this).

The way to fix this is clear: stop discriminating against people with special needs. Instead, value those with special needs within our society. Do not just try to make them fit in, but let them excel, stand out and be leaders. In this way, we
can make having a special needs child less terrifying than it seems to be today.
If the above seems like a daunting task, we can always start smaller. Host educational seminars for OB/GYNs about how to support a family that’s going to have a special needs child. Form resource networks between doctors and Down syndrome support groups, so an pregnant woman has someone she can talk to about what to expect. These are simple steps to ensuring that women are fully informed, so they can decide the absolute best choice for their family.

The second issue at hand is the violation of this woman’s right to choose. Forcing or coercing a woman into abortion Is. Not. Pro. Choice. This is an anti-choice behavior. Any pro-choice person who sees someone trying to coerce a woman into a specific decision should immediately speak up against this action. Every pro-choice person should be just as quick to stand up for a woman’s right to continue to term as (s)he is for a woman’s right to terminate.

Anti-choicers are quick to pick up an article like this and claim it proves abortion is absolute evil. Yet it is clear that our world is not that black and white. What the article proves is wrong is coercive practices. For some women, abortion is the wrong choice, while for other women birth is the wrong choice. Neither event- abortion nor birth- is bad in and of itself. But both can be bad when forced upon the woman. This is why antipchoicers are wrong when they call us “pro-abortion” and mean that we only want women to abort. I most certainly do not want every woman to abort. I want every woman to make whichever choice is best for themselves and their families, and to have the support and access to complete that choice.

Trying Not to Erase Grief: Miscarriage and Abortion

2012-01-18T11:41:00.000-05:00

Crossposted from AbortionGang.

Over here at the AbortionGang we recently came across a tumblr post about the “baby vs. fetus” debate that ends with the following:

So while we are wont to scream so loudly that a fetus is not a baby and therefore it is not murder for the person carrying them to decide for themselves if they wish to continue to do so or not – and I agree with this – could we take a moment to realize that saying they are not babies also erases the experience of people who miscarry and are grieving over their loss(es)?

I think this is extremely important and something all feminists and pro-choicers should consider.

As the anti-choicers continue to propose and pass antichoice legislation, post racist, anti-choice billboards and try to send women to jail for having abortions, I believe the political pro-choice stance and the personal abortion stories are becoming more and more distant. Listening and considering the real lives of women who have abortions and women who deal with fetal loss will help us stay grounded against the insanity of the anti-choice position.

Legally, fetuses are not infants, are not considered persons, and thus, having an abortion is not murder. But we must remember, the personal is different from the legal. Pregnancy is different for every single woman- and one woman may experience multiple pregnancies in very different ways. A woman may consider her fetus to be ababy, or already a person, because she plans to carry to term. Another woman may consider her fetus to be a baby even though she is planning to have an abortion. Those feelings and beliefs are normal, valid, and should be perfectly acceptable.

Using the term “baby” doesn’t hurt the pro-choice position at all. If a woman believes that abortion is the best option for her baby, then we should support her in her choice.** It does us no good to get into a battle over the word (the same applies if she wants to carry her fetus to term).

On the other end of the spectrum are women who have lost pregnancies, both wanted and unwanted, planned and unplanned, through miscarriage. Just as with abortion, some women may feel relieved and think of the fetus as just a fetus. Other women may feel they lost a member of their family. None of these feelings hurt the pro-choice position, and all should be taken into consideration when we’re writing, blogging, speaking and protesting.

I always try to make an effort to let the woman in question decide what type of language will be used, and allow her feelings to control the situation instead of mine. For her, my opinion on the baby vs. fetus debate isn’t relevant. Making sure she feels loved and supported is most important.

**This does not only apply to women terminating wanted pregnancies due to fetal abnormalities.

Choosing Birth after Rape

2012-01-18T11:40:00.001-05:00

Crossposted from the AbortionGang.

I would like to give an often ignored perspective of rape, pregnancy and abortion (this is your trigger warning, though I don’t plan to be graphic).

I often see tweets, blog posts and comments from women and men (and people who identify as neither of the above) sharing their horror at the thought of carrying a pregnancy conceived in rape to term. They proudly and strongly say they support abortion, because it’s horrific, gruesome, disgusting, and cruel to force a woman to carry to term after she was raped (or, “give birth to her rapist’s child”). Now maybe I’m not paying attention, but it seems that all of the feminist discussion around rape and pregnancy decisions is focused around how awful it is for women to give birth after rape. Yet one study in 1996 (old, but the only reliable one I could find) said 32.2% of raped women chose to birth and keep the child (50% had abortions, 5.9% participated in adoption and 11.8% had miscarriages). 32% is a substantial portion of women that it seems many feminist forget about.

I 100% agree that it’s wrong to force a woman to carry to term when she wants to abort.

But I have to wonder: how does this type of language (horrific, disgusting, cruel) affect women who choose to carry to term after rape?

I wonder how a single mother of a beautiful two year old who happened to be conceived from rape feels when she reads that it’s “barbaric” to “force a woman to give birth to the child of her rapist.” Does she feel like she was supported in her choice? Doubtful.

We always need to be considerate of who we talk about and who we talk to. While it may seem clear that the barbaric part is the force of rape, denying the woman her access to decide to have sex, if we only talk about how wrong it is to force birth instead of how wrong it is to force abortion, or force any unwanted choice, then others may start reading it as the birth of a child as disgusting. And I certainly hope no one actually thinks choosing to give birth is disgusting.

I know a lot of this language choice is based upon our hatred of rape, and it would make sense to have a second discussion about rape here, but I’m not going to do that. All I ask is that we default to the individual woman’s opinion before we share our own feelings when dealing with issues of pregnancy, abortion and rape, because everyone should feel supported in their decisions.

Ralph Lang, Attempted Anti-Choice Terrorist

2011-05-28T12:06:00.001-04:00

Cross posted from AbortionGang.

Thank God, or Lady Luck, or whomever you like: yesterday reports went out of a man arrested BEFORE he murdered a law-abiding doctor, instead of after.

The quick details: Ralph Lang, 63, drove up to Madison with a gun with the clear intention of murdering at least one abortion-providing doctor, and possibly other nurses and employees. His handgun discharged while he was at a motel, and the police were called. Upon hearing his plans, he was taken into custody.

I’m so thankful that Lang’s gun went off in his motel room. I’m also thankful he wasn’t “100 percent in sync with God” when he was in Madison last week and didn’t kill anyone. I’m thankful that he didn’t get to go to the clinic, “line [the employees] up all in a row, get a machine gun, and mow them all down” as he said he wished he could.

The other information you should know: Ralph Lang is not a “lone wolf” or a “fringe member” of the antichoice “pro-life” community. He is a sidewalk counselor (read: harasser) and was arrested previously in 2007 outside of a Planned Parenthood. He was part of a Catholic prayer vigil (read: more sidewalk harassment) in 2006, at which time he said, “it’s nice to be a part of a movement like this.” I’m sure as we learn more details we will see more connections between Ralph Lang and well known anti-choice groups.

Of course, Lang’s language is gleamed from common anti-choice propaganda. He planned “to lay out abortionists because they are killing babies”- words used by many so-called peaceful anti-choicers. These ‘peaceful’ antis claim they don’t actually want anyone hurt, yet continue to repeat these phrases until they’ve convinced someone- like Ralph Lang, or Scott Roeder- to do the dirty work for them. When they call doctors murderers over and over and over again, they set the kindling and strike the match for others to take those words and follow through with them.

It’s long past time for antichoicers to stop their violent rhetoric. It was long past time two years ago, when Dr. George Tiller was murdered in his church. It was long past time in 1998 when Dr. Slepian and a security guard were killed, in 1994 when two clinic receptionists, Dr Britton and an escort were killed, in 1993 when Dr. Gunn was murdered. It’s been nearly 20 years of murders- when will anti-choicers actually take a prolife stance and stop the violence?

Sex Trafficking and Clinic Responsibility: What Would You Do?

2011-02-08T22:21:00.002-05:00

Originally posted at the AbortionGang site.

If you were an employee at a reproductive health care clinic and someone came in and asked you about obtaining abortions for women being sex trafficked, what would you do?

Here’s what I would do: Lie. Lie, lie, and then lie some more.

Why?

There’s one thing for certain: If you tell the person “No, we will not give these women healthcare” then you will never be able to find them. You will never be able to help them get out of being trafficked, help them get their lives back.

And if you tell this person “That’s against the law! I’m calling the cops!”- then you might just lose your life.

Everyone knows that in a bank robbery, you’re supposed to do whatever the bank robber tells you. The bank robber doesn’t care about the law or your life, (s)he just wants the money and to escape. Doing anything to prevent that puts you in danger.

The same thing applies with someone who trafficks people. This person abuses women for their bodies- (s)he’s not interested in your morals or the law.

The BEST way to ensure those trafficked girls are found? Lie. Tell the person that you can provide the girls with healthcare services, that you wont tell anyone, that its all perfectly legal. And then after the meeting, go tell your superiors and the law enforcement. When the person comes again with the women (s)he is trafficking, law enforcement can be there to arrest the person. The girls can be provided with healthcare (which they will need), counseling, a place to stay, etc. Dare I sound too forward- they can be rescued.

Of course, if the person coming in to ask about healthcare for sex trafficked women is really just a fake undercover anti-choicer, this type of situation may lead the employee and the clinic to look bad.

But personally, I’d rather look bad and rescue women from sex trafficking than look good and never have the chance to save them. Being a reproductive justice activist isn’t about looking good, it’s about helping other people.

What would you do in this type of situation?

Blog for Choice: What is choice?

2011-01-21T09:06:00.003-05:00

Today is Blog for Choice day. While there is a question that has been put out by prochoicers for us to answer, the antis have come up with what they consider a clever "come back" in which they ask "What is choice?"

Well, why not answer that straight off the bat?

Definitions of choice on the Web:

* the act of choosing or selecting; "your choice of colors was unfortunate"; "you can take your pick"

When I say I support choice, that means I support each individual woman's ability to make a decision (after being informed of risks/benefits) about how she is going to responsibly care for her pregnancy.

When she first becomes pregnant, that usually means she is choosing between having an abortion and giving birth. If she chooses to have an abortion, then she gets to make a decision whether she wants to have a medical or a surgical abortion. She gets to choose the safest clinic setting for her (I would like to see there be no Hyde amendment forcing women into clinics like Gosnell's) and has someone she trusts to provide whatever she needs (driving, food, hugs, whatever).

If she chooses to carry to term, then she gets to make a decision about whether she wants to use a midwife or an OB/GYN. She chooses between a homebirth, hospital birth and birthing center. She chooses whether to have an all natural birth, whether to use an epidural, whether to be induced.

Towards the end of the pregnancy, if she has chosen to carry to term, she must make a decision about whether she wants to keep the infant after birth or give it up for adoption. If she chooses adoption, she gets to decide if she wants an open or closed adoption. She gets to choose which adoptive family her child will become a part of. If she chooses to raise the infant herself, she gets to choose her parenting style: will she breastfeed, co-sleep or babywear?

Of course, there are also choices to be made before a woman becomes pregnant. She has to choose what type of contraceptive (and I include abstinence among them) she wants to use, for instance.

As you can see, choice is about so many different things. But in the end, it really all comes down to supporting one thing: Trusting women to make the best decisions for themselves and their families when they're fully informed of all the risks and benefits associated with the possible options. This is Choice.

Sec-Selective Abortions and Feminism

2011-01-17T14:49:00.001-05:00

This post was originally written for The Abortion Gang.

Anti-choicers are always trying to trick pro-choicers into saying something that makes them look bad. One such example is when anti-choicers bring up sex-selective abortions. “If you support girls/women, how can you support sex-selective abortions!?!” they ask (Don’t get me started on the fact that you cannot abort a woman. Physically impossible). They don’t ask these questions because they’re interested in reducing sex-selective abortions; they’re just interested in making pro-choicers seem coldhearted.

But what if they did want to reduce sex-selective abortions? How would they go about doing that? Pro-choice, of course, already has the answer: Feminism.

Sex-selective abortions happen because the pregnant woman’s culture favors one sex over the other- usually, male over female*. For instance, in China, families will abort a female fetus or abandon a female infant because they want a male infant. Males stay with the family, and carry on the family name while females are married off to another family and basically lose their birth family. For this reason, males are valued higher than females. And for this reason, sex- selective abortions occur.

This is where feminism comes in. Feminism says that both sexes are equal in value and worth. Men and women, with their differences and similarities, are not better than one another but standing on an equal plane. If feminist ideas were to become culturally normal, sex-selective abortions would not occur. Families would value and appreciate a fetus they wanted regardless of its sex. Not only would this apply to fetuses, but to children as well; families would be just as glad to have a daughter as they would be to have a son.

On top of that, feminism would give the opinions of women equal weight to men. Who knows- maybe women in China and other countries don’t want to have sex selective abortions, but their culture pressures them into that decision? Supporting feminism would support women who choose to not have a sex-selective abortion.

So next time an anti-choicer asks you what you think of sex-selective abortions, ask them right back: “What are you doing to prevent sex-selection?” Then ask them to support feminism, so that males and females will be valued equally.

* I understand there are other situations involved such as intersex –this post is a simple overview. I welcome others to write about the issues of feminism, sex-selection and intersex.

Antis Will Not Take Responsibility.

2010-12-11T18:38:00.001-05:00

This post was originally posted on AbortionGang.org.

Antichoicers are always talking about how women need to take responsibility. They say women should take responsibility for avoiding pregnancy either by not having sex or using contraceptives (though only a few mention the latter). They say women who are pregnant have to take responsibility by carrying to term (never mind that having an abortion is taking responsibility). They attack women who they deem have not taken responsibility (women who abort, women who get pregnant, women who get pregnant while taking birth control, etc).

But do antichoicers apply their strict brand of responsibility to themselves? Of course not.

Some anti-choicers and anti-choice groups have decided to attack Dr. Carhart as he works in a Maryland clinic. Their goal is to have Dr. Carhart kicked out of the building by the other businesses there because of the protesting. The anti-choicers figure if they hurt the other businesses enough by making a big deal with their fake abortion pictures, the businesses will think it is Dr. Carhart’s fault and ask him to leave.

But we all know, the actions and signs of the protestors are not Dr. Carhart’s fault. He did not force any of the protestors to stand outside his clinic. This is simply a case of the anti-choicers refusing to take responsibility. They even practically say so themselves!

“Mahoney said he’s not bringing unwanted attention to Germantown and all of Maryland, instead pointing the finger at Carhart.”

Source

“Pointing the finger at Carhart.” The anti-choicers are acting like children, pointing their finger and saying “it’s his fault!” even when they are to blame. They refuse to acknowledge that THEY are the ones bringing unwanted attention to the building complex. They refuse to take responsibility for the fact that THEY are the ones waving giant fake abortion pictures all over, making people uncomfortable. If the women of Maryland did not want Dr. Carhart’s services, he would not be there. But they do need his services, and he is there- quietly and respectfully, inside the clinic.

Anti-choicers need to take responsibility for their actions, and own up to the fact that they are the ones causing all the chaos in Maryland. Anti-choicers are the ones who are harming women trying to obtain a legal medical procedure.

Who Deserves to Have a Baby?

2010-12-11T18:35:00.002-05:00

This post was originally written on November 30th, 2010 for AbortionGang.org.

It’s always interesting to look into the mind of an anti and see what they believe. The latest thing I’ve noticed is that antis have a very, very strange view of who will make good parents. Many antichoice harassers will stand outside a clinic and tell any woman walking in (whether there for a pap or an abortion consult) that she would make a great mom. They tell her she deserves to be a mother and will instantly fall in love at birth.

Yet at the same time, a woman with a wanted pregnancy who has gone through fertility issues and miscarriages, who has researched the development of her fetus and given him a name, who has never stepped foot in or near a clinic- this woman they believe would make a horrible mother. So horrible in fact that they think her infant, once born, should be removed from her and placed up for adoption. Others have suggested that the mother has an emotional or mental illness that needs to be looked into.

For instance, Kristen on JillStanek’s post says

“I think they should give the baby up for adoption – they are obviously not good parents.”

Aengus O’Shaughnessy replies,

“Kristen, you are absolutely correct–these people should give the poor child to someone who will raise it properly.”

Jennifer agrees:

“The bottom line is these people are already terrible, terrible parents and they don’t deserve this baby. Lord Jesus, have mercy on this innocent child and save him from his own parents. How sick and disgusting this is.”

What made antichoicers hate this Glenn-Beck-loving woman so much that they want to take her child away by force? The simply fact that her husband put up a hoax website inviting people to vote on whether they would abort the pregnancy or not. Both prochoice and antichoice [Warning, link is to Jill Stanek] websites have proven the vote is a hoax. The couple wants people to consider how important voting is.

While I can understand an antichoicer being upset about voting on abortion, I cannot wrap my mind around the idea that anti-choicers believe it is worse than actually going to get an abortion. The only answer which looks logical from my point of view is that antis do not really want women who abort to be moms- they’re just so desperate to avoid abortion that they’ll lie to women at the clinic. This idea,unfortunately, does not lack proof.

A number of women, including young women, have been forced and coerced into adoption by antichoice organizations. These organizations belittle and mentally abuse pregnant women into thinking they are worthless and unable to be mothers. They lie to women about being unable to care for an infant without a college education, a full time job, or a family to back her up (only, of course, after she’s passed the legal limit to abort).

The truth is anti-choicers don’t want pro-choice people or women who abort or even women who have considered abortion to be parents. They believe these people don’t deserve to be mothers or fathers and should have their children taken away, to be given to a “better” family.

Regardless of who the anti-choicers believe are acceptable parents, their wish that pro-choice people not be allowed to have children is cruel and wrong. Women deserve to be mothers when they want to be mothers, and not forced to give up a child just because they’re poor or uneducated or not Caucasian. Choosing to parent is just that- a parent’s choice. No one should have the right to deny a person their choice to parent.

Birth Control Matters

2010-12-11T18:34:00.002-05:00

This post was originally written on November 9th, 2010 for AbortionGang.org.

The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was labeled a comedy event. But for some of the attendants, it was a chance to get out their message and find more support among the general public.

Planned Parenthood was one such group. Now, if you were anti-choice, you might think Planned Parenthood was out there promoting abortion. The truth is, Planned Parenthood was out there doing work which will ultimately prevent abortions. Planned Parenthood was trying to get more support for birth control. And not just any birth control, but free birth control!

Planned Parenthood currently has a campaign running called “Birth Control Matters.” This is a petition in favor of birth control being available for FREE under the new health care law. The health care bill has a prevention provision which requires new insurance plans to cover preventative health care for free. This is the perfect spot for birth control coverage- because birth control prevents unplanned and unwanted pregnancies.

Lots of people were wearing the Planned Parenthood “BC Matters” sticker at the rally, even though the crowd far exceeded expectations. You can see one such gentleman wearing the sticker here.

The Reproductive Rights movement isn’t just about abortion. While a legal right to obtain birth control is very important, Planned Parenthood reminds us that a legal right doesn’t help someone who can’t afford their prescription. Birth control can be expensive. Some people pay $900 or more without insurance. With insurance, people can still be paying $200 or more for pills. For a single mom who’s working two jobs just to pay the rent and feed her children, that might be too much money. For a teenager who’s parents wont let her have a job, that might be too much money. For a middle aged women who just lost her job, that might be too much money.

Planned Parenthood cares about women. If you do as well, I’d like to request that you take two seconds and sign the Birth Control Matters petition.

Anti-Choicers Live Outside of Reality

2010-12-11T18:30:00.000-05:00

This post was originally written on October 20th, 2010 for AbortionGang.org.

Sometimes, when you have two different groups of people on different sides of an issue, you can explain their differences by saying that they come from different backgrounds or that they start off with a different set of assumptions. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the issue of abortion.

The differences among prochoicers and antichoicers is whether one supports and lives in reality or not.*

Of course, this has been obvious for a long time. One very common anti=choice lie which has no base in reality is claiming that abortion is murder. Abortion is clearly not murder but that wont stop anti-choicers from claiming it is- over and over and over. This is an obvious separation from reality. Even when given the facts, which clearly demonstrate that abortion is not murder, they will still disagree.

Another anti-choice claim that is false is that the majority of (if not all) women regret their abortions. Now, anti-choicers not only ignore the established fact that most women feel relief and not regret after an abortion, but they’ve even gone ahead and tried to make their own reality by publishing non-reviewed articles on their websites and blogs.

There are other anti-choice beliefs which obviously have no place in the real world- like the idea that all pro-choice women hate babies, or all pro-choice women abort.

But recently, anti-choicers* have gone even farther. There is a website that I’ve recently learned about called Ignore Roe. The concept is, as stated, that they believe everyone should just ignore Roe v Wade- as if it never happened. Via their homepage:

We begin with the premise that abortion is not legal, and can never BE legal, because abortion is the taking of innocent life, i.e. murder. Murder can never be legalized.

Just like that- taking reality and making it disappear. Or trying, at least. Thankfully, most anti-choicers (at least the ones I know) recognize that abortion is currently legal (even if they hate the fact). But the question is will this movement of ignoring established law spread?

Antichoice clinic harassers constantly ignore law, like the FACE Act. Will they be the first ones to ignore Roe? Or have they already? The murderers among the clinic harassers, such as Roeder, seemed to have decided to ignore Roe and take the law into their own hands.

How can anti-choicers be convinced to live in reality, and to accept reality? Factual evidence will not work unless the opposition is willing to accept real facts. Rational, logical discussion does not work unless both people or groups are willing to accept reality.

* Obviously this does not apply to every single individual antichoicer.

Live-Tweeting an Abortion

2010-12-11T18:24:00.001-05:00

This post was written on September 30th, 2010 for AbortionGang.org.

It’s time to welcome abortion into the public world.

What? Abortion is already in the public world, you say? Politicians have positions on it, activists blog about it and laws are made yearly to restrict it.

Well, now abortion is getting even more personal. A couple of women have decided that writing about their experience on websites like thanksabortion.com or imnotsorry.net just isn’t cutting it. They have decided, instead, to tweet their abortion experience.

Being able to tweet your abortion is fairly new. As more and more women opt to use mifepristone, the abortion pill, instead of a surgical abortion, there is more of an option to share what is happening. Of course, it isn’t just the abortion itself which these brave women are sharing, but also the process.

A new twitter account called AbortionReality has just shown up, to take us through the process of obtaining and having an abortion. Already she has tweeted about the difficulty of finding the funds to afford an abortion, as well as locating a clinic which provides abortions. Another user, antitheistangie, was the first to publicly tweet her abortion. Now AbortionReality follows her down this public path.

No doubt, there will be many different reactions to people reading her tweets. Antichoicers are already trying to convince her not to have an abortion. Ironically, they are telling her “don’t just listen to one side.” At the same time, they refuse to accept her reasoning (which she shouldn’t even have to give). Prochoicers, from what I have seen, have mostly been giving her support. Which is great because regardless of our political views or job or marital status, women who have abortions are women who need support from the prochoice community. 1 in 3 US women have an abortion sometime in their lifetimes, but it’s not a label worn on the sleeve most of the time. Pro-choice activists can fill that gap by supporting women who are open about their abortions.

But not every prochoicer feels the same way. Some pro-choice folks keep to the philosophy that abortion is a personal, private matter- and therefore it shouldn’t be shared on the internet publically. I absolutely believe that these people have a right to their opinions. I also think they can still support women who abort while wishing they kept it private.

I personally think that tweeting an abortion can be a great way to show people outside the prochoice movement how difficult it is to obtain an abortion. Recent surveys show that many people believe it’s too easy obtain an abortion right now. We need to show the reality and educate people. Between the Hyde Amendment, blocks on insurance paying for abortions, waiting periods, forced ultrasounds and sidewalk harassment, many women find it extremely difficult to obtain a legal abortion. That’s why some people are turning to DIY abortions- with cow medication or trying to fall down stairs. These types of things need to be prevented by stopping and removing the outrageous and unnecessary restrictions on abortion.

The first step to remove them is to open up the eyes of the public. AbortionReality is doing just that.

College-Bound Feminists

2010-12-11T18:19:00.002-05:00

This post was written September 7th 2010 for AbortionGang.org and is being listed here so that I may keep track of my own posts

YOU are what a young feminist looks like. And it’s that time of year again- when our young feminist friends head off to college. So here are a few tips for those heading to their dorm, whether it be for the first time or the fourth.

After going to school with the same people through elementary, middle and high school, college can be both a breath of fresh air and a strange new environment. While everyone at home might know you’re a die-hard feminist, you might choose to not shove your feminism down the throat of could-be friends at college. So here are some ways to share your feminism without making your new friends choke on it.

1. Get a Planned Parenthood magnet/business card and stick it on your fridge.

This is helpful in so many ways. First, getting a magnet means that you have to know where your local Planned Parenthood is. This means you’ll have an easier time getting there if you need to go for another reason (no being late for appointments because you got lost!). Putting a magnet on your fridge allows any friend who comes over to your dorm/apartment to notice it any time they go to the fridge to get a drink. This will allow them to know that you support Planned Parenthood, but they don’t have to have a discussion with you unless they choose to bring it up. As an added bonus, if your friend who sees the magnet knows someone else who might need Planned Parenthood’s service, they might be able to suggest PP to that person where as they previously wouldn’t have thought about it.

2. Like Planned Parenthood or NARAL or other prochoice women’s groups on facebook.

What do people do after meeting someone new at college? Of course, they go home and look that person up on facebook. You can learn a lot about a person by looking at their facebook page these days. Let your new friends know that you support prochoice groups without bringing it up when you first meet. It’s a great way to start a conversation without actually putting yourself in an awkward place!

3. Wear a prochoice or feminist button on your backpack.

The ” I <3 prochoice boys” shirt is great, but it may be a bit forward for you on the first day of classes. A button on your backpack lets you show that you support equality for women without making it the only thing people remember about you. Even nicer, someone walking behind you who sees your button might strike up conversation and become your best friend, where previously you would have only passed in the hallway.

There you go- three easy ways to share the fact that you’re a young feminist without alienating anyone. Do you, young feminist readers, have any other ideas?

Supporting Pregnant Teens/ Teen Moms

2010-11-29T17:15:00.002-05:00

Pregnant teens or teen moms need support.

And no, I am not encouraging teens to have babies.

I am always surprised when I come across people who think that supporting pregnant teens/teen moms means encouraging teens to get pregnant. Why is it so difficult for us to understand this difference?

Of course, the first issue here is that Teen Pregnancy Is Bad (tm). Therefore, whenever a person talks about teens being pregnant or having kids, they always feel the need to put that young woman into a negative position or say negative things about her. Because in their eyes, she's done something wrong by becoming pregnant.

Maybe being pregnant as a teen is wrong. It's certainly not healthy on a massive population scale. But neither of these facts are going to help young women who are already on a path towards teen motherhood.

Because Teen Pregnancy Is Bad (tm), people will turn any discussion about pregnant teens towards preventing teen pregnancy. Which is a good thing, in theory. In practice, it means that young women who are already pregnant are getting no support.

For instance, if someone says that we should support teen moms, or have a group for teen moms to get together to support each other, someone is bound to bring up condoms.

avatar
Poloyatonki - 10 hours ago

Tracy….Are you encouraging teen pregnancy? Lets just educate them to use a condom….

This above quote is from the article Supporting Teen Moms, in which the author wants to start up a support group for teen moms to get together and chat.

I hate that I have to ask this, but does a condom help a young woman who is already pregnant avoid pregnancy? No. This tactic reminds me of the antichoicers suggesting that pregnant women looking for abortions should just keep their legs closed (and not have sex). Great advice, but unless you've got a time machine to go with it, you're not helping anyone.

In business, companies can separate their customer base into different target markets. When dealing with teenagers, we should be able to do the same. Teens who are already pregnant and planning to parent or teen moms are one target market. This market is where the support needs to be sent to. Teens that are not pregnant and not parents are a second target market where the focus of contraceptive education should be pushed. Why is this such a hard idea for people to understand?

Of course, people may response that non-pregnant teens might see the support teen moms have, and decide that teen pregnancy isn't all that bad. While this may sound dangerous, I doubt an overwhelming number of teens are going to see teen parenting as "cool" or "fun" just because teen moms get some support. Besides that, teen parents should not be treated harshly or punished just to send a message to teens who aren't parents.

Pregnant women and mothers need to have a supportive environment whether they are teenagers or forty years old. And that support needs to be a lot more helpful than "use a condom..."

40 Days for Lies- Make it Do Good

2010-10-20T14:09:00.004-04:00

Are you tired of 40 Days for Life [read: Lies]? Do you want to create some sort of good out of the antichoice harassment happening at clinics around the country?

Well then, let's do it! I've dedicated this post to keeping track of how much money we can raise in the name of 40 Days for "Life" (aka Lies). There are many different ways you can donate!

You could donate to a clinic in North Dakota.
Or you could donate to the EMA fund in Massachusetts.
There's also the Make a Difference Fund in San Diego, California (which has a clinic being attacked by the 40 days).
The New York Abortion Access Fund has been very low on funds lately.

There are so many more than just those! If you want to pick one closer to home, you can look at the list of abortion funds or you could just donate to the National Network of Abortion funds and they'll be sure to put the money to good use.

The other option you have is donating to Planned Parenthood. Their donations are being matched up until election day, up to $100,000.

WentRogue is the first to donate (and my inspiration for this post). Will you step up and be number 2? If you donate, please leave a comment here, and then spread the word to others!

Antichoicers wont let HIV+ women have families.

2010-09-07T10:43:00.003-04:00

We learned that the people pushing for anti-abortion laws are actually pushing for forced abortion and c-section laws; they are one and the same.

"Why We Marched"

This quote is very important because it tells us the truth about antichoicers. Their goal is not to prevent abortions, but to control women. One way to control women is to deny them the right and ability to abort. Another way to control women is to tell certain groups of women that they cannot have sex and or cannot get pregnant and have a child.

I recently learned that a couple of the antichoicers on twitter believe that it is wrong for a woman who is HIV+ to choose to get pregnant and have a baby. This surprised me, because antis are so often talking about babies as miracles and the best thing about life.

It seems not everyone is allowed to enjoy the best part of life.

One of the antis said that a couple who is HIV+ should just refrain from having sex (or at least that's how they came across). I believe it's perfectly acceptable for people to refrain from having sex; if that is what they want to do. But what about the couple who wants to have sex? Why shouldn't they be "allowed," like all other consenting adults on the planet, to have sex? The other anti said that the risk of HIV transmission to a fetus/baby was too great to risk getting pregnant, but then said that a couple could still have sex. If the risk is too big to risk pregnancy, and sex has a risk of pregnancy, I'm not sure how you can hold those two views together.

But what I really don't understand, is where antichoicers got the idea that they could tell other people they couldn't have kids and expand their families. Women and men with HIV shouldn't be punished just for having HIV. If they want to start families, they should have every right to do so- in as safe a situation as possible! Teaching people with HIV that there's a stigma against them isn't going to encourage them to seek out treatment or reveal their HIV+ status to their doctors.

I'm sure other people are worried about risk of HIV transfer. I hadn't done much research myself, but @ashleyrebeccah was nice enough to share a link with me.

Antiretroviral therapy administered to the mother during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and then to the newborn, as well as elective cesarean section for women with high viral loads (more than 1,000 copies/ml), can reduce the rate of perinatal HIV transmission to 2% or less [12]

"Mother-to-Child (Perinatal) HIV Transmission and Prevention"

This means that as long as the mother knows she is HIV+, the risk of HIV transmission is 2% or less.

I'm sure some people will think that's too big of a risk to take. But for other people, perhaps people with HIV, that's not too big of a risk to take.

At 45 years old, women have a 3% risk of delivering a child with downs syndrome. Women who have already had a child with a neural tube defect have a 3% risk of having another child with a neural tube defect, like Anencephaly. Do antichoicers believe these women too should not be "allowed" to have a family?

It is a slippery slope which antichoicers are willing to go down towards eugenics, I'm sure. First women with HIV cannot have children- then women at risk for other diseases. Will they require everyone to have genetic testing to see if they will be allowed to have sex? Or will they just force sterilization upon the people they do not want to have kids?

Women are individual human beings, who deserve to have individual control over their reproductive organs and choices. Whether they be HIV+ or not; whether they have a genetic disease or not.

What’s wrong with pregnant teens?

2010-08-05T15:24:00.000-04:00

Cross posted from AbortionGang.org.

There is obviously a stigma attached to being a pregnant teenager.

My question is, why?

What is it about teenagers that makes us so upset when they get pregnant?

Some people might say that it’s because having a baby ruins a woman’s life- her change to fulfill her potential in the future. But then why aren’t we upset at 24 year olds having babies? They still have most of their lives ahead of them too. Or what if the young mother wants nothing more than to be a stay at home mom? Not everyone is on a track which takes them to college and then a PhD.

Other people might look down on her for not using birth control. But this is just an assumption. Perhaps she was using birth control- maybe birth control and condoms!- but happened to be a part of the statistic that contraceptives fail. Or perhaps she was raped. Can you imagine how hurtful it would be to have everyone assume you had consensual unprotected sex, when you were actually raped?

Another idea is that people look down on young people for having sex in the first place. Perhaps they would look down upon every sexually active teenager, but only the pregnant girls are physically affected in a way that gives off their sexual status. Is this a position the prochoice community wants to be in? Looking down on people for choosing to have sex?

Perhaps you’re thinking “Well, kids shouldn’t be having sex!” Most people would agree with that. But what age does “kids” cover? 19 year olds? 16 year olds? 14 year olds? I don’t have an answer for that. I do have a personal belief about how young is “too young” for sex. But my personal belief isn’t going to stop kids from having sex. Kids who are told they can’t, or shouldn’t, have sex, will continue to have sex- they just wont speak up about it, wont get protection, wont get tested.

Which brings us full circle back to young, pregnant girls.

So why do we think teen pregnancy is a bad thing? And if it really is a bad thing, how can we show that while still treating pregnant teenagers with respect and dignity?

PSA: Please vote liberal/democrat

2010-08-02T21:50:00.006-04:00

I would like to take a moment out to ask you to please make sure you vote liberal/democrat/independent in the midterm elections, and then again in 2012.

If you think that you don't need to vote, because there's no way the teaparty/ republicans / racists / whatever can win, please remember that every vote counts.

Here are some short reminders of why you need to vote.
(Backstory: pictures floating around which were supposedly of Obama's mother. Snopes says they were actually a 1950s pin up model. These are some comments on one website thread with the pictures. Click to enlarge if you can't read them.)

Among all this, one woman chose to call out these people for their words.

This is the response she got:

Please vote.

Part III: 20 more lies to deny women equal rights.

2010-07-30T22:43:00.002-04:00

This is a continuation of Part I and Part II, which is a list of reasons why women should not have abortions. A lot of them lies, a lot make no sense, some are even reasons to choose abortion, oddly. Read on for more.

Reason #81: Abortion after rape is a double tragedy

For some women, this could be true. For other women, childbirth after rape is a double tragedy. Let women express their own feelings, and let them decide what's best for them.

Reason #82: There are so many couples who would love to parent if you don’t

So a woman should be an incubator for another couple against her will? No thanks. There are thousands of children waiting to be adopted. The reason couples are on "waiting lists" is usually one of the following reasons: the process of adoption is too expensive, too long, too complicated OR they are waiting for a perfectly healthy wife newborn child. Putting another child into the system wont fix either reason.

Reason #83: The father might regret it too

He could. But since when is it his body being used? Besides, he could also regret parenting, or adoption. The young gentleman in "Teen Mom" who participated in the adoption seems to be extremely sad, possibly even regretful. He said "I miss my daughter."

Reason #84: Real feminists won’t ask you to kill your own child

"Real" feminists wouldn't use bullying to convince someone to make a choice they don't want to make. This is a mind trick used by people who want to make you do what you want. They'll say "Real [blank] wouldn't do this." Then you want to prove that you are a real [blank] so you do EXACTLY what they tell you to do, instead of making your own choice. It's about taking away your freedom and liberty.

Reason #85: There is still hope for your special needs child

Depending upon the fetus's condition, this could be a true or false statement. However, it's really a cruel statement if it's a lie. Parents of fetuses who are non-viable often want nothing more than a healthy fetus. But reality is that their fetus is not healthy. Making false promises and lying to them is nothing short of cruel punishment.

Reason #86: Abortion fetuses are often used in research

I don't know why this is a reason against abortion. Research helps us find cures for diseases, helps us improve human life.

Reason #87: Your unborn baby is intelligent

How do we define intelligent? A fetus in the first trimester doesn't have a functioning brain. How is intelligent, then?

Reason #88: We are self-aware before birth

Quick (google) research leads me to this information:

Many researchers even use ... the mirror test, to determine whether a creature is indeed self-aware (Jha, 2006). During the mirror test, a subject is tested to see if he can recognize himself in a mirror. The researcher places an identifying mark, like a smudge of lipstick or sticker, on the subject’s face. If he reaches up to touch the marker, he has demonstrated self-awareness. Elephants, apes, and bottlenose dolphins have all passed the mirror test (Jha, 2006). Human children can usually pass when they are about two years old.

Source

So, according to this, we're not self-aware until we're 2 years old. So this "reason" is another antichoice lie.

Reason #89: There could be a soul just waiting to come into your life

Yes, there could be. That soul could be the man you meet leaving the abortion clinic. It could be the professor in the class you take because you're not a mother. It could be the best friend you make at the medical school that you were able to afford because you weren't paying for a child. It could be anyone.

Reason #90: Abortion is not just a Catholic issue

This "reason" is just an explanation that you don't have to be Catholic to be antichoice. Okay. Why is that a "reason" to not have an abortion?

Reason #91: The Judeo-Christian heritage is pro-life

I'd agree it is prolife, but it is also prochoice. God gave us free will for a reason. The Judeo-Christian heritage is not antichoice- we are supposed to choose God, choose to follow Jesus. No one breaks your knees and drags you along.

Reason #92: Move with the changing attitudes on abortion

"Changing attitudes on abortion" say that most people are still in favor of abortion being legal. The only thing that is changing, is that they started saying they were prolife. I believe these people are prolife, but many of them are not antichoice.

Reason #93: Abortion may not be medically necessary

Correct, it may not. Not everyone has an abortion because it's medically necessary. If a woman is in a situation where she thinks she it is necessary to have an abortion for medical reasons, I welcome her to search out a second or third opinion if she chooses to do so. But I suggest those opinions to be DOCTORS and medical personal, not antichoicers outside a clinic.

Reason #94: Had one abortion? Don’t make it two

Why not? This "reason" isn't a reason.

Reason #95: What if the timing is right but you just don’t know it?

What if the timing is wrong and you absolutely know it? What if the timing is right for an abortion but you don't know it and choose to carry to term? We make choices in life with as much information as we can gather and find. We cannot make choices with information we wont know until 5 years later.

Reason #96: Read the messages from women who have been there

Yes, do read the messages! http://www.thanksabortion.com/ Client Stories from the Texas Equal Access Fund 9 Women share their personal stories of abortion 8 Women Share their Abortion Stories When Abortion Was Illegal There are many more out there too.

Reason #97: Parenting is not something you can ever be fully prepared for

This sounds almost like a reason to not be a parent. Women who abort because they're not ready to be a parent probably know you can't ever be 100% completely ready. However, they feel at that time that they're not *personally* ready to be a parent. That's their choice.

Reason #98: Motherhood is an awesome experience

For some people! For others, motherhood is not awesome at all. Motherhood can be tough and thankless work (thanks, moms!). For a woman who doesn't want a child, being forced to go through motherhood could be considered punishment almost. Why would you want someone to be a mom who doesn't want to be a mom?

Reason #99: Save a life today

Yes, save a life. And don't forget, you- a woman- are a life. Save your own life, however you need to do that.

Reason #100: You can still live your dreams

Another empty promise. Antichoicers like to make a lot of false promises that they cannot keep. How many young women are living in threadbare apartments with toddlers right now with no education and no job because someone told them that they wouldn't have any trouble and could do anything they wanted? I love the success stories of women who worked to live their dreams and be a mom (if those aren't the same thing). But not everyone is able; some are held back by finances, some are held back by stigma, some are held back for other reasons. Antichoicers need to stop making promises they can't keep.

Reason #101: Be prepared – you might just enjoy being a mom!

Be prepared- you might also not enjoy being a mom. This seems like a repeat of the "being a mom is awesome" we saw earlier. For those who WANT to be moms, or choose to be moms after learning of an unplanned pregnancy- fantastic! But for anyone forced into motherhood, I don't see how they could enjoy that. It's hard work that requires a special attention to the good parts to be enjoyed. No one should be forced into that position.

Pregnant women are people.

2010-07-26T13:57:00.003-04:00

Dear world: Pregnant women are people. They are not public property. They are not objects. They are not things. They are human beings, people, individuals, and women.

I am hoping most, if not all, of my readers are going "duh?" Unfortunately, this common sense fact isn't quite so common.

Today I read an article called I'm very pregnant - and people are unbelievably rude to me! The writer spent her time explaining about how she feels shamed when people call her huge or comment about how she looks like she's going to have a baby any minute even though she wasn't due for weeks. As I read the article, I couldn't help but agree with what she was saying; yes, people should respect your space; yes, people shouldn't make rude comments about your body; yes, you have the right to be comfortable and not attacked.

So when I reached the end of the article, I expected to see comments sharing these ideas. Instead, I found these:

Instead of getting all het [sic] up over people making comments about your body, spare a thought for the women who would never make a comment about seeing your wonderful pregnant belly.
...
Being pregnant is a blessing - even all the rudeness and invasion of privacy. Make the most of it.

Yes, you are an object of wonder and enjoy it while it lasts because as soon as the baby is born everyone will be looking only at it and ignoring you again!

Good god, what a load of old rubbish.
Stop moaning!

Viv, I really think you should take heed of some of the comments. The vast majority of women give birth, me included. The vast majority of those who give birth experience the same things from friends and strangers. The vast majority of us take in it the good humour in which is was intended.

I'm afraid you're quite right, Viv: when you're pregnant or have a small child with you, you are public property! However, this is not actually a bad thing...

So that's one "shut up and enjoy that stuff you hate," then "enjoy the stuff you hate because everyone will ignore you soon", one "shut up," one "shut up and join the rest of us who shut up" and lastly "stop complaining, what you hate is a good thing!"

I want to either puke or scream.

Did any of these commenters even READ the article? A woman is speaking about her feelings and about how rude and inappropriate comments make her feel. Every single one of the above comments IGNORED her feelings, IGNORED her thoughts, and told her she was either wrong or selfish. Some agreed with her that these comments are inappropriate, ("you are public property"!) but then chastised her for not appreciating them. How does that work!?

Women deserve better than this, and pregnant women are still women. They still have every right to display feelings, have their own opinions and dislike other people touching/talking about them.

The first comment especially strikes a cord with me. There seem to be a lot of people who say that other people must be appreciative of something, because the first person cannot have it. For example, if person A has trouble getting pregnant and person B is pregnant and complaining about people touching her, person A will tell person B that she MUST be thankful for people touching her, since there are people like person A in the world who can't get pregnant or have trouble getting pregnant.

I understand that we must empathize with other people, and a pregnant women should take notice that there are other women who have trouble becoming pregnant. But the existence of those other women does NOT mean that a pregnant women cannot make complaints, cannot tell people not to touch her, cannot be angry about inappropriate comments.

I also read another article today called A Woman's Body: Neither an Incubator, a House, Nor a Meth Lab. This article was about over 20 pregnant women who were addicted to drugs (meth, specifically) and were "prosecuted... under a law that criminalizes bringing children into houses where meth labs are operated." Only problem is, the "house" was the woman's body.

This again is an example of people forgetting that women are human beings. Women are not houses. Perhaps you believe that women addicted to drugs should be punished for having babies addicted to drugs. That's your call, and while I disagree with it, I'd still like for you to think of that woman as a person instead of an object, or a thing.

There is no reason in this day and age for women, pregnant or not, to be treated this way. There is no reason why we cannot fight against this culture of dehumanization. Women are people. We cannot forget that.

Use your detective skills & media for good!

2010-07-22T14:03:00.000-04:00

Crossposted at Abortion Gang.

A couple of the antichoicers on twitter have started tweeting about a video which allegedly shows a Planned Parenthood worker being untruthful about fetal development. I haven't watched the video myself (yet) so I cannot say whether something wrong happened or not.

I can say, that when a video like this comes out, I feel so disheartened by the hypocrisy of the antichoice movement. They say they care about "babies" but they've never used their anti-abortion tactics to help mothers and babies.

Every day, there's at least one if not two updates on the site My OB said WHAT?. This website keeps track of stories of OBs, nurses, midwives and other birth industry people who lie to pregnant women, say sexist and sexually inappropriate comments to pregnant women and their husbands, belittle women, and otherwise do a disservice to their jobs and the patients they interact with.

Antichoicers have a platform. They have the space to share this type of violence against women (yes, it is violence) with the larger world, and create a movement to stop the violence. They have gone under cover at abortion clinics, so why couldn't they go undercover on L&D floors? Heck, they don't even have to go undercover- just share the stories that are already out there.

It wont ever happen. Antichoicers care about fetuses, but you don't see any of them outside L&D floors offering to adopt unwanted children or even to pay the bills for the first few years of life. I have never seen an antichoice organization go after OB or midwife that lies about fetal development to a laboring woman. I don't think the antichoice organizations care if OBs or midwives lie about fetal development, as long as the fetus becomes an infant.

In the end, their often unfounded attacks on Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers is just discrimination against doctors who are willing to help women in need. Antichoicers are doing everything they can- threats of violence, actual violence, name calling, intruding, misleading and lying to name a few things- to stop women from receiving the healthcare they need. Their potential to do good, for a good cause, goes to waste.

WWJD? Not that. Teacher Fired for Having Premarital Sex

2010-06-17T15:07:00.001-04:00

Cross post from Abortion Gang.

This story is making me rage.

Let's get this out there: as a Christian, I do not believe what this school did was in any way Christian.

For those who don't want to click links: A teacher at the Southland Christian School in St. Cloud, Florida has been fired from her job for getting pregnant three weeks before her marriage.

This women already had five children and her first husband had died. It's not like she'd never had sex before. But that's besides the point.

First off, the school had no right to pry into this teacher's private life like that. Most family members aren't even told dates of conception. But not only did the principal pry into the teacher's life, he then went ahead and told all the other school employees AND the parent's of the teacher's students. Totally, totally inappropriate.

Secondly, I'm pretty sure that firing a woman for having sex with the man she would be marrying in 3 weeks is NOT what Jesus would have done. There's nothing Christian in taking away a person's job, spreading personal information they wish to keep private, and publicly ruining their life over a pregnancy. The correct thing to do would have been to congratulate the teacher on her pregnancy, give her the maternity leave that she asked for, and set up a room for her to pump in when she returned.

As a prochoice activist, there's a third part to this that bothers me. What message is this religious school sending out? That if a person becomes pregnant, they could be fired? What if another employee were to become pregnant out of wedlock? Maybe she would decide to have an unwanted abortion instead of risk losing her job. Now we've got conservative Christian groups, which I'll assume would fall into the category of antichoice, possibly causing women to have unwanted abortions. How in the world can they put themselves in that position? Making a woman choose between her pregnancy and her job is wrong.

This whole situation just baffled and angers me. A Christian school following Old Testament stoning ideas instead of the teaching of Jesus (love, mercy, forgiveness?). A conservative school punishing a woman for deciding to have a baby. A principal sharing private, personal information with people completely unrelated to the situation!

We need to speak up against this. We need to show our support for this woman and her choice, and anyone else in her situation. The school had no right to punish her for becoming pregnant.

(And just encase you weren't mad yet, check out some of the comments on Fox News in support of firing the teacher for her "sexual sin." )

Antichoice Contradictions

2010-06-12T16:45:00.004-04:00

Money. Antichoicers seem to be obsessed with money. Some claim that Planned Parenthood and abortion providers only work for money (makes no sense w/ PP being a non-profit and providers offering free or discounted abortions for tough cases, but I digress). Some antis offer prochoicers money to turn in abortion providers, in the hopes that we are obsessed with money like they are (we're not).

But the one thing that drives me crazy is the contradiction between abortion and antichoicers paying taxes.

To explain further: antichoice and republican (or now, teaparty) usually go hand in hand. I'm sure there are some liberal antis out there, but they are certainly a minority.

Republicans, as a group, don't want to pay taxes. They don't want to pay for medicare, medicaid, health care for others, anything. If it involves their money and their neighbor or the kid down the street, republicans want nothing to do with it.

And yet, they want to ban abortion, which would create more welfare dependents and raise the taxes.

I do not understand this. How can you on one hand demand that there should be more people in this country, many of which would be on welfare or in foster care or need government help in some other way... and then also refuse to help pay for those expenses? Refuse to keep alive the children they've forced into this world?

Many people would jump to the logical conclusion: antichoicers don't care about born children or any born people for that matter, only fetuses. I'm loath to make such a general and almost unfair statement; but when all the facts point in one direction, it's hard to deny something is true.

If abortions are covered under health insurance and costs are kept low (by removing forced-ultrasound laws), Americans would pay lower taxes than if abortions were made illegal.

I can hear the anti reply already: "You want to kill babies to save money!!"

No. I do not want to kill babies to save money. I do not want to kill fetuses or infants to save money. I personally do not mind having a higher tax if the money goes to a starving child on welfare.

What I want to know is, do antichoicers realize the contradiction in these two ideas? How do they (you) reconcile between wanting lower taxes and wanting to increase the number of welfare recipients in America?

The things I can't say...

2010-06-02T12:37:00.000-04:00

Cross posted from Abortion Gang.

As a vocal prochoicer, I am not able to always speak my mind.

Every single time I tweet, blog, email or post a comment somewhere, I have to carefully look over each and every word, to ensure that I haven't said something I "shouldn't."

What are these things I "shouldn't" say? Well, basically it's anything an antichoicer could jump onto, take out of context, or otherwise use against me. Against us. Against Planned Parenthood. Against women.

I hate that I have to guard my speech. I hate that I have to turn conversations onto random tangents over word use. But if I don't do these things, antichoicers will run away with my words and ignore anything I say after that.

Well you know what? I'm tired of letting antis decide what I do or do not say.

So what if a woman calls a fetus a baby? So what if I follow her lead and say the word baby too? I shouldn't refrain from using words that the woman is most comfortable with. If after her abortion she feels that her baby died and became an angel, then why can't I agree with her on that?

I'm not the only one who feels their language is limited sometimes. And for other people, it's limited not only by antichoicers but fellow prochoicers. For example:

I got this email in the Spectrum Doula Collective inbox earlier this week:

I know you think you’re doing good, but you are not. You are doing a grave disservice to the pro-choice movement by believing the lies from the anti-choicers. Please email me back, we can talk more about this, but please consider what you are doing before you proceed any further.

Wow. What, exactly, are we doing wrong? What sort of disservice do we do by believing pregnant people need compassionate care while undergoing surgical procedures? Or, at the very least, that they might want a bit more emotional and informational support while they undergo a highly mystified and generally misunderstood surgery?

How are we “believing the lies from the anti-choicers” by recognizing all reproductive experiences (and the emotions surrounding them) and believing that they are valid?

Via: Exhale is Pro-Voice

We cannot all hide behind the statistics ("most women aren't depressed after an abortion"). The facts are the facts, and they will remain the same. But abortion is about more than the facts; it's about the people involved and the emotions those people feel.

Prochoice advocates aren't the only ones silenced by antichoicers. Women who have abortions, who believe their abortion was the right thing for them but who also feel sadness afterward are stuck in between a rock and a hard place; especially when her prochoice friends feel they can't recognize that sadness because antis will it up and run off with it. Both the woman and the advocate/friend suffer. Sometimes, the woman just refuses to share her feelings with anyone because she's afraid of her friend's response or, again, that antis will take her words and run away with them (See: Why I Blame the Antis).

I will not let antichoicers control my speech, and I will not allow them to have a monopoly on emotions.

Women do not fit into our stereotypes. Not all women feel regret after an abortion, as antichoicers say. Not all women treat abortion as a lightheaded, easy matter as some prochoicers say. Some women do both these things, while some do neither.

As a prochoicer, I will work to acknowledge all these feelings and emotions before, during and after an abortion. Will you?

True Antichoice Colors.

2010-05-31T15:09:00.003-04:00

A year ago, when Dr. Tiller was assassinated, many antichoice people and organizations cried out that it was wrong and that they did not support Scott Roeder's actions.

Today, one year later, we see their true colors start to come out.

Many antichoice activists on Twitter are denouncing Dr. Tiller as a murderer. Many of these people also claim that "guilty" people (such as convicted murderers) deserve the death penalty.

On the anniversary of Dr. Tiller's murder, they are bringing out the big guns: attacking Dr. Tiller with all the ammo they have (which is nothing, in reality, but a lot of made up stuff for them). They call him greedy, they call him heartless, they call him cruel, they call him whatever nasty thing they can think of. They compare him to Hitler.

Does it sound like they support Dr. Tiller, or terrorist Roeder?

Prominent blogger Jill Stanek used the term "baby killer" in the title of her blog about Dr. Tiller. Phrases such as this (baby killer) is part of what led Roeder to murder the doctor, as well as other terrorists to bomb clinics and shoot other doctors and nurses.

One quick sentence to the effect of, "now I don't support murder, but..." doesn't change the over all message coming from all antichoice activists this weekend.

The truth is, antichoicers are glad someone murdered our fallen hero, Dr. Tiller.

They're glad someone took up a gun and "saved the babies." Because the babies [read: fetuses] are the only ones they care about.

The week following Dr. Tiller's murder, antichoicers were afraid to support Roeder. Today, they have no problem walking the thin line between support and disapproval. Will it be next, or five years from now, when antichoicers are calling Roeder their own hero?

I hope that, instead of this grim future of terrorism support, antichoicers wake up to the effects of their actions and words. I hope that antichoicers stop calling for the murder of living human beings, either secretly or out in the open.

Roeder was not a lone wolf. He was a member of the antichoice terrorism movement.

God has a plan for all fetuses.

2010-04-26T22:52:00.003-04:00

(Possible trigger warning for miscarriages/stillbirth. I do not mean any disrespect or harm to any reader.)

It's true. God has a plan for all fetuses.

But not every plan includes being born.

Some fetuses are meant to be born, raised by loving and almost perfect parents, become doctors or scientists, find cures for diseases and save lives.

Other fetuses are meant to be miscarried, or born still. They are mourned or not mourned, always remembered or intentionally forgotten.

Why? We don't know why. God's plan is bigger than all of us, bigger than we can see. We don't know why God runs the world the way He does.

Abortion (the intentional termination of a pregnancy, not necessarily the current day procedure) is obviously a part of God's plan. There are cases in the Bible of God's chosen people killing pregnant women and their fetuses (Numbers 31:15-17, Genesis 38:24) and God's priests causing an abortion if a woman is pregnant after cheating (Numbers 5:11-31). If you can't believe that, one must at least recognize that miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is a part of God's plan. God controls nature- he designed it, and us- and if He never planned on miscarriages happening, they wouldn't happen.

When antichoicers say "God has a plan for your [fetus]!" they're trying to trick women. Trick women into thinking that God always plans for a fetus to be born. Or that God plans for their specific fetus to be born, and the woman is going to mess up that plan. But God is smarter than that! He knows us; He knows what choices we will make in this life. God's plans coincide with the choices we will make. God would not put, say, the future curer of cancer inside a woman who plans to abort if she ever gets pregnant.

So don't think that you can't make your own choice because 'God has a plan.' God's plans work with you, not against you. Whether you abort or carry to term, God walking the path with you.

"Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black" - by Tim Wise

2010-04-24T10:29:00.003-04:00

I just read a beautifully written, eye opening piece by Tim Wise over here. I think you should go there to read it. However, I have also reprinted it here on my blog. Full credit goes to Tim Wise.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Let’s play a game, shall we? The name of the game is called “Imagine.” The way it’s played is simple: we’ll envision recent happenings in the news, but then change them up a bit. Instead of envisioning white people as the main actors in the scenes we’ll conjure - the ones who are driving the action - we’ll envision black folks or other people of color instead. The object of the game is to imagine the public reaction to the events or incidents, if the main actors were of color, rather than white. Whoever gains the most insight into the workings of race in America, at the end of the game, wins.

So let’s begin.

Imagine that hundreds of black protesters were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Capitol and White House, armed with AK-47s, assorted handguns, and ammunition. And imagine that some of these protesters —the black protesters — spoke of the need for political revolution, and possibly even armed conflict in the event that laws they didn’t like were enforced by the government? Would these protester — these black protesters with guns — be seen as brave defenders of the Second Amendment, or would they be viewed by most whites as a danger to the republic? What if they were Arab-Americans? Because, after all, that’s what happened recently when white gun enthusiasts descended upon the nation’s capital, arms in hand, and verbally announced their readiness to make war on the country’s political leaders if the need arose.

Imagine that white members of Congress, while walking to work, were surrounded by thousands of angry black people, one of whom proceeded to spit on one of those congressmen for not voting the way the black demonstrators desired. Would the protesters be seen as merely patriotic Americans voicing their opinions, or as an angry, potentially violent, and even insurrectionary mob? After all, this is what white Tea Party protesters did recently in Washington.

Imagine that a rap artist were to say, in reference to a white president: “He’s a piece of shit and I told him to suck on my machine gun.” Because that’s what rocker Ted Nugent said recently about President Obama.

Imagine that a prominent mainstream black political commentator had long employed an overt bigot as Executive Director of his organization, and that this bigot regularly participated in black separatist conferences, and once assaulted a white person while calling them by a racial slur. When that prominent black commentator and his sister — who also works for the organization — defended the bigot as a good guy who was misunderstood and “going through a tough time in his life” would anyone accept their excuse-making? Would that commentator still have a place on a mainstream network? Because that’s what happened in the real world, when Pat Buchanan employed as Executive Director of his group, America’s Cause, a blatant racist who did all these things, or at least their white equivalents: attending white separatist conferences and attacking a black woman while calling her the n-word.

Imagine that a black radio host were to suggest that the only way to get promoted in the administration of a white president is by “hating black people,” or that a prominent white person had only endorsed a white presidential candidate as an act of racial bonding, or blamed a white president for a fight on a school bus in which a black kid was jumped by two white kids, or said that he wouldn’t want to kill all conservatives, but rather, would like to leave just enough—“living fossils” as he called them—“so we will never forget what these people stood for.” After all, these are things that Rush Limbaugh has said, about Barack Obama’s administration, Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama, a fight on a school bus in Belleville, Illinois in which two black kids beat up a white kid, and about liberals, generally.

Imagine that a black pastor, formerly a member of the U.S. military, were to declare, as part of his opposition to a white president’s policies, that he was ready to “suit up, get my gun, go to Washington, and do what they trained me to do.” This is, after all, what Pastor Stan Craig said recently at a Tea Party rally in Greenville, South Carolina.

Imagine a black radio talk show host gleefully predicting a revolution by people of color if the government continues to be dominated by the rich white men who have been “destroying” the country, or if said radio personality were to call Christians or Jews non-humans, or say that when it came to conservatives, the best solution would be to “hang ‘em high.” And what would happen to any congressional representative who praised that commentator for “speaking common sense” and likened his hate talk to “American values?” After all, those are among the things said by radio host and best-selling author Michael Savage, predicting white revolution in the face of multiculturalism, or said by Savage about Muslims and liberals, respectively. And it was Congressman Culbertson, from Texas, who praised Savage in that way, despite his hateful rhetoric.

Imagine a black political commentator suggesting that the only thing the guy who flew his plane into the Austin, Texas IRS building did wrong was not blowing up Fox News instead. This is, after all, what Anne Coulter said about Tim McVeigh, when she noted that his only mistake was not blowing up the New York Times.

Imagine that a popular black liberal website posted comments about the daughter of a white president, calling her “typical redneck trash,” or a “whore” whose mother entertains her by “making monkey sounds.” After all that’s comparable to what conservatives posted about Malia Obama on freerepublic.com last year, when they referred to her as “ghetto trash.”

Imagine that black protesters at a large political rally were walking around with signs calling for the lynching of their congressional enemies. Because that’s what white conservatives did last year, in reference to Democratic party leaders in Congress.

In other words, imagine that even one-third of the anger and vitriol currently being hurled at President Obama, by folks who are almost exclusively white, were being aimed, instead, at a white president, by people of color. How many whites viewing the anger, the hatred, the contempt for that white president would then wax eloquent about free speech, and the glories of democracy? And how many would be calling for further crackdowns on thuggish behavior, and investigations into the radical agendas of those same people of color?

To ask any of these questions is to answer them. Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week, that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.

And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.

Game Over.

------------------------------------------------------------

This is something everyone should consider. Tea Party members are violent and angry, and their actions would *not* be acceptable if they didn't have the privilege of being white. One commenter on the original blog mentioned the Blank Panthers, and their actions & the reactions of other people in comparison to the teaparty members. I am sick of the teaparty groups being allowed to get away with doing ANYTHING just because they are white conservatives. The violence, racism, rude and offensive behavior and lies need to stop. Now.

What Planned Parenthood does.

2010-04-14T13:34:00.004-04:00

Many people have personal experiences from when they visited their local Planned Parenthood. Depending upon where we go, why we go, and when we go, we can each have a different experience.

Some people claim that Planned Parenthood only deals with abortions, and backs this up with a personal experience about how they went to their local PP and were counseled on abortion. For some reason, they seem to think that this means every single Planned Parenthood clinic and the organization as a whole only does what the one counselor they encountered did. This could not be farther from the truth.

Planned Parenthood is an international organization, yes. But their clinics are not franchises, where every "item" on the "menu" has to be exactly the same (such as a McDonalds does). Each Planned Parenthood has different services they are able to provide, based upon their location, the laws of the area and the doctors/nurses/workers available in the area.

For instance, some Planned Parenthoods perform abortions. Others do not. The one I visited the first time I needed a checkup does not perform abortions- they only deal with STDs, birth control and exams. Some PPs offer prenatal care- I have a friend who went to Planned Parenthood for all of her prenatal care during her first pregnancy as a teenager. Other Planned Parenthood locations have agreements with local adoption groups to provide resources and avenues for women looking to place a child up for adoption. Some PPs can even test you for fertility, and provide infertility treatments!

There are a whole range of services offered by Planned Parenthood as an organization. If you want to know which ones are offered at your local clinic, you can look it up here.

So next time, instead of making an assumption about what Planned Parenthood does based upon the one nurse you interact with, remember that you're seeing one small part of what Planned Parenthood is and does.

Not everyone cares

2010-04-13T00:21:00.007-04:00

There's something I've been thinking about. I don't want to accept it. I don't want to admit it. But I think it's time I do.

Not every woman cares. Not every woman wants women to have equal rights.

This baffles my mind, at first. I can't imagine a woman who doesn't want equal rights. I can't imagine a woman who doesn't stick up for the rights of other women. But they're out there.

The latest example is @MrsDigger who got into a debate about women "exposing" themselves while breastfeeding. Excuse me? Breastfeeding isn't exposing anything. It's feeding a child. I was double surprised to learn MrsDigger, and the people I saw coming to her defense, are all conservative. I thought conservatives were in favor of family values? Isn't breastfeeding a family value? Taking care of kids?

Perhaps I don't really understand it.

I've never hated a woman for breastfeeding or wanting to sleep with her child. Before I became involved in women's rights, I didn't think of these things. They just, didn't appear in my mind. So at first, when I saw others saying rude and unsupportive things to and about women, especially new mothers, I thought "Oh, they just not be informed." Realizing that these people were informed, and just didn't give a darn, well, that was a shock. Especially when some of the people were involved in the birthing industry.

But I really shouldn't be surprised. Even when women were fighting for the right to vote, there was a group of women saying "No, women shouldn't have the right to vote."

Can you imagine being one of the women who stood up and said "No, I don't want the right to vote." ? I can't!

It scares me that we haven't moved past this "don't give me my rights" idea yet. Will we ever get past it? I hope so! I'll stand up and say "give me my rights!" for all issues- abortion, VBAC, breastfeeding, adoption, anything and everything. Will you?

Breastfeeding in Public.

2010-04-10T19:22:00.005-04:00

Why are people against breastfeeding? Why are people against breastfeeding in public?

I don't get it.

Adults go out in public and eat. That's why we have those things called restaurants and fast food joints. Do some people forget that infants and toddlers are human beings?

Newsflash: Newborns are human beings, and have just as much right to eat food as you or I do.

So if it's not the infant, what is it? The breast?

What do people have against body parts? You use your arm to pick up the fork and shovel food into YOUR mouth. What do you have against a breast?

I can see what you're thinking, reader: But breasts aren't the same as an arm!!

Yes, you're right. Breasts are so much better than arms. Breasts make food of their own accord! They provide all the nurishment that a young human being needs in the first 6 months of their life, if not longer. Breastmilk doesn't go bad, doesn't need to be warmed up, tastes sweet (so I've heard), helps protect young ones against diseases and illnesses and is what our bodies were made to do.

Breastfeeding should be the NORM of our society, not something we have to fight to protect.

There is nothing indecent about breastfeeding.
There is no inappropriate body part "exposed" during breastfeeding.
A breast feeding a child is not a sex object.
Seeing the skin of a breast while a child is being fed is no different than seeing the skin of your arm.

BREASTS ARE PARTS OF OUR BODIES. Get used to it.

Blogs you should read!

2010-04-07T12:00:00.003-04:00

Alright. Everyone seems to have this sort of "roundup" of posts or blogs they think others should read. Why not me too?

I actually decided to do this because of The Feminist Breeder. Her blog is so awesome, that it broke the internetz last night. That's just how important it is that you read her posts.

So here are a few which I think are "must reads:"
When it comes to Breastfeeding, We can't handle the truth.
Once a Cesarean, Rarely a Choice
VBAC Access is a Human Rights Issue
How to Have a Better VBAC
Full-time Worker, Full-time Student, Full-time Breastfeeder too

Actually, just read everything she writes.

Next blog: ProChoiceGal!

She writes wonderful posts about abortion rights and feminism and awareness of violence and assault against women.

"I Don't Support Roeder BUT..."
Hijacking Feminism: The Feminists Who Hate Women
10 Reasons Why Choice is a Good Thing
The "Pro-Choicers" Who Force Birth

I also really love the Abortioneers blog. Really. There are so many good posts there, that I don't know where to start. Read 'em.

Joyful Birth Services doesn't update as often as I like, but when they do update it's chalk full of useful information about birthing. I need to put in effort to go and back read her older posts.

MotherWit Doula had two posts that I really loved:
Doulas behaving badly
A Path to Good Doula/Midwife/Medical Professional Relationships

Lastly, Public Health Doula writes interesting things! Information about breastfeeding, hospital births, and other related information.

Honestly, there are a million blogs that I want to read. All day. All the time. But I don't have that much free time! Still, I love to hear of new blogs to read. Have any suggestions?

Baby vs Fetus & Human Beings.

2010-04-02T21:48:00.006-04:00

Two things I've been seeing antis claim a lot lately, and I wanted to go over them.

1. If you think a fetus isn't a baby, then you're crazy.

Antis are pretty solid in this. If you don't use the word "baby" to describe, well, a fetus, then you must have either had an abortion you are trying to not think about, or you support abortion and don't want to think of the fetus as human.

Well, news for them. Fetuses are human. Fetuses are alive. Fetuses can be aborted.

I honestly don't care if an individual calls a fetus a baby, a peanut, a poopie, a butterfly, a clump of cells or a "unique, individual person with a life planned by God!" It can be aborted. Period.

Another thing I notice when antichoicers bring up this "baby" thing, is that they make a LOT of strawmans. For instance, if I say "it's a fetus, not a baby" then the antichoicer might respond, "Well, when does it come alive then!? Oh, you're crazy for thinking it's not human! What is it, a melon?" These are both strawmans. Calling a fetus a fetus does not mean you think it's dead (in fact, most prochoicers I know recognize that a fetus is living). Calling a fetus a fetus doesn't mean you think it's a zebra fetus; it's still a *human* fetus. But it's a fetus.

Fetus. fetus. fetus. fetus. fetus. fetus. fetus. fetus.

Baby is a word that can apply to any number of things. For instance, a 70 year old women can call her youngest son a baby, even though he's 40 years old. Or, a cashier in the grocery store can go "that customer was such a baby, they wanted ALL their groceries in individual bags" when the customer is 27. Babies can also be of other species- there are baby lions and baby zebras. Heck, I consider my cats to be my "babies."

So when an anti insists that a fetus isn't a fetus but a baby, I just shake my head. That's failure to understand science.

Of course, it should be noted that once you *do* convince the anti that a fetus is a fetus, they simply go "Oh, well that means 'young one' in Latin." You would think this definition would allow them to accept the word more often. Alas, not so much.

2. Antis also claim that if a person recognizes the fetus as a human being, then they must be antichoice. This is because, in their minds, human beings cannot be killed.

Of course, this is obviously wrong. Antis like to live in a pretend world when talking about abortion. For instance, a quote:

By the way, how can they believe in "rights" when they believe our entire lifespans can be taken from us, we therefore do not have a right to live our lives and therefore cannot have any "rights" at all?

By Joe at Jill Stanek's blog.

This above quote shows that the writer, an antichoicer, wants the reader to believe that he doesn't think that people can be killed. However, I'm willing to bet that Joe is either for the death penalty, supportive of war, or both. Or more.

See, antis have no problem with killing born people. It's just something about fetuses that gets them.

But back on topic. When one recognizes that human beings can be killed, then this entire argument falls apart. Especially when we see that human beings can be killed legally (outside of abortion, of course, since that is what we are questioning). I've already gone over this. More than once. But it just doesn't seem to stick.

Even if the fetus is a living person, it can be aborted. Alright? Got it? Thanks. Now try to make a new argument. Because I'm really tired of this one.

Why I can't have kids.

2010-03-31T15:27:00.007-04:00

I've had a crazy week, and I just want to relax. So I decided to write a kind of funny, random post. At least, it will be funny to me.

So without further ado, reasons why I can't have kids (yet).

1. I haven't finished Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.
2. If I went into labor, I'd be thinking more about arguing with the OB/nurse about letting me have a natural birth than actually having the kid.
3. I would force my child to eat when he/she wasn't hungry, so that I could breastfeed in public.
4. I haven't convinced my fiance that he would be in charge of diaper duty.
5. My cat doesn't like to share.
6. No one has sent me a copy of the parenting manual yet.
7. My mother-in-law (to be) would probably move into my house as soon as she heard I was going to have a child.
8. I just told the census that only two people live in my house.
9. My camera can't hold how many pictures I would take of my growing belly and the child once born.
10. I would be more interested reading mommy blogs, abortion rights blogs, and other blogs than spending quality time with a child.
11. I haven't decided if my child will be bilingual, trilingual, quad-lingual, or just bajillion-lingual.
12. I would have too much fun taking my child to rallies and marches.
13. I'm waiting for tantrums to come with an "on/off" switch.
14. I'm also waiting for men to produce breastmilk so I don't have to do all the night feedings.
15. I've yet to find a company which offers a return policy if I change my mind.
16. I would spend all my money on babywearing wraps because I can't pick a favorite fabric.
17. I don't think people want to read me tweet about poopy diapers and puke.
18. I don't want to tweet about poopy diapers and puke.

There you go! Some of the reasons I can't have kids.

I want your 2 cents.

2010-03-31T01:23:00.003-04:00

So I've been trying to keep two things in my mind these past two weeks.

1. A way to bring the birth(/breastfeeding/other) activists and abortion right activists together.

2. A twitter hashtag to use for my "generation" of people who support all rights for all people. There is already a hashtag "#reprojustice but that one is a bit long. I'm looking for something shorter- I thought #reprojust but that's practically the same.

So this is a shorter post. I want you to COMMENT and tell me what you think. Answer one or two or both, I don't mind. I just need people to help me come up with ideas. This is about a community, not a single person. I can't do it alone.

Why Prochoicers should care about VBAC access

2010-03-27T22:42:00.005-04:00

I learned something new today! (An important part of daily life.)

One of the lovely members of Abortioneers explained to me over Twitter that the scars from a c-section can be reason to deny a woman an abortion.

I had never even thought of this. I knew of women being denied a vaginal birth because of their risk of uterine rupture, but I had never considered women being denied an abortion because of previous c-section(s). It shouldn't have surprised me, of course. 60% of women who abort already have at least one child, which means they've already given birth at least once. And with a c-section rate at somewhere around 32% or more, depending upon the state, it makes perfect sense that many women wishing to obtain an abortion would have had c-sections.

This past week, when I haven't been worrying about real life, I've been trying to think of a way that the birthing activists and abortion rights activists could be brought together, to fight together for reproductive justice. Could this be it?

I know that prochoicers who fight for abortion rights, when they think about it, fight for all reproductive rights. However, a lot of our time is spent focused solely on abortion rights. I think a lot of people, even feminist activists, don't realize that women have trouble accessing vaginal birth. The stigma surrounding abortion makes it obvious to us how difficult accessing abortion can be. But there isn't a stigma surrounding vaginal birth (except inside a hospital room behind closed doors). We're just never told that women are denied vaginal births after c-sections, unless we suffer it ourselves or find our way into the birthing community.

Even though I'm sure abortion right activists care about birthing rights, I can see where some might decide to focus solely on abortion rights. However, when we consider the above, birthing rights BECOME abortion rights. If a woman is forced to go through repeat c-sections, and then she is denied an abortion because of her c-sections? That's an abortion rights issue. We can't change that a woman is denied an abortion because of medical reasons. But we CAN change that she is forced into a repeat c-section for no reason besides hospital policy.

If we care about abortion rights, we have to care about birthing rights.

Now just to figure out how to bring the birthing community majority into abortion rights activism. :-)

I'm mad at you, prochoice Americans.

2010-03-23T00:15:00.004-04:00

I'm ticked off. I'm ticked off at prochoice Americans.

Now before I go any further, I want to say that people who are actively involved in prochoice activism (lol redundant) year round, 24/7/365, need not read on. This is not about you.

To those of you who sit around and go "Roe v Wade is law, why should I speak out?" or "The Hyde amendment doesn't bother me"- yeah, you keep reading.

My big question is- DO YOU CARE? Do you care about women? Do you care about children? Do you care about your sisters, your mother, your aunts, your daughters, yourself?

If you care, why don't you speak up until the damage has already been done?!

Healthcare reform passage is an epic, historic event, even if it happens as the bus rolls over us women. But it seems there were some women on the bus, who are just now realizing that they're being thrown under it. What took you so long? Where were you when Stupak brought out his amendment months ago? I remember the fury that appeared right after that passed. Where did it go between then and now? All those wonderful, beautiful, prochoice ladies (and some gentlemen, too!) disappeared into the woodwork. And now you want to come back and suddenly complain that the antichoice men are kicking you off the bus?

It's enraging.

There's only one benefit to this. If we can keep this fury around this time, we can do good with it. We can convince Obama that the antichoice Executive Amendment should not have happened, because it pleased 6 Congressmen at the expense of millions of women. We can fight out against antichoice laws which are being brought up in numerous states across the US (don't forget, miscarriage is illegal in Utah). We can remind the world that America is a prochoice country with a prochoice majority.

So please- I'm begging you- don't crawl back into the woodwork. Don't give up in a few days and go home. Don't. Stop. Caring.

Because while today they only took away your sister's right to freedom, tomorrow they'll be coming for yours.

Abortion- an easy or difficult choice?

2010-03-13T12:15:00.002-05:00

There are many different opinions on whether abortion is easy or difficult. Some people (both anti and prochoice) claim that abortion is always a difficult choice. Others, including women who have aborted, claim that abortion was an easy decision for them without any need for racking the brain. I don't think we can say for sure whether abortion is ALWAYS a hard choice or ALWAYS an easy choice.

Choices aren't either yes or no, easy or difficult. There is a scale, which allows for different amounts of comfort and easy. For each person, that scale is different.

I'd say, for most people abortion is:
a harder choice than what you're going to wear today and an easier choice than your career choice.
a harder choice than whether to have your wisdom teeth removed and an easier choice than who you will marry.
A more difficult decision than if you want to ask out your elementary school crush, and an easier choice than what to do if you have cancer.

Of course, each person is unique, and their opinion of where abortion stands as a decision may lie somewhere else than where I've placed it.

We cannot make claims about abortion being ALWAYS a hard choice or ALWAYS a difficult choice. Because its not. Each individual woman will have a different experience with abortion.

Reasons to be Antichoice

2010-03-10T22:12:00.005-05:00

Before I begin, I would like to mention that today is Abortion Provider appreciation day. So, THANK YOU to all those wonderful people out there who provide abortions. Secondly, tomorrow is a doula-healthcare action day: Click here to learn more.

Now, onto my topic. I would like to list, and possibly explain, the reasons I see that people choose to be antichoice.

Jealousy. This reason most often causes infertile antichoicers to fight against pregnant women. Infertile antichoicers are incredibly jealous of other women and their ability to produce offspring. When a woman chooses to not have offspring, an infertile anti will be outraged; why would someone "throw away" something she* wants with all her body and soul? For this reason, she becomes angry at pregnant women, especially those choosing abortion. She decides that other women should give their babies to her, because she wants them so badly. Somehow, she twists it in her mind that other people have a *duty* to produce offspring for *her.* Like all antis, she doesn't care for the pregnant woman's rights.

Hatred. This is probably the majority of the antichoice movement. Many, many, many antis will say "Well she had sex so now she has to have a baby!" This foolish idea (which completely ignores miscarriage and even stillbirth, let alone abortion) stems from their hatred of women who have sex when they "not supposed to." "Not supposed to," of course, is some magical time completely made up in the anti's head. It could be that she's not supposed to have sex as a teenager; she's not supposed to have sex as a college student; she's not supposed to have sex when drunk; she's not supposed to have sex when she doesn't want to have kids; she's not supposed to have sex if she can't afford a(nother) child; she's not supposed to have sex if pregnancy endangers her life- etc. None of these are laws (moral or legal). These are simply random qualifiers created in the anti's head. If a woman "disobeys" and breaks these qualifiers by having sex when she's not supposed to- then the anti wants her punished. She will be punished with pregnancy. Antis who tell women they have a "responsibility" to give birth really just want to see women suffer for having sex when the anti deemed she was "not supposed to."

Ignorance. Unfortunately, this is common among antichoicers as well. This can range from ignorance about pregnancy, to ignorance about abortion and ignorance about the law. Some examples include:

1. Believing that abortion deals with newborns instead of embryos and fetuses.
2. Believing that abortion is more dangerous than full term pregnancy and childbirth (Its not).
3. Believing that abortion is murder (that's wrong too).
4. Thinking that abortion causes all women to suffer regret and pain (Nope).

There are many more misunderstandings and incorrect beliefs. All of them can lead to an antichoice position. I think, of all the reasons to be antichoice, this is the "best" one in terms of prochoicers because this belief has the possibility to be fixed. All we need is a little education! Although getting antis to listen is not always easy.

These are really the only reasons I can think of for being antichoice. Do you think I missed some? Please leave a comment, and explain!

*Whether I say "she" or "he," all of these can apply to male or female (or trans) antichoicers. It's simply easier to type using one pronoun.

Are you really prochoice?

2010-03-01T18:55:00.003-05:00

The Abortioneers Blog has asked a number of questions. The point is to learn how prochoice you are. Here are my answers.

Do you Agree or Disagree with the following statements:

1. Every woman has the right to choose to terminate a pregnancy regardless of when during the pregnancy. Yes. However, I believe that a c-section or vaginal delivery is also a way to terminate a pregnancy, and those methods should be taken over abortion after viability.

2. Abortion should be allowed even beyond 24 weeks of pregnancy. Yes.

3. Parental consent should be required for any teen under the age of 18 requesting an abortion. No. A woman is a woman regardless if her years on this earth are more or less than 18. EACH person gets to decide whether she wants to abort, not her parents.

4. Women who have more than 5 abortions are irresponsible. Nope.

5. Women who have more than 10 abortions are irresponsible. Nope. Though depending upon the reasons, I do think someone needs to reach out with offers of information and assistance.

6. Women should not use abortion as a form of birth control. Abortion IS a way to control birth, but I do not think it should be used as a contraceptive. From my point of view, this has more to do with safety and finances than rights. For the majority of people, the risks of abortion, especially repeat abortions, is higher than using hormonal birth control or condoms. As well, abortions are more expensive. For this reason, it simply makes more sense for people to use hormonal birth control and/or condoms over abortions.

7. I think reproductive health advocacy organizations should promote the use of emergency contraception in order to decrease the number of abortions in the US each year.Among many other things- yes!

8. I feel uncomfortable if a woman has an abortion because of the gender of the pregnancy. I do feel uncomfortable, yes. However, I stand for a woman's right to abort regardless of WHY she chooses to do it. I don't have to agree with a woman's choice to support her legal right to do so.

9. Male partners should have the right to be a part of the decision to terminate a pregnancy. A legal right, no. Do I think a woman should take her sexual partner's opinion into consideration? Yes. Unless her situation is one of rape or other violence, I think a woman should definitely ask her partner what he thinks/feels and take his opinion into consideration. But at the end of the day, it's HER choice and she is not obliged to do something that HE wants.

10. I think a woman's right to choose to have an abortion is an absolute and inalienable right no matter what. I don't think I can say yes to this. I definitely don't think women can choose abortion in the middle of giving birth. However, I don't think race, age, education, income level, method of conception or country of origin should stop someone from obtaining an abortion.

One more activity to sit with is an open-ended finish the sentence:

1. Abortions are: the termination of pregnancies; a legal right; healthcare.

2. Women who have abortions are: normal.

3. A woman facing an unwanted pregnancy needs to: Speak with her doctor, speak with those close to her (family,friends,etc), consider her religion and make the best choice for her.

4. In this country, abortion should be: legal, protected and funded.

5. People working to restrict abortion should: stop right now, because they are hurting women!

6. People working on behalf of women's right to choose should: be praised to high Heaven for standing up for equality in the face of danger.

Sharing the Message of Christ

2010-02-28T13:12:00.002-05:00

I believe that, as a Christian, I have a duty to share the Word of God and message of Christ's salvation to all people.

I'm sure this surprises some people. Some might be saying "But you never talk about Christ or try to convert atheists. You don't really believe that." Other people might say "Really, you think that? I've never had you force your Christianity on me."

This is a good thing. I don't want people to think of me as that person who tries to force Jesus on others, or who talks all the time about Jesus.

There is one analogy which has stuck with me since I first heard it. Imagine the most juicy, delicious, perfect cheeseburger (or tofuburger for the vegetarians/vegans). It is perfectly cooked with exactly the toppings that you want. The bun is not soggy or too dry, and it fits perfectly into your mouth. You are hungry, and a cheeseburger is exactly what you are craving. It sounds almost too good to be true.

Even though you want this cheeseburger, and even though it's perfect... if someone were to take that burger and try to force feed you, shoving it down your throat... you would choke. You would fight back against the person, cough up the burger, and feel sick. The perfect burger, bitten and spit out, would be ruined.

Jesus Christ is the same way (sidenote: please do not try to eat your Christ). If you take Jesus and try to shove Him down the throat of a non-believer, they will cough Him up and dislike both Him and you for it. However, if you inform the person about Christ, and then allow THEM to choose him; allow THEM to pick Him up and accept him- then you'll find a new follower of Christ.

This event does not happen overnight. It is a long grueling process of acceptance and refusal and learning and understanding. But if I may, I would like to provide the example of Angie, self proclaimed AntiTheist.

From my understanding, an Anti-theist is someone actively opposed to theism and religion (at least, organized religion). Angie seems to have had a bad experience with Christianity and religion, and no longer agrees with these beliefs. Let us see how she responds (and how others whom she agrees with respond) to different types of "Christian" speech.

@DeafAtheist Hateful Christians. I guess now you know what the H stands for, in Jesus H Christ. # @antitheistangie

@antitheistangie reading some of the "christians" comments. I'd much rather go to Hell.

*snort* "Murdering bitch will be tweeting from hell when she meets her maker" Damn, I HOPE hell has #twitter! #livetweetingabortion #atheist

3

It seems... pretty bad. These are all comments in response to "Christians" who spoke cruelly and rudely to Angie. They called her names, threatened her, told her she was a murderer and going to hell. This is the response they invoked.

Now, there are some Christians like myself who have not condemned Angie. We have spoken kind words to her, apologized for the words of other Christians, and tried to find understanding in her situation. This is Angie's response to those messages:

Thanks especially to all the #prochoice Christians who read your Bibles! Ha, never thought I'd be thanking someone for that again #atheist

4

How amazing! She is actually thanking Christians for following the Bible.

@feminismxianity @Kushielsmoon Thanks for being kick-ass #prochoice Christians! #atheist #atheism

5

There is a vast difference between these comments and the previous ones (there is another positive quote, but I can't seem to find it). Positive, thankful and uplifting. These are *good* comments. Completely opposite of the previous comments, where hate and bullying was seen.

Now, I do not think that I am responsible for these comments. But I do think that they are so much more important than the hate filled comments others sent her way. Did calling her names make her want to become a a Christian? No. Did telling her that she was going to hell make her like Christians? No.

As Christians, we must remember that we cannot shove Jesus down people's throats. We cannot MAKE people love Christ. God gave us free will, and this was for a reason. A person must want to believe in Christ. The words of the Bible are not enough to convince people, we must also ACT like followers of Christ. Christ knew that we are ALL sinners. When a group of Pharisees brought an adulterous woman to Jesus, looking for Jesus to condemn her- Jesus told them "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7. We too must remember this teaching, difficult as it may be. We are not to condemn people. Jesus saved people from their sins instead of punishing them.

Sometimes, in our actions, we will succeed at showing the truth of Christ's message. Sometimes we will fail. As long as we try, without shoving Jesus down people's throat, we have done our duty.

Associations with the word Abortion

2010-02-27T13:44:00.002-05:00

It seems that many people are confused about what an abortion is. Some people claim that an abortion is murder- this is obviously wrong. But there are some beliefs which go largely ignored. For instance, many people believe that abortion means to intentionally kill a fetus. These people associate the word abortion with bad things. This is not what abortion is about.

Abortion: In medicine, an abortion is the premature exit of the products of conception (the fetus, fetal membranes, and placenta) from the uterus. It is the loss of a pregnancy and does not refer to why that pregnancy was lost.

A spontaneous abortion is the same as a miscarriage. The miscarriage of 3 or more consecutive pregnancies is termed habitual abortion.

Source

I think it's very important to pay attention to the part which says abortion "does not refer to why that pregnancy was lost."

A woman who aborts does not necessarily have negative feelings towards the fetus. A woman who aborts does not necessarily have the intention to kill anything. A woman who aborts does not even have to have a living fetus within her body.

Antichoicers want us to think that abortion is a bad thing. It is not. Abortion is not a terribly, horrible act. It is a medical procedure, just like other medical procedures. There is nothing wrong with a woman who has an abortion, regardless of her reasons for the procedure.

The use of the term "spontaneous abortion" in reference to a miscarriage proves that the antichoice opinion of abortion is simply incorrect. Many antichoicer will fight tooth and nail to tell you that an abortion is a bad, evil thing... but a miscarriage is not.

However, we see that a miscarriage IS an abortion. This simple evidence proves that the antichoice view of abortion vs miscarriage is wrong.

We need to stop letting antichoicers control our language. We should not be afraid to say the word abortion. It's not a dirty thing. It's a life-affirming medical procedure.

Prochoice support for Birthing Women

2010-02-26T19:45:00.003-05:00

As a prochoice women, I know that prochoice is about more than just abortion.

It seems, though, that these other reproductive rights are often forgotten. Many prochoicers rightfully believe that abortion is the right most in jeopardy, and thus the right which needs the most of our attention.

But in our efforts to protect a woman's legal right to abort, we must ensure that we don't forget about the other rights which need our efforts.

Many people act as though a woman who wants to give birth will be allowed to do whatever she wants. Unfortunately, this is simply not true. There is a huge problem in America of doctors performing procedures on women either against their will, or after forcing the woman to agree after lying and threatening her.

These actions performs by anyone other than a doctor in a hospital would be considered a huge assault on women everywhere. However, it is ignored simply because it happens in a hospital.

This acceptance of harmful birth practices has got to stop. As a group which supports equality for all, with a special focus on women, prochoicers need to speak up against these actions. As prochoicers, we need to make sure that we speak out publicly against transgressions in the birth room.

Parenting: what really matters

2010-02-20T01:47:00.005-05:00

Going a bit off topic here, but not very far.

As I participate in the birthing community, I see a lot of discussion and topics about stuff. Items that women need or want, or items that infants need or want. Cribs, outfits, nursing tops, chairs, bras, toys and bottles, among other things. I'm sure, with an infant or toddler in the house, these are very important things. But are these the things that really matter?

Probably the second most talked about subject is life-style choices. Is one going to breastfeed or formula feed? Is one going to do co-sleeping, or does junior have a crib? Is one going to baby-wear or own a stroller? These too are surely important things to discuss, especially among partners. It's always helpful to gain knowledge by discussing with friends as well. But again, I ask, are these the things that really matter?

I can tell you that I don't know if I was breastfeed or not. I don't know if my cord was clamped right after birth or if my parents waited. I don't know if my mother did cloth diapers or disposables; I don't know if she co-slept or baby-wore or participated in CIO.

I do know that she was there for me as a young child, and that she loves me.

At the end of the day, your baby doesn't care about the little details. The important thing is that YOU are there for him/her. You, as the parent, need to spend quality time with your child(ren). As much fun as it is to sit and read blogs all day while your young one plays quietly nearby... is that how you want his/her young life to start? Is that how you want to be remembered?

Of course we cannot spend all day and all night playing and cuddling with babies. Some parents choose work, some parents get stressed out, and EVERYONE needs sleep! Nevertheless, some quality time spent with your child(ren) should be worked into everyday. Some days you might have more time than others. But it's that participation and connection that matters!

Do I have to support abortion-rights to go to Planned Parenthood?

2010-02-19T02:44:00.003-05:00

Absolutely not!

Planned Parenthood offers it services to all women, regardless of their position on abortion. You do not have to be prochoice to use Planned Parenthood to obtain healthcare services.

The job of the clinic workers is to provide you with safe, confidential and accessible care. They are not there to push their political beliefs upon you. They most likely wont even mention abortion at all, unless you're there for pregnancy options counseling or you bring it up.

Not every Planned Parenthood location provides abortions, either. Look up your local Planned Parenthood clinic, and see which services they provide. Some of the clinics even allow you to request an appointment online! Very accessible.

Most people who go to Planned Parenthood are not there for an abortion. Most people are there for STD testing, contraceptives, pap smears, yearly exams, or other non-abortive health care. So don't feel strange going to Planned Parenthood- they are there because they want to help you!

Black and White

2010-02-17T18:47:00.004-05:00

First off, I wish everyone well on this Ash Wednesday as we enter the season of Lent.

The world is a wonderful, colorful place. There are plants of different colors, houses of different colors, animals of different colors, and people of different colors.

I must warn you, though. Not everyone lives in this colorful world. Some people live in a world of black and white.

I'm talking about anti-abortion people. I've been seeing a trend lately, where everything they say is watered down into an "either-or" situation; a black and white world.

Now, I will give the benefit of the doubt and say this could be due in part to twitters extremely short 140 character limit. I know I've watered down a few things I've said because I didn't feel like sending 20 tweets. However, twitter is not the only location where this is happening. We see this black&white stance on facebook, on blogs, in the news, etc. It's everywhere.

I believe that antis create a black and white world because a colorful world, with areas of gray, would destroy their position. For instance:

Murder. Many, many, many antis have told me that taking a life is murder. Period. Anytime you kill a human being, it's murder. Upon this reasoning, they claim abortion is murder.

But looking at this, it should be obvious to us why this is wrong. Not all killing is murder. We have wars, death penalty, suicide, manslaughter, self-defense, police action, and more. There are multiple types of legal killing, and multiple types of illegal killing. If we believe that abortion is killing, that does not make us conclude that abortion is murder.

Another example is the safety of abortion. Antis will tell you that abortion is always dangerous, dangerous, dangerous. It's always bad and unhealthy for the woman. It's always going to give her horrible depression.

However, there are plenty of women who speak in public and online who can testify that abortion does not always cause depression or physical complications or anything else they claim. There are women who will speak up and tell you that childbirth would have killed them, and abortion saved their life.

There are also women who have been hurt by abortion, both physically and mentally. It is not a perfect thing, abortion. As a medical procedure, just like others, it has a failure rate.

As we can see, the issue of abortion safety is not black and white. For some women, abortion is safer than pregnancy and childbirth. For other women, childbirth is safer than abortion. By accepting this, we accept that the best option for each woman is different.

Antichoicers cannot accept that. They cannot accept that abortion could be a best choice for anyone. They cannot accept that pregnancy could be dangerous for anyone. Their black and white world does not allow for that recognition.

Until antichoicers learn to live in color, and to celebrate all the differences among us, we will never be able to make progress or work to reduce the unplanned pregnancy rate. Because there is no one set method which will lead us forward- we must mix together multiple different aspects to reach our goal.

Demonize the Others.

2010-02-03T21:48:00.003-05:00

27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:27-36

This is probably one of the most difficult of Jesus's teachings to follow. I'm no saint when it comes to those who dislike me. But a brief conversation today about breastfeeding made me think about how similar we are. Someone I thought I completely disagreed with, actually had something in common with me. At first this surprised me. And then I thought... why not?

Why did I think it was outrageous, or impossible, for me to agree with someone? Yes, we disagreed on one topic. But that doesn't mean that person is evil or bad.

I must remind myself daily that I need to love my enemies. I need to love the people who attack me; love the people who yell at me; love the people who call me names; love the people who wish evils upon me. Because even if they hate me, they're still God's children. God loves all of us, even when we do wrong.

So I love these people, and hope that they can find their way back to God. I say a prayer of forgiveness for them and their family. Jesus is the only one who offers eternal forgiveness, but I can forgive them for the worldly crimes against me.

I need to stop feeding the hate of these people. These are human beings, people with families and friends. They obviously have people who love them. They have other personas and attitudes which I don't see. These personas must surely shine positive light on them. In that aspect, they must be a good person. I will be happy for that good person. That they have a good life somewhere, with good people. That they have enough money to own a computer and pay for internet; that they have enough knowledge to join facebook and chat.

My enemies are good people.

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 corinthians 13:1-7

Part II: 40 more lies to deny women equal rights.

2010-02-01T21:40:00.002-05:00

This is a continuation of Part I, which is a list of reasons why women should not have abortions. A lot of them lies, a lot make no sense, some are even reasons to choose abortion, oddly. Read on for more.

Reason #41: You may regret your abortion for a very long time

Yes, a woman may regret her abortion. However, facts show that most women don't regret their abortion. Nevermind that, women also regret adoption and parenting (Postpartum depression is a recognized condition, while post-abortion syndrome is not). If a woman is more likely to suffer depression after giving birth, why should she be forced to do that? Let her make her own choices.

Reason #42: Your mom chose life

With that specific pregnancy, yes. Lets focus on the important word here: CHOSE. She had a choice. Secondly, many people wouldn't be here today if their mother's had kept previous pregnancies instead of having abortions (I can think of a few I know personally).

Reason #43: Do to others as you would have them do to you

Is this a reason against abortion and choice? Personally, I would NOT want people to force me to gestate against my will. I would NOT want people to ignore my wants and needs. I would NOT want to die just because someone decided that abortion was wrong. Thus, I support choice.

Reason #44: Going against your value system might not make you happy

This one makes sense, as a sentence. Of course, then we realize that abortion is not against everyone's value system.

Reason #45: Who cares what other people think!

Yes, who cares? Stop letting people like the author tell you what to do. Stop caring what they think, and make which ever choice is BEST for you.

Reason #46: Being responsible is more rewarding than copping out

If the author thinks abortion is "copping out," they don't understand the pressure they've put on women who choose abort. Abortion IS taking responsibility.

Reason #47: Abortion, the responsible choice?

I'm sure there is more to this in the paragraph that follows. Without reading, I'll simply say- yes, abortion is a responsible choice.

Reason #48: So you wouldn’t be a good parent?

This is supposed to be a reason against abortion?

Reason #49: Abortion procedures are brutal

No more or less brutal than other invasive medical procedures. Let women make their own choices.

Reason #50: Abortion may make you unhappy

Birth may make you unhappy. Parenting may make you unhappy. Adoption may make you unhappy. Again- let every woman make her own choices.

Reason #51: Abortion creates secrets, suppression and denial

This is your fault, author. If antichoicers did not make abortion out to be such a big deal, such a horrible thing, women wouldn't have to keep quiet and fear for their lives, safety and privacy.

Reason #52: Suppression leads to anger, depression and forbidden grief

This is a continuation of the previous reason. So I reiterate. Abortion doesn't have to be a secret. Did you know that the majority of teens who abort have at least one parent who knows about their abortion?

Reason #53: The fetus can feel pain

Straight out lie, if we're talking about when the majority of when abortions are performed. Fetuses cannot feel pain until the third trimester.

Reason #54: You can begin bonding with your baby now!

Depending on the woman and the gestation of her pregnancy, yes. Again, is this a reason against abortion? Some women don't want to bond.

Reason #55: Your unborn child can feel, taste, smell, hear, and see

Again, depending upon the gestation of the fetus, this is mostly a lie. Fetuses cannot think or feel when the majority of abortions are performed.

Reason #56: Abortion is playing God

Denying women the liberty to make choices about their own body is playing God.

Reason #57: Why should God bless America when we kill His children?

This one is silly. Why should God bless anyone in the whole world? Because He is our Father, loves us overwhelmingly, and has chosen to give us eternal life with Him.

Reason #58: Saving the planet starts with ending abortion

I've heard arguments otherwise. I don't think popping out massive amounts of children is going to help save the planet.

Reason #59: You can’t compare humans to animals

What in the world does this have to do with abortion? Or a woman's right to choose? Yes, you cannot compare humans to animals- so stop treating women like cattle, and allow them to make their own choices.

Reason #60: The abortion industry is a business

The birthing industry is a business. Oh no? So what?

Reason #61: Abortionists don’t enjoy their job

Actually, the ones who speak up say that they love the work they do which helps women. The only part they hate is the protesters outside their doors.

Reason #62: Abortionists are known to have bad records

This is an absolute, straight out lie.

Reason #63: Women have died from abortion

Yes. However, abortion is safer than carrying to term and giving birth. Most deaths in abortion are in situations where abortion is illegal.

Reason #64: Abortion is not real medicine

Actually, abortion IS real medicine. It's a real medical procedure- one of the most common, in fact.

Reason #65: Right or wrong? It’s all in the words

Not sure what this is supposed to mean. Use your own morals to decide if abortion is right for you?

Reason #66: Every child deserves life

A fetus is not a child. What has the fetus done, to deserve anything? What about the woman? Doesn't she deserve equality and dignity and liberty?

Reason #67: You might be aborting a genius

Or the next Hitler. You never know.

Reason #68: Planned Parenthood clinics are not neutral

That's true. They're in favor of abortion remaining legal, because they don't want women to die.

Reason #69: Planned Parenthood’s beginnings were unsavory

In a way, yes. That doesn't reflect anything on their current situation, though. Nevermind that there are other places to have abortions.

Reason #70: Hitler would have loved abortion

Um, what? Godwin's law?
Hitler would have hated the abortions of his perfect, white race, and loved the abortions of others. That doesn't mean abortion is good or bad.

Reason #71: Hormonal changes cause moodiness around the time most abortions occur!

Hormonal changes cause moodiness all throughout a woman's life. That doesn't mean she cannot make her own choices about her own body.

Reason #72: Abortion isn’t natural

Abortion is natural- a spontaneous abortion happens in 25% of all pregnancies.

Reason #73: Abortion is not a form of birth control

Abortion is a way to control birth, but it is not a contraceptive. This is irrelevant to a woman who's choosing what to do with her pregnancy; she's already pregnant, she doesn't need contraceptive.

Reason #74: Abortion is selfish

More lies. Abortion is not selfish. For some women, it is the most selfless thing they can do.

Reason #75: Abortion may change your relationships

Yes, abortion may change your relationship. But I'm about 100% sure that having a baby absolutely WILL change your relationships. So again... let... the woman... choose... her own risks.

Reason #76: Slavery was legal too

The funny thing here, is that making abortion illegal is making the woman into a slave. So arguing against slavery is arguing against the antichoice side. Besides that, abortion was once illegal in America. Then they legalized it. Problem fixed!

Reason #77: Abortion is unconstitutional

I'm pretty the Supreme Court of the United States disagrees.

Reason #78: Have a child now while you can

First off, how old are we assuming this woman is? And what's the rush to have kids? Children should be had when they can be cared for and are wanted, not rushed to get them out of the way.

Reason #79: The population explosion is an urban myth

Because, you know, throwing 2 million children into the already broken foster care system a year wont destroy it. [/sarcasm]

Reason #80: Abortion is a betrayal of women

And we end with another absolute lie. Abortion is not a betrayal of women. Women have been aborting since 500 BC, whether they do it themselves, do it with midwives, do it with husbands/boyfriends, or have a doctor do it. They will not stop. Abortion is as much a part of womanhood as pregnancy is.

Turn to God.

2010-01-31T19:22:00.002-05:00

"Turn to God."
"Let God into your heart."
"Trust in God."
"Let God show you the way."
"Read your Bible."

These phrases, and others like them, are spoken to me often. Of course, these phrases are most often said to me by those who do not agree that it is possible to be Christian and prochoice.

I have to wonder, what are they thinking when they say these things? Do they think that I don't trust God? Do they think I haven't read my Bible? Do they think that I haven't found my way through God?

Why would I claim to be a Christian if I didn't think my beliefs were based upon the Bible and Jesus? Why would I list Bible verses as references to my beliefs if I thought I had misunderstood them? If I thought, or worse knew, that my opinions were absolutely wrong, I wouldn't be saying them!

The other event which bothers me happens after someone asks me for verses to back up my opinion. Once I have provided the person with verses, they claim that one cannot look at certain verses alone, and we must read the whole bible.

Then WHY did you ask for verses in the first place?!

Instead of simply writing me off, please read the verses I propose, listen to the arguments I make and consider them. Let Christ lead you through the thought process. Do not have a goal in mind. Open your mind to the possibility that you might be partially wrong or even completely wrong. Understand that opening your mind to new possibilities is not a bad thing.

Why we're against the Superbowl Ad

2010-01-27T01:14:00.002-05:00

Antichoicers have been whispering things here and there- "why are prochoicers afraid of a commercial?" "they're taking away Tebow's freedom of speech!" Well, I'm here to tell you why we're not afraid, but annoyed and angry.

First, we are annoyed at CBS. This is not about limiting Tebow's freedom of speech, but promoting EQUALITY and sticking to our promises. CBS has a rule which says things of political nature are not going to be aired during the Superbowl. Controversial topics are simply turned down. This has happened to a pro-gay rights Christian church group, MoveOn.org, and PETA in the past.

Suddenly though, they're allowing Focus on the Family a commercial about probably the most controversial topic in America- against their policies claims. Why has CBS denied multiple ads and suddenly now changes their mind and allows this one? It's unequal- unless they decide to change their policy and allow PETA, MoveOn.org and pro-gay groups to also air ads. Otherwise, they are breaking their promises and claims. They are turning their back on America.

Secondly, we are made at the idea behind Tebow's message. The idea behind the prolife message is that no woman should be allowed to choose abortion- she must be forced to carry a pregnancy to term regardless of what she wants. Women are too ignorant to make their own decisions, and therefore antichoicers must make decisions for them. This is the EXACT opposite of Tebow's experience. Tebow was told that she should have an abortion- and she CHOSE to carry the pregnancy to term instead. CHOICE. See that word? That's what PRO-CHOICE promotes. It is not what the antichoicers want.

Tebow had a choice, made a choice- and is now standing up to take that same choice away from other women. It's hypocritical. It's cruel. It's unequal. It's unfair. It's un-American. We are not afraid of her, or her son. We are ANGRY that she is going to use her story of CHOICE to speak out AGAINST choice. It makes no sense at all.

Lastly, I personally, and probably a few other people, are angry at Focus on the Family. They spent 3 MILLION DOLLARS on a 30 second commercial ad. How many pregnant women could they have provided for? How many infants could they have provided for? How many foster children could they have helped? How many starving people in Africa could have been fed? How many Haitians could have been helped?

It's sick that they would waste that money on a 30 second ad which uses choice to speak out against choice.

Part A- 40 Lies to Deny Women Equal Rights.

2010-01-26T20:05:00.000-05:00

I have been directed to a website which is just... ridiculous. It's an e-book labeled as "101 reasons not to have an abortion." A lot of them are lies, a lot of them are random questions, a lot of them are meaningless. Of course I have more important things to do, but I think it'd be fun to respond to as many of these as I can!

Reason #1: The benefits of abortion are outnumbered

Outnumbered by what? The real problem I see right off the bat, is that instead of defending this position (after the statement there is a paragraph "explanation"), the author has simply pieced together her other reasons into sentences. So basically, this reason is also reasons 2, 9, 12, 20, 21, 22, 23, 89... etc. So it's not really a reason at all.

Reason #2: We know when life begins

Who is "we?" There are people who claim that life begins at fertilization (before pregnancy has even started). Other people say life begins when the brain starts to function. Other people say life begins at birth (this seems to be the Biblical claim). Other people say life begins 3 days AFTER birth when the child is dedicated and named. Which "we" is correct?

Reason #3: You have been lied to

Well if they're reading this, absolutely. Otherwise, claiming that every woman has been lied to about abortion is to demean her and act as if she's a fool. Not sure how that's a good thing for women.

Reason #4: Abortion clinics are allowed to lie to you

No they are not. Clinics are medical facilities, and antichoice people have put in lots of effort to limit their speech and abilities. Clinic workers are not allowed to lie to you (except, ironically, in cases where they are required by law to "inform" the patient of things such as fetal pain and abortion-breast cancer links, which ARE lies).

Reason #5: Most women want support not abortion

The "explanation" for this basically says the same thing as the one below, oddly. My response- women can have support and choose abortion. No one should be forced into an abortion, I hold that absolutely true. But when given all the opportunities to carry to term and/or raise a child, some women will choose abortion anyway. And that's their choice.

Reason #6: Abortion is an unwanted choice

Again a lie. Many women choose abortion because they want to choose abortion.

Reason #7: No one likes abortion

This may be true in some sense of the word- I don't know anyone who has abortions for fun. But a lot of people DO like that abortion is legal. And they DO like that they had access to that legal abortion. Since when is not liking something the best reason to not do it? I don't like eating my vegetables... should no one eat vegetables?

Reason #8: If only you could see what she looks like

First off- "she?" Here we go with the emotional appeals. Secondly, 60% of women who abort already have kids- they've seen the ultrasounds, and know exactly what's going on. Between that and all the fetal development websites available, this is just another insult to women's intelligence.

Reason #9: It’s not just a bunch of cells!

Yes it is. Then again, so are you and I.

Reason #10: Your baby exists now, not in the future

No, a baby does not exist now. A fetus exists now.

Reason #11: A fetus is a human and humans are persons

This is one of those things you can't prove- "a fetus is a human." What makes it a human? The brain it doesn't have? We are more than just DNA.

Reason #12: Abortion in the physical sense is also abortion in the spiritual sense.

This claims the knowledge that God is against abortion. The Bible doesn't mention abortion at all, so to be so sure is uncalled for. Even further, the explanation for this one claims that anyone who doesn't believe that personhood begins at conception (which cannot be found ANYWHERE in the Bible) is godless. What an awful, baseless, factless, lying claim.

Reason #13: At what point is it too late to abort?

This isn't a reason against abortion, so much as a reason for a woman to get an ultrasound to find out how far she's along. The majority of abortions happen before 12 weeks, and thus this comment is irrelevant to most women.

Reason #14: So what if the baby isn’t viable yet?

I have no idea why this is a reason not to abort. It's not a reason, it's just a question which is entirely irrelevant.

Reason #15: Abortion is not an act of love

Tell that to the parents of Grace: http://www.truthout.org/1203097

Reason #16: Do you kill a child for their own good?

Fetuses are not children, thus this comment makes no sense.

Reason #17: Ignorance is bliss, until you discover the truth

Again- 60% of women who abort already have a child, they know the truth of where pregnancy leads. Between that and the internet and the (required) counseling at the clinic, women are knowledgeable. This is a third statement which relies upon claiming women are ignorant fools.

Reason #18: Is this what you really want?

Good question. I think a woman should consider this. If abortion is what she really wants, then that's her right.

Reason #19: There are practical options to make things work for you

In some cases, yes. But not for everyone. The assumption that everyone has access to funding and help is not a good one, because it leads us to inaction. As well, for people who do have access to assistance in carrying a pregnancy to term- not everyone wants to. That's the woman's choice.

Reason #20: There is a plan

Yup. And sometimes, it includes abortion!

Reason #21: To fulfill her plan your child needs to be born

Again with the "her" emotional appeal. Secondly, who is this author- God? I don't think so. This is a straight out lie with nothing to back it up.

Reason #22: Maybe you are pregnant for a reason

Maybe she is. That doesn't mean the woman is required to carry to term. Many women suffer miscarriages and people tell them "this has purpose, there's a reason this happened."

Reason #23: Being young and pregnant isn’t the worst thing in the world

For most people, this is probably true. That doesn't mean anyone should have to suffer when they don't want to. Just because a girl could live through being a teen parent doesn't mean we should force her to be a teen parent.

Reason #24: It’s better to be alive with one parent than dead with two

That's an opinion. Some of us would rather die to allow both of our parents to live.

Reason #25: Abortion is about a woman’s body, but…

But what? There is no but.

Reason #26: Pro-choicers admit abortion is killing

For some people this might be an issue. Those people are probably already prolife, and already going to carry to term.

Reason #27: Women know that abortion kills a baby

No, abortion does not kill a baby. Abortion terminates a pregnancy. There are no babies in pregnancy.

Reason #28: God will forgive but there are still consequences

"consequences"- is this a threat of afterlife punishments from an author who obviously doesn't understand God's position on choice? Again? Guess what, there are "consequences" of pregnancy too.

Reason #29: Abortion may affect your future fertility

"May"- yes. In all likeliness, though, it wont. There is no medical proof that abortion is dangerous to a woman's fertility.

Reason #30: Abortion carries risks

As does childbirth, as well as parenting and adoption. This is not, itself, a reason not to abort so much as a reason for all women to consider all their options.

Reason #31: Abortion is not safer than childbirth

Well there's another straight out lie. Abortion IS safer than childbirth. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/abortion/article_em.htm That doesn't mean women should be denied childbirth, it just means women should be allowed to make their own choice.

Reason #32: Abortion isn’t a quick fix

Who said they were using abortion as a quick fix?

Reason #33: Abortion clinics target you when you are vulnerable and desperate

I don't know a single clinic which targets women. They list their services in the phone book and online, and the woman come to them. There is no targeting involved.

Reason #34: Abortion is an irreversible choice

So is childbirth.

Reason #35: Counseling at abortion clinics is a joke

Has this author gone through counseling? The only reason it's a "joke" is because of antichoice laws which require clinic workers to lie to women.

Reason #36: ‘Freedom to choose’ does not tell you what you have the freedom
to choose

Okay. Here you go: You have the freedom to choose, when you are pregnant, between abortion and carrying a pregnancy to term. BAM!

Reason #37: It’s your choice!

This is supposed to be a reason against abortion?

Reason #38: You are not alone

Hopefully, this is correct. Why someone thinks it's a reason against abortion, I cannot understand.

Reason #39: Some things in life are wrong

Yes, some things in life are wrong. Abortion, by the Bible and by US law, isn't one of those things.

Reason #40: Are you getting an abortion for someone else?

I think this might be the second one- out of 40 thus far- that I agree with. Women should be aborting because they choose to abort, not because someone else wants them to abort.

That's all I'll do for today. The rest are saved for another time!

101 Lies to Deny a Woman's Right to Choose

2010-01-26T18:47:00.004-05:00

Reason #41: You may regret your abortion for a very long time
Reason #42: Your mom chose life
Reason #43: Do to others as you would have them do to you
Reason #44: Going against your value system might not make you happy
Reason #45: Who cares what other people think!
Reason #46: Being responsible is more rewarding than copping out
Reason #47: Abortion, the responsible choice?
Reason #48: So you wouldn’t be a good parent?
Reason #49: Abortion procedures are brutal
Reason #50: Abortion may make you unhappy
Reason #51: Abortion creates secrets, suppression and denial
Reason #52: Suppression leads to anger, depression and forbidden grief
Reason #53: The fetus can feel pain
Reason #54: You can begin bonding with your baby now!
Reason #55: Your unborn child can feel, taste, smell, hear, and see
Reason #56: Abortion is playing God
Reason #57: Why should God bless America when we kill His children?
Reason #58: Saving the planet starts with ending abortion
Reason #59: You can’t compare humans to animals
Reason #60: The abortion industry is a business
Reason #61: Abortionists don’t enjoy their job
Reason #62: Abortionists are known to have bad records
Reason #63: Women have died from abortion
Reason #64: Abortion is not real medicine
Reason #65: Right or wrong? It’s all in the words
Reason #66: Every child deserves life
Reason #67: You might be aborting a genius
Reason #68: Planned Parenthood clinics are not neutral
Reason #69: Planned Parenthood’s beginnings were unsavory
Reason #70: Hitler would have loved abortion
Reason #71: Hormonal changes cause moodiness around the time most abortions occur!
Reason #72: Abortion isn’t natural
Reason #73: Abortion is not a form of birth control
Reason #74: Abortion is selfish
Reason #75: Abortion may change your relationships
Reason #76: Slavery was legal too
Reason #77: Abortion is unconstitutional
Reason #78: Have a child now while you can
Reason #79: The population explosion is an urban myth
Reason #80: Abortion is a betrayal of women
Reason #81: Abortion after rape is a double tragedy
Reason #82: There are so many couples who would love to parent if you don’t
Reason #83: The father might refret it too
Reason #84: Real feminists won’t ask you to kill your own child
Reason #85: There is still hope for your special needs child
Reason #86: Abortion fetuses are often used in research
Reason #87: Your unborn baby is intelligent
Reason #88: We are self-aware before birth
Reason #89: There could be a soul just waiting to come into your
Reason #90: Abortion is not just a Catholic issue
Reason #91: The Judeo-Christian heritage is pro-life
Reason #92: Move with the changing attitudes on abortion
Reason #93: Abortion may not be medically necessary
Reason #94: Had one abortion? Don’t make it two
Reason #95: What if the timing is right but you just don’t know it?
Reason #96: Read the messages from women who have been there
Reason #97: Parenting is not something you can ever be fully prepared for
Reason #98: Motherhood is an awesome experience
Reason #99: Save a life today
Reason #100: You can still live your dreams
Reason #101: Be prepared – you might just enjoy being a mom!

Prochoice Mothers, please comment!

2010-01-22T21:29:00.002-05:00

So often, prolifers pretend that anyone who has a child is going to be prolife, automatically. This is absolutely and completely untrue! Even the mother of Jesus, Mary, was given a choice before she agreed to carry the son of God.

So, I was hoping to see how many prochoice people either have children, or are currently pregnant.

So please! If you're prochoice and currently pregnant or raising children (or have finished raising children!) please leave a comment on my blog with your twitter username.

Trust Women: Blog for Choice

2010-01-22T13:51:00.002-05:00

In honor of Dr. George Tiller, who often wore a button that simply read, "Trust Women," this year's Blog for Choice Day question is: What does Trust Women mean to you?

Trust Women.

It seems like such a simply statement, but it means so much.

Trusting women means allowing girls to be born in China.
Trusting women means not cutting young girls private parts.
Trusting women means providing age-appropriate sexual education to all children.
Trusting women is believing young girls when they say someone abused them.
Trusting women is providing women with access to contraceptives, regardless of wealth or race or location.
Trusting women is listening when a woman says no, and NEVER forcing her into any sort of unwanted physical contact.
Trusting women is providing women with the choice to abort.
Trusting women is providing them with health care regardless of which choice they make.
Trusting women is revoking Hyde, so that all women have access to reproductive choice.
Trusting women is providing women who choose to carry to term with education about pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care, etc- and not just the OB's version of these events.
Trusting women is allowing women who want a natural childbirth to labor for as long as they need to, without having drugs pushed upon them.
Trusting women is preventing doctors from using scare tactics or lies on women in labor.
Trusting women is providing lactation consultants and helping women to create a breastfeeding bond.
Trusting women is not pushing formula onto new mothers.
Trusting women is allowing new mothers to be parents the way they see fit.
Trusting women is allowing this cycle of reproductive choices and accessibility to continue.

Of course, that's not all trusting women is about. Trusting women is realizing that not everyone who identifies as a woman has the physical body of a woman. Trusting women is providing transwomen with support and access to medical providers, as well as educating others about being respectful and understanding.

Trusting women means NOT standing outside abortion clinics to harass women for making a choice.
Trusting women is NOT fighting against equal access to reproductive choices.
Trusting women is NOT lying about how many people regret abortion.
Trusting women is NOT pretending that every woman who chooses parenting or adoption feels great about her choice.
Trusting women is NOT denying information about contraceptives and sexual health education to anyone, at any age.
Trusting women is NOT denying rape victims emergency contraceptive (Are you listening Scott Brown?)
Trusting women is NOT supporting Hyde.
Trusting women is NOT making abortion illegal.
Trusting women is NOT raping or assaulting a woman, trans or cis, in any way.
Trusting women is NOT calling women sluts or any other word when they become pregnant, in or out of wedlock.
Trusting women is NOT calling women names, or saying they are irresponsible, just because they make one reproductive choice over another.

Trusting women means I have respect from all people. It means I can walk a street at night without getting raped. It means I can walk into a Planned Parenthood without being harassed, no matter if I'm there for birth control or an abortion. It means I choose if, when, and how I have children.

Trusting women means no one should ever be murdered for saving womens' lives.
RIP Dr. Tiller and Happy Anniversary to Roe v Wade.

Disappoint in MA.

2010-01-21T19:28:00.002-05:00

Yup. Everyone's talking about it. I've been trying to avoid it, but you can't avoid something like this. Scott Brown (R) will be filling late Senator Kennedy's seat. Disappointment abounds from everywhere.

There are a number of things about Scott Brown which concern me, but what's more concerning is who voted him into Congress.

Massachusetts voters. What do we know about MA voters?
1. They most often vote blue (democratic)
2. They already passed healthcare reform on the state level providing for universal insurance coverage
3. State unemployment is at the highest rate it's been since the 1970s.

So although some MA residents may care about our current national health care reform, it isn't of absolute importance to them. There aren't (or at least, shouldn't be) people in MA dying because they can't access health care.

This means that instead of worrying about their lives and health, they're worrying about money. This was obviously clear in the election results. MA voters were not swayed with promises of health care reform because they already HAVE healthcare reform. And call me mean, but it sure seems like they decided to care more about their own money (taxes) than the health and wellbeing of other Americans.

How is this fair? How is it fair that people who already have healthcare can deny it to others? How is it fair that people who have the smallest interest in health care reform get to possibly prevent it from passing?

It doesn't seem fair at all.

Of course, I must mention that they are people in MA who voted for Coakley, and to those people I say thank you.

To those who voted for Brown- I hope you understand the choice you made.

What Prochoice means to me.

2010-01-09T15:45:00.003-05:00

Prochoice is not pro-abortion.

I don't know how anyone could get the two things mixed up. Prochoice is about sooo sooo sooooooo much more than just abortion. It's about a woman's right to choose. It's about reproductive choices and freedoms.

For me, being prochoice is about a woman's right to choose whether she wants to be pregnant in the first place. That means having access to contraceptives and the education on how to use them, as well as information about abstinence and how to refrain from sex when you're pressured to do it.

Prochoice is about a woman's right to choose whether she wants to stay pregnant. That means having access to abortion and prenatal health care, as well as a support system for the woman regardless of which choice she makes.

Prochoice is about a woman's right to give birth how and with who she wants. That means access to health care, midwives, OB/GYNs, doulas and information for all the above choices. That means education (not just 1 day hospital classes) about childbirth, the interventions offered and their risks, and how to fight for your own well being as well as the well being of the child.

Prochoice is about being able to choose whether to actually be a parent, or to give up a child for adoption. That means access to information about adoption and parenting. That means fighting for adoption reform so that adoption isn't so expensive and doesn't take so long to happen. It means recognizing that there are waiting lists for some types of children and an overabundance of other types of children.

Prochoice is about choosing HOW you parent. Do you want to breastfeed or formula feed? Do you want to co-sleep or allow your child to sleep in it's own room? Are you going to use cloth diapers or disposables? Are you going to babywear? What are your rights as a working parent? ALL these choices require the person to be INFORMED about their rights and their choices.

Where does all this education come from? Hopefully parents play an important role. But we cannot ensure their participation. Education must happen where it can be controlled as science-based and factual; in the schools. And the education must extend beyond the topic covered here. It must go into gender roles, marriage, respect, puberty, and so much more.

Prochoice is about a lot more than just abortion.

More on "The Silent Scream"

2010-01-08T20:36:00.002-05:00

People can't seem to understand that "The Silent Scream" is fake. A fake, lying piece of propaganda used to control people's emotions.

Unfortunately, the real authorities- doctors, medical professionals- don't even think The Silent Scream is worth their time. There's no direct mention of it that I can find in my google search. However, I have come across a couple things.

An article found on this site talks about a woman named Patricia Jaworski who wrote a documentary after researching the facts of brain development. She included four leading brain researchers in her documentary. Overall conclusion: The Silent Scream is false.

In fact, asserts neurologist and neuroscientist Dr. Dominick Purpura, former dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine, and current dean at Albert Einstein School of Medicine, before the 28th week of development the cortex lacks sufficient axons, dendrites and synapses to sustain the processes of thought, feeling and awareness the documentary deems necessary for "personhood."

Now, don't get caught up in the personhood deal. I'm not making a comment one way or the other (at least not in this post).

There is another article which mentions the neuroscientists and their opinions on fetal brain development. However, it seems to have a purpose other than just the silent scream so I will not quote it here.

Here again are some of the claims made in The Silent Scream disproven:

CLAIM: The 12-week fetus makes purposeful movements (e.g., agitated movement in an attempt to avoid suction cannula).

FACTS: At this stage of pregnancy, all fetal movement is reflexive in nature rather than purposeful, since the latter requires cognition, which is the ability to perceive and know. For cognition to occur, the cortex (gray matter covering the brain) must be present, as well as myelinization (covering sheath) of the spinal cord and attached nerves, which is not the case.
An example of the reflex withdrawal without pain occurs in an anencephalic (absent brain) newborn. Another known example of the reflex movement at this stage of human pregnancy is thumb sucking in utero.

What is termed "frantic activity" by the fetus is a reflex response of the fetus resulting from movement of the uterus and its contents induced by operator manipulation of the suction curette or the ultrasound transducer on the abdomen. This same type of response would likely occur with any external stimulus. A one-cell organism such as an amoeba will reflexively move or display a withdrawal reaction when touched.

In addition, experts in ultrasonography and film technology have concluded that the videotape of the abortion was deliberately slowed down and subsequently speeded up to create an impression of hyperactivity.

CLAIM: Ultrasonogram depicts the open mouth of the fetus.

FACTS: The mouth of the fetus cannot be identified in the ultrasound image with certainty. The statement that the screen identifies the open mouth of the fetus is a subjective and misleading interpretation by Dr. Nathanson. His conclusion is not supportable.

CLAIM: The fetus emits "the silent scream."

FACTS: A scream cannot occur without air in the lungs. Although primitive respiratory movements do occur in the later stages of gestation, crying or screaming cannot occur even then. In fact, a child born prematurely at 26–27 weeks' gestation (24–25 weeks' fetal age) cannot scream but occasionally emits weak cries.

CLAIM: A fetus is indistinguishable from any of the rest of us.

FACTS: A fetus of 12 weeks cannot in any way be compared to a fully formed functioning person. At this stage only rudiments of the organ systems are present. The fetus is unable to sustain life outside the woman's womb, it is incapable of conscious thought; it is incapable of essential breathing. It is instead an in utero fetus with the potential of becoming a child.

CLAIM: Fetal head at 12 weeks requires the use of "crushing instruments" for extraction.

FACTS: At 12 weeks' gestation (10 weeks' fetal age) and even 1–2 weeks beyond, instrumentation other than a suction cannula is not required when abortion is properly performed. Cannulas for aspiration abortion come in varying sizes, and the larger sizes are adequate for withdrawing the contents of the uterus.

In the end, I cannot believe how anyone can think The Silent Scream is anything but a lie.

"Choose life"

2010-01-01T11:46:00.002-05:00

I saw at least five prolife billboards on my Christmas vacation this year. Almost all of them had a picture of a smiling, cute baby. Not a single one had an image of a fetus. Not a single one showed a woman. Is prolife afraid of how people will respond to images of fetuses? It's so much easier to use an emotional appeal instead of telling the truth. Do prolifers think that women wont feel the same way as them if the woman sees what an early term embryo/fetus really looks like?

Of course there are no women in these billboards because its not about a woman or her rights to them.

At least two of the billboards contained the phrase "Choose Life." This phrase is in contradiction with prolife philosophy. Prolifers want abortion to be illegal- they don't want women to be able to choose. If you choose life, it means you had other options.

It's very depressing that prolife can realize that choice is a good thing, and they can even go so far as to use it in their language... yet not realize that saying choice is good/acceptable, says that abortion is good/acceptable. Abortion is a choice. If a woman cannot choose abortion, she also cannot "choose life."

In thinking harder about the phrase "choose life," I realize that many women are choosing life when they have an abortion. They're choosing THEIR life, their children's lives, their parent's life, their family's life. Prolife does not want women to choose their own lives- women are supposed to "Choose [fetal] life." Again we see that prolifers have no regard for womens' lives, because when they say "life" they only refer to the fetus, never to anyone else.

I wish the prolifers could widen their view. There is a lot more to life than fetuses.

Oh course, the irony is that a woman who actually chooses "life" aka to carry a pregnancy to term is prochoice, because she made a choice. Prochoice is not against women CHOOSING to have babies. We're just against forced pregnancy.

Next time you go to the clinic....

2009-12-20T01:43:00.002-05:00

I was lucky, in that when I decided to become sexually active and needed to go to my local Planned Parenthood, I never had to deal with protesters. My local PP doesn't perform abortions, and thus is skipped over by the prolife leaders.

However, I've heard stories- plenty of horror stories- and they often include prolifers handing out propaganda (termed "literature" by their side). It got me thinking- why don't we hand out literature?

I know there are people who are going to the clinic not for an abortion, but for things like birth control, STD testing, pap smears, etc. Why not next time you're due for an appointment, print out some literature before you go? When an anti comes up to you and offers you what they have, ask to trade. You can easily throw out the pamphlet inside if you don't want to read it/ keep it.

I don't know if it would do any good- the people outside the clinics are probably beyond reasoning with. At the least, maybe they'll get mixed up and hand out OUR material instead of their own. =)

Regret after Abortion: The Prochoice Perspective

2009-12-06T00:39:00.004-05:00

Regret. It's an awful feeling. There are a lot of reasons for people to regret doing something. And there are a lot of events, activities, choices and actions that people regret. But what about abortion?

Prolife likes to shout from the roof tops that women regret abortion. Prochoice loves to quickly counter with the idea that most women do not regret their abortion (Phew).

However, this is sort of an unintentional cover up. Even if most women don't regret, that means there are some women who do regret their abortion. As prochoicers, we should be able to address that.

There are many reasons why a woman might regret her abortion, including:
1. She was forced to abort.
2. She thought abortion was murder, but had an abortion anyway.
3. She wanted to keep the pregnancy, but aborted for someone's reasons.
4. She was coerced to abort (by threats from a boyfriend, from her parents, etc).
5. She wasn't fully informed.
6. She made a choice that didn't work out for her.

And many more. Some are simple reasons, some are not. Some are reasons that could have been avoided, some are not. But for whatever reason, the woman regrets her choice.

We must be able to point out that regret is not the end of the world. There are more women who suffer postpartum depression after labor than women who regret after an abortion, but we would never say that we should stop getting pregnant and having babies on a species scale. Just because someone regrets something, does not make that something inherently evil. For example:

Say I have a car, but my job is three blocks away. So I decide to sell the car. Two weeks after the car is sold, I am promoted and moved to district headquarters, which is a half hour drive away. Suddenly, I regret selling my car.

- Was selling my car inherently evil or bad? No.
- Was selling my car the wrong choice at the time? Not necessarily.
- Should I tell everyone else to stop selling their cars, just because I regretting selling mine? Absolutely not!

Now obviously, selling a car and abortion have their differences. But the point is that regret is a legitimate feeling after having an abortion (or a baby, or adoption) and people should be able to find help and healing after any of these experiences without trying to terrorize other people.

So next time prolife says "women regret abortion!" say "Here's an excellent group that can help her find healing: http://www.4exhale.org/

The Catholic Church and Women

2009-11-30T22:17:00.002-05:00

The Christian Bible was put together after the life of Jesus was over. Between Jesus's life and the creation of the Bible there were many people who wrote about Jesus and his teachings. Not all of these writings, also called gospels, made it into the Bible.

Recently, I read one such non-canonical gospel called the Gospel of Thomas. It's supposedly a collection of things which Jesus said. Now, before going any further, I have to point out that this is a gospel which has been translated through multiple generations, and we cannot prove 100% that anything written inside the gospel is actually true. However, there are a number of quotes found in the Gospel of Thomas which are also in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

The point of this blog is about the Catholic church and it's treatment of women. The Catholic church is loudly against abortion, loudly against sexual education, loudly against contraceptives, loudly against women's sexuality. On top of that, women are not allowed to be priests or bishops, and seem to be wholly silent (or silenced?) in the Catholic church.

So when I ran across a quote at the end of the Gospel of Thomas, it struck a nerve with me.

"Simon Peter said to them, 'Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life.'"

Wow.

Simon Peter, I have confirmed, is the same St. Peter who became the "rock" of the Catholic church. Which means the Catholic church came into being by someone who thought women were "not worthy of life."

Now I understand that men were the center focus in Biblical times, and women were most certainly not considered the same as they are today. But to go so far as to say they are not worthy of life? Whether this is physical life or spiritual life, it is still a huge deal.

Unfortunately, this history has not disappeared. The Catholic church is still fighting against women. They fight to stop women from being able to make choices about their body and their life. They fight to make abortion illegal, which causes it to be unsafe, in turn making more women die and face irreversible damage to their bodies.

The Catholic church cannot be pro-women if it started out against women and continues to be against women.

Please read before you say something stupid.

2009-11-23T15:56:00.003-05:00

Dear prolife, I'm sorry but I'm very tired of hearing your same flawed arguments over and over again. Let's set some things straight.

1. Human (adjective) vs human being (noun).

I've gone over this one before, but unfortunately no one seems to understand. Human used as an adjective can mean either a whole human being or parts of a human being. For example, human hair, human arms, human eyes, human heart, human toes, human females. When you say something is human, it does NOT automatically make that thing a human being / person. If someone says "prove the fetus is a human being" you cannot reply "well if it's not human, what is it? Zebra? Banana?" This is FLAWED. They did NOT say a fetus is not human, they asked you to prove it is both human AND a human being.

2. If the fetus is alive, it must be a human being.

Um, no. My arm is alive, my arm is not a human being. My cat is alive, my cat is not a human being. This is just stupid.

3. If the fetus is alive, then killing it is murder!

Again, no. A cow is alive, but if you kill it for meat, it is not murder. When you cut your grass (which is alive) it is not murder. When you wash your hands, it is not murder. Alive =/= murder.

4. If the fetus is a human being, then killing it is murder!

Okay, this one *almost* makes sense, but it still is flawed logic. All one has to do is consider soldiers, police officers, and the death penalty to realize that just because you kill a human being does not mean it was murder. What is the point of things like "manslaughter" and "self defense" and "death penalty" if all killing is murder?

Please consider these facts before you make your next post.

Christian Prochoice links

2009-11-20T17:25:00.002-05:00

What Does The Bible Say About Abortion?
Why abortion is Moral
What the Bible says on abortion
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Why abortion is Biblical
Abortion and Catholic Thought: the little told history
When does life begin?
'God is prochoice' nun says
Anti-Choicers don't have a biblical leg to stand on
Sex and Religion
The bible tells us when fetus becomes a living being

We think the same.

2009-11-19T18:47:00.004-05:00

I know Prolifers think the same way that I do as a prochoicer. I know prolife and I think the same thing of each other: "They're just ignorant to the REAL facts! If only they'd see the truth, they would change their mind."

We can't both be right, though. We can't both have the truth backing us up. So how can we tell who's right and who's wrong?

One good way is to look at sources. Where do the statistics and facts come from? Over and over again, pro-life uses pro-life websites. Pro-choice does use some pro-choice websites, but we also use a lot of medical websites, science websites and pregnancy websites. We use the websites of universities, websites about US law, and other websites completely unrelated to abortion.

Who is more likely to be lying? A pro-life website pushing a pro-life agenda, or a pregnancy website for happily pregnant women? Why would a cancer website, which wants to reduce/end cancer, lie about abortion increasing breast cancer risks? The simple answer is: they wouldn't.

Another good way to compare pro-life to pro-choice is to look at their use of language. Pro-life is constantly complaining about the use of the word "fetus." Why? What exactly is wrong with the word fetus? Fetus is a legitimate term which is defined as "the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo." It's just a name. So why does pro-life fight so hard to destroy the word fetus and call it a baby instead? There's no medical or legal reason. The only reason they have is emotional appeal. When people think baby, they think cute, cuddly little bundle of joy. By making people think that when they think about a fetus, they abuse people's emotions.

Another example of this is the word murder. Abortion is clearly not murder, and it never has been murder. Yet pro-life use the phrase "abortion is murder" continuously. Why is this? Because they're trying to pull at people's emotions. Murder has a connotation, and by using that word pro-life can manipulate people's emotions and ideas.

This needs to stop- if pro-life is really the right side, they should be able to convince people with truth instead of emotional manipulation. If pro-life is right, they should be able to provide non-biased, neutral websites and sources which support their stance. Their failure to do both of these things proves that pro-choice is in the right, and pro-life is in the wrong.

Silent Scream is a lie.

2009-11-15T20:38:00.002-05:00

I assume you heard someone talking about "the silent scream"? Here is the truth behind it. This was taken off of the NIH (National Institue of Health) website, so it is impartial and neither pro or anti abortion. It is simply medical fact.

Claim:
The 12-week fetus experiences pain.
Facts:
At this stage of the pregnancy, the brain and nervous system are still in a very early stage of development. The beginnings of the brain stem, which includes a rudimentary thalamus and spinal cord, is being formed. Most brain cells are not developed. Without a cerebral cortex (gray matter covering the brain), pain impulses cannot be received or perceived. Additionally, experts find that newborns at 26-27 weeks' gestation (24-25 weeks' fetal age) who survive have significantly less response to pain than do full term newborns.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Statement on Pain of the Fetus
We know of no legitimate scientific information that supports the statement that a fetus experiences pain early in pregnancy.
We do know that the cerebellum attains its final configuration in the seventh month and that mylenization (or covering) of the spinal cord and the brain begins between the 20th and 40th weeks of pregnancy. These, as well as other neurological developments, would have to be in place for the fetus to receive pain.
To feel pain, a fetus needs neurotransmitted hormones. In animals, these complex chemicals develop in the last third of gestation. We know of no evidence that humans are different.

Claim:
The 12-week fetus makes purposeful movements (e.g., agitated movement in an attempt to avoid suction cannula).
Facts:
At this stage of pregnancy, all fetal movement is reflexive in nature rather than purposeful, since the latter requires cognition, which is the ability to perceive and know. For cognition to occur, the cortex (gray matter covering the brain) must be present, as well as myelinization (covering sheath) of the spinal cord and attached nerves, which is not the case.
An example of the reflex withdrawal without pain occurs in an anencephalic (absent brain) newborn. Another known example of the reflex movement at this stage of human pregnancy is thumb sucking in utero.
What is termed "frantic activity" by the fetus is a reflex response of the fetus resulting from movement of the uterus and its contents induced by operator manipulation of the suction curette or the ultrasound transducer on the abdomen. This same type of response would likely occur with any external stimulus. A one-cell organism such as an amoeba will reflexively move or display a withdrawal reaction when touched.
In addition, experts in ultrasonography and film technology have concluded that the videotape of the abortion was deliberately slowed down and subsequently speeded up to create an impression of hyperactivity.

Claim:
Ultrasonogram depicts the open mouth of the fetus.
Facts:
The mouth of the fetus cannot be identified in the ultrasound image with certainty. The statement that the screen identifies the open mouth of the fetus is a subjective and misleading interpretation by Dr. Nathanson. His conclusion is not supportable.

Claim:
The fetus emits "The Silent Scream."
Facts:
A scream cannot occur without air in the lungs. Although primitive respiratory movements do occur in the later stages of gestation, crying or screaming cannot occur even then. In fact, a child born prematurely at 26-27 weeks' gestation (24-25 weeks' fetal age) cannot scream but occasionally emits weak cries.

Claim:
A fetus is indistinguishable from any of the rest of us.
Facts:
A fetus of 12 weeks cannot in any way be compared to a fully formed functioning person. At this stage only rudiments of the organ systems are present. The fetus is unable to sustain life outside the woman's womb, it is incapable of conscious thought; it is incapable of essential breathing. It is instead an in utero fetus with the potential of becoming a child.

Claim:
Fetal head at 12 weeks requires the use of "crushing instruments" for extraction.
Facts:
At 12 weeks' gestation (10 weeks' fetal age) and even 1-2 weeks beyond, instrumentation other than a suction cannula is not required when abortion is properly performed. Cannulas for aspiration abortion come in varying sizes, and the larger sizes are adequate for withdrawing the contents of the uterus.

So to sum it up, Prior to atleast 24 weeks, it is medicaly impossible for a fetus to "feel" anything. That is not an opinion, it is medical fact. The parts of the nervous system and brain that we must have in order to feel something are not there. They have not developed yet.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Abortion-1320/know-truth.htm

Link List

2009-11-15T20:12:00.002-05:00

Here are just a few links for your reading/bookmarking pleasure.

1. Women do not always regret abortion.

http://www.apa.org/releases/abortion-report.html
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2008-12/05/content_7273710.htm
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3634/is_199707/ai_n8772240/
http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/06/us/study-finds-little-lasting-distress-from-abortion.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28050494/from/ET/
http://www.prochoicemajority.org.uk/STORY/story_index.php
http://imnotsorry.net/

2. Illegal Abortion is unsafe, legal abortion is safer than pregnancy.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33295584/ns/health-womens_health/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/world/12abortion.html
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/abortion/article_em.htm

3. Fetus is not conscious until later in the pregnancy, brainwaves are not seen at 40 days.
http://tigtogblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/fetal-brain-development-myths-and.html
http://eileen.250x.com/Main/Einstein/Brain_Waves.htm
http://brainmind.com/FetalBrainDevelopment.html
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/294/8/947

Fetus's Right to Life- Irrelevant

2009-11-13T15:25:00.004-05:00

If you're pro-life and reading this post, PLEASE read the whole thing before you make your judgment.

The most common idea of the pro-life movement is the fetus's right to life. They say that, if the fetus is recognized as a human being / person, that therefore it will have a right to life and therefore abortion will be illegal.

The idea sounds plausible, but we need to investigate further.

First off, should all people have a right to life? Yes. That's obviously true. All people deserve equal rights, and life is one of the basic rights we recognize.

The problem arises when we question whether the fetus's right to life would prevent a woman from choosing abortion. We must look into current rights given to people, and see if a right to life really would prevent women from aborting.

We'll start with a big picture idea. If everyone has the right to life, and that prevents them from being killed, then why do we have war or the death penalty? These examples show us clearly that a person with a right to life can still be killed.

Next we should ask- is it only after a government decision that a person can be (legally) killed? Nope. It's possible to kill a person without the government giving you the "go ahead." The best example of this is self-defense, such as a woman killing her rapist or someone killing a kidnapper.

Obviously, it is possible to kill someone who has a right to life, given you have a legally recognized acceptable reason.

Now we can look at the other side- does a right to life allow a person to use someone's body?

The answer to this should be simple. Every person has a right to their body- liberty, if you will. No one has the right to use a person's body unless it is consented to. But can we make an exception to save someone's life?

The answer is NO. We see in McFall v Shimp that a person cannot force another to have their body used, not even to save a life.

For our law to compel the defendant to submit to an intrusion of his body would change the very concept and principle upon which our society is founded. To do so would defeat the sanctity of the individual, and would impose a rule which would know no limits, and one could not imagine where the line would be drawn.

Less direct but of the same idea is the fact that we cannot force someone to donate any part of their body- blood, organs, bone marrow- even to save a life. There are thousands of people who die each year because they do not receive a donated organ in time. The government could force people to donate organs, and they would be saving thousands of lives doing so. However, the government recognizes the right of a person to liberty and their body.

So let's review everything we've learned.

1. You can still be killed, even if you have a right to life.
2. The government does NOT force people to use their body to support the life of others.

Clearly, abortion will not suddenly be made illegal if fetus' are recognized as persons. A fetus's right to life does not allow it to use a person's body without consent- not even the pregnant woman. Giving the fetus a right to life will not stop abortion.

Names I have been called...

2009-11-03T14:07:00.009-05:00

Names/things I have been called by pro-life Christians:
1. "unscriptural, extrabiblical, anti-christian, hateful, and murderous"
2. Murderer
3. Evil
4. Liar
5. "Lower than excrement'
6. Braindead idiot
7. dumb
8. Troll
9. Nazi
10. killer
11. babykiller
12. coward
13. Under the control of the devil
14. in the position of the anti-christ
15. spitting in the face of Jesus
16. anti-biblical & heretical
17. closed-mind to truth
18. moronic
19. sick monster
20. ignorant
21. advocate of baby murder
22. "lower than a snake's belly'
23. As intelligent as a 'mutant gnat"

and that's only from October 25th to November 3rd. oh man do I feel the love!

Some more:
24. "subhuman, animalistic, unbiblical, murderous"
25. "pitiful existence"
26. "pro death slut"
27. idiot
28. "just plain stupid"
29. not very bright
30. "favorite turd"

Update 4/4:
31. satan
32. Not a "True Christian"

I figure there should be some record of this.
http://twitpic.com/xg27r
It says:
1. they think they are hiding behind anonimity- theyre not-i made it my business to find out
2. they sow death and thats exactly what theyll reap

Debunking Prolife Lies

2009-11-01T14:13:00.002-05:00

Prolife is extremely good at twisting the prochoice position. They're extremely good at making it look like we say something we really never said. Let's take a look at what a prolifer says, and what the prochoicer really means.

1. "Prochoice thinks the fetus isn't a human being. What is it then!? A zebra? A tree? A dog?!"

Truth: There are many different pro-choice views on when life starts, when personhood starts, and when or if a fetus a should have equal rights to born human beings. So perhaps, yes, there are pro-choicers who think the fetus isn't yet a human being. However- and this is where prolifers twist the truth- that doesn't mean those people think it's a tree or a zebra.

There are two different ways to use the word "human." One way is as an adjective- 'I have a human heart.' The other way is as a noun- 'She is a human.' Prolifers either intentionally or ignorantly pretend these are one and the same thing. They are clearly very different! My arm is human (adj) but it is not a human being!

So while it may be true that some pro-choicers do not think a fetus is a human being, one would have to be an idiot to think the fetus was not human (adj). Unless, of course, we're talking about zebra fetuses. =D

2. Prochoice wants women to abort abort abort! That's the only thing they support.

Truth: Prochoice is about supporting all the reproductive choices available, including parenting, abstinence, and adoption. The only thing I've noticed pro-choicers being constantly against is force.

Now, it may be true that what you see *most* is prochoicers supporting legal abortion. Do you know why this is? It's because no one is against parenting! No one is out there screaming that abstinence is a bad thing when chosen. We don't need to scream and shout about our support for these things because there isn't someone out there trying to take them away.

Prochoicers do not suggest women choose abortion over another option. We suggest that a woman looks at all her options equally, picks the best choice for her. It's really that simply.

3. Prochoicers ignore the woman hurt by abortion!!

Truth: Nope. We acknowledge that there are a lot of different viewpoints and emotions that a woman can go through after having an abortion. We also acknowledge what multiple studies of thousands of women have shown: most women do not regret their abortion.

Studies have looked into women who do regret their decision, and noticed a couple of reoccuring themes. Women who regret often had low self-esteem *before* they even became pregnant. Women who regret their abortion are often women who were coerced/forced to abort, or women who actually held pro-life views but chose to abort anyway.

There are actually pro-choice websites and groups out there which offer support groups for women who are feeling sadness or regret after an abortion such as Emerge or Exhale.

4. Prochoicers make up science / prochoice ignores medical facts!!

Truth: I don't even know where to start on this one. Prochoice is all about given women information about all her choices, so that she can choose the best option for her. We do not want women to abort any more than we want women to be parents. I've never seen a prochoice person telling people that fetuses can think 40 days after conception, or that they can feel pain in the first trimester, or anything to that effect. as a pro-choicer, I try to ensure that I use nothing but medical websites when it comes to proving something to prolifers (I will use prochoice websites when talking with other prochoicers, sometimes).

It always amazes me how medical groups are trusted completely, until suddenly they post something which agrees with the pro-choice point of view. Then suddenly, they're liars! They're abortion profiteers! They're out to kill babies! But oh, on every other subject, of course we still trust them.

Huh?

Parental communication

2009-11-01T14:13:00.001-05:00

There is one thing that is often talked about which makes me angry.

The relationship and communication between parents and their children (usually teenagers).

The cries on the prolife/conservative side often ring to the turn of "government is taking away my right to parent how I want!" or "they're teaching my kids things I don't agree!" or "They're letting my kid do stuff without my consent!"

I have just one thing to say to these parents: If you have a good relationship with your child, none of those things would effect that.

The fact that they are SO worried about public education and the government leads me to think they don't have a good relationship with their children. Instead of a loving, two way relationship, the parents want to control every aspect of their child's life. It's along the lines of "I speak, you listen, and it doesn't matter what you think or feel."

It's depressing.

Families are supposed to be the base unit (no matter who they're made up of). Parents and children are supposed to have very, very strong bonds. And yet, we can see that some parents don't have that bond with their children.

Now, I wasn't best friends with my mother. I didn't tell her every thing I did. But she knew anyway. She knew a general idea of what I was up to, who I was with, what I liked, what my goals were. We most certainly had disagreements. But she never forced her opinion on me. I was taught to think for myself and make good decisions.

Parents need to remember that children are PEOPLE and not robots. At some point, we'll leave the home nest- and if you haven't taught your kids to think for themselves, they're going to fail in life.

If you teach your child to be a self-thinker and they disagree with your opinions, don't become angry. Consider, instead, why they disagree. Consider their viewpoint. Consider their life experiences. Perhaps it's just a phase, and they'll grow out of it. But perhaps, just perhaps, you'll see the issue in a new light, and decide your previous opinion was wrong. That's perfectly okay.

So if you're honestly worried about public education teaching your kids something you don't agree with, or the government controlling your child-parent relationship, think about how you raised your kids. Are your children self-thinkers, or are they puppets which mime whatever they hear? Are your beliefs founded in logic, or are you too parroting what someone else told you? If your child is a self-thinker it doesn't matter what the teachers at school or the senators on the TV say- she'll make the right decisions.

If you're really prolife... SexEd

2009-11-01T14:12:00.003-05:00

If you're really prolife, you want to end/reduce abortion right?

And if you're really prolife because you want to save babies, you'd believe that reducing elective abortions is, at the very least, a step in the right direction- correct?

So why is it then that most prolifers are against multiple different ways to reduce the abortion rate? Is it, perhaps, because they do not actually care for the fetus? I pray that is not true.

Today we will look at comprehensive sex education, which prolifers are often against.

1. Comprehensive Sex Education. This one is a no brainer! Teenagers are having sex. Young 20somethings are having sex. If they're having sex, they are risking pregnancy. If they get pregnant, many will choose abortion. So how do you stop those abortions? Prevent the pregnancy before it happens!

There seems to be a misunderstanding, that comprehensive sex ed is just "throwing condoms at teenagers." Absolutely not. I don't even think actively handing out condoms should be part of comprehensive sex ed. It's EDUCATION, not a store or a giveaway.

Comprehensive sex education is about teaching kids about: abstinence, sexual intercourse, STDs, pregnancy, adoption, parenting, abortion, rape, how to say no, respect for the opposite gender/other people, the benefits risks of different types of sexual encounters (committed relationships, one night stands, drunk sex), puberty, menopause, periods, contraceptives, gender roles, and SO much more.

Comprehensive sex education does NOT stop parents from controlling their children's education. Most sex ed classes allow parents to choose to pull their child from the class, if that parent so chooses. Parents who wish to teach their children at home about sex are still perfectly capable of doing so. But students who's parents don't care, are misinformed or non-participants in the student's life will be able to learn what ever human being deserves to know.

Studies have shown over and over that comprehensive sex ed helps to reduce unplanned pregnancies. Studies have shown time and time again that abstinence-only education does not stop teenagers from having sex- it just stops them from using contraceptives. New research has shown that in more conservative religious states, there is a higher rate of teen pregnancy (even after adjusting for abortion rates). Conservative religious states are where abstinence-only is taught and pushed more by the community.

It is only when we are fully informed with facts and not lied to that we can make the best decisions for ourselves and our families and our lives.

It is morally repulsive for anyone to lie to people, but it is especially repulsive when an educator lies to a student. Educators should be trusted to tell the truth. We shouldn't even worry about educators lying- and yet we have to, when it comes to abstinence only education.

Over and over and over we have seen that abstinence-only education programs lie to and deceive our youth.

Everyone learns as a child that it is wrong to lie, and this is especially true for Christians. We should never lie to push an agenda. If we do not have the truth on our side, we should question why we are promoting the things we are saying. We should always strive to tell the truth.

Government funding of ineffective, lying abstinence-only programs should be dropped. Comprehensive sex education is how we will share the truth with our future generations, and greatly reduce the number of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies.

#beatcancer

2009-11-01T14:12:00.001-05:00

This is an incredibly short blog, but supposedly if you use #beatcancer in your tweet, facebook status or blog today... 1 cent will go to cancer research every time its used.

So I decided I would make a post. I'm pretty sure that each blog post only counts once, but just in case I'll throw random #beatcancer notes in.

Here is a link to the #beatcancer website:
http://beatcancereverywhere.com/

I'm not used to the code used on these sites. I'd much prefer to just used [url] but that doesn't seem to work.

Ah, life. I need to get organized- a couple of big projects are coming up and if I don't get started soon, it will be too late! #beatcancer

Off I go. #beatcancer

How do I forgive?

2009-11-01T14:11:00.002-05:00

This is a post copied from the Christian Living site.

How Do I Forgive ?

American Idol contestant, Mandisa forgave Simon Cowel for his unkind jokes and gave an awesome testimony to her Christian belief. Can you forgive someone who has hurt or humiliated you?

1. The dictionary says that to forgive means:to grant free pardon for an offense or debt.
2. to give up all claim on account of
3. to cease to feel resentment against.

When I have been deeply hurt, how do I give up my claim to revenge? How do I grant free pardon to that person so that they have nothing to repay? How do I cease to feel resentment? - Not just put it out of my mind, but have clear or even loving feelings toward them.

As I see it, the only way to realize that kind of attitude is to find the special relationship with Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness and unconditional love in spite of my many affronts toward God. I remember how much I have been forgiven. I know that whatever I have done in the past, I have a glorious future with God. This future is a gift from Him, not something that I have had to fight for or strive for. Nothing that happens to me in this life can take that future away.

Recognize that God created us all. Reading the Bible, I began to understand that as long as we are in this life, we always have our own selfish nature whispering in our ear. We will all face temptations to be selfish, to self-promote, and to hurt others in order to better ourselves. I have learned that the other person is not the enemy. They are subject to the same struggles in life that I am.

Feel sadness for them. The only difference between us may be that I have been blessed with knowing God’s love and mercy and they have not.

Ask God to let me see them through His eyes.

Pray for them. I pray that they will begin to know Christ and the forgiveness that He brings and that through that they will begin to feel love and kindness toward others.

Forgiving is not easy, but we have the perfect role model in Jesus.

* Romans 12:17-18 tells us not to seek revenge, to do what is right and to live at peace as far as it is possible
* Ephesians 4:32 tells us to forgive each other as quickly as God forgave us.
* John 18:15-18, 25-27, and 21:15-19 Jesus forgave Peter, even after he denied knowing Jesus three times.
* Luke 23:34 Jesus didn’t need someone to ask for forgiveness before He forgave. While He was on the cross, He forgave those who crucified Him.

Sex makes babies?

2009-11-01T14:11:00.001-05:00

Found this online and felt it needed to be posted.

First, how likely is it for sperm to connect with egg to make a zygote?

"The probability of conception ranged from 10% when intercourse occurred five days before ovulation to 33% when it occurred on the day of ovulation itself." (1)

"Researchers found that couples who had sex every day had a 25% chance of conceiving, while couples who had sex every other day had a 22% chance. " (9)

"Conception is most likely to occur in the first month of trying (about a 30% conception rate)." (10)

Let's be generous, and go with the 30%. That means, if 100 women have sex for a month, 30 of those women will have a fertilized egg.

Next- will that zygote implant?

"John Opitz, a professor of pediatrics, human genetics, and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Utah, testified before the President's Council on Bioethics that between 60 and 80 percent of all naturally conceived embryos are simply flushed out in women's normal menstrual flows unnoticed." (2)

"Between 20 per cent and 80 per cent of newly fertilised eggs (zygotes) fail to implant in the uterine wall." (3)

20-80 % is a wide wide variety. But it's hard for us to know, because it's so difficult to know if a woman has conceived before the pre-embryo implants. To make it easier, I'll just go with 50%.

So of the 30 women who have fertilized eggs, only half of them will have those eggs implant. That leaves us with 15 women.

Next question: Will the pregnancy make it through the first trimester/ to 20 weeks?

This can be a difficult question. The longer the pregnancy lasts, the less likely a miscarriage is to happen. For instance, this website (http://www.pregnancyloss.info/info-howcommon.htm ) shows that in the first two weeks of pregnancy (after implantation) chances of miscarriage are at a high 31%. But by 12 weeks, the chance of miscarriage is only 5%.

"The overall risk of miscarriage once a woman knows she is pregnant is 12 to 15 percent, the researchers note in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology."

(4)

"For women in childbearing years, the chances of having a miscarriage can range from 10-25%, and in most healthy women the average is about a 15-20% chance." (5)

Since the two links both say 15%, I'll stick with that number. So we have 15 pregnant women and 15% miscarry, which leaves us with 12.75... 13 women who are still pregnant, since it's hard to have 3/4th of a woman!

After 20 weeks, a pregnancy loss is called a stillborn. How many times does having a stillborn happen?

"A baby is stillborn in about 1 in 200 pregnancies." (6)

"Each year in the United States about 25,000 babies, or 68 babies every day, are born still. This is about 1 stillbirth in every 115 births." (7)

Even if we average these two, it leaves us with 0.63% of pregnancies ending in stillbirth.

"Stillbirth rate is 1%." (8)

This rate is not high enough to affect our small sample of pregnant women. If we had a larger group, it would, but for now it wont work.

So in the end, we've got 100 women having sex for a month, and only 30 women will get pregnant, and only 12 women will carry pregnancies to term. This of course, does not factor in things like contraceptive (which would make our number of conceptions much much lower), extreme / elevated stress, which could lead to more complications, or a lack of health care.

If they are having sex everyday, that means we have up to 3,100 cases of sexual intercourse which result in 12 babies. I don't know how anyone can claim making a baby is the main purpose of sex when it happens so infrequently!

(1) http://www.wdxcyber.com/ninfer11.htm
(2) http://www.reason.com/news/show/34948.html
(3) http://www.groundreport.com/Health_and_Science/Miscarriage
(4) http://www.babycenter.com/204_symptomless-miscarriage-rate-lower-than-thought_5229875.bc
(5) http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/miscarriage.html
(6) http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/understanding-stillbirth-basics
(7) http://www.wisc.edu/wissp/when.htm
(8) http://www.pregnancyloss.info/info-howcommon.htm
(9) http://www.parenttime.com/pregnancyarticles/chancesofconception.html
(10) http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=188498

Yes, it's true.

2009-11-01T14:10:00.001-05:00

I am a Pro-choice Christian.

No, you are not dreaming.

Contrary to what you might believe, there is a community of Christians who hold true to the Pro-choice viewpoint. We are not a very vocal community, but we are strong in our beliefs.

Here is what the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice says about being pro-choice and Christian:

What does being religious and pro-choice mean?

Religious Coalition supporters are pro-choice not in spite of our faith but because of it. We recognize and affirm that all life is sacred and that part of being human is the responsibility to hold all life and creation in sacred trust. Part and parcel of that trust is the call to be responsible moral decision-makers.

To be pro-choice is to respect all points of view and respect individual conscience. To be pro-choice is to trust women and families to make their own decisions. And it means speaking openly in our churches, synagogues, temples and mosques about sexuality, knowing we have the love and support of our faith communities, whatever our circumstances.

Here is a list of some Pro-choice Christian groups on the web:

Catholics for Choice
Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom
Any many more!

Don't let the vocal pro-life groups confuse you. There is no hypocrisy in being pro-choice and Christian.