A Little Dab of This & A Little Dash of That

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Abortion. What I'm Ashamed About.



      First, an article from The Medium:  An Open Letter on Identity Politics to, and from the Left
     "When our concerns are minimized, and written out of the political narrative, our lives and safety are written out as well."
     I couldn't have said it better myself. 

     Where do I begin?  Abortion.
      For such a controversial topic, it was only brought up during the last Democratic Primary debate, thanks to Secretary Clinton bringing it up; and then only during the last debate between Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump.  
     Not the first time I've written about it. 
     The Struggle
     Let's Be Clear
     SO NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS 
         It is important.  And we need to talk about it NOW, rather than later.  Before limitation after limitation gets slipped through, rendering Roe V. Wade all but moot.
     Many times I have come back to this post due to my view that it is important for so many reasons.  For just as many reasons, it's mentally exhausting.  As I expressed a couple of years ago in "The Struggle",  (term struggle refers to my issue with the terms pro-choice and pro-life, not the decision of whether or not to have an abortion), I find the terms pro-choice, and pro-life, both misleading and constraining. 
     With the presidential race in full bloom, (I started this post, months ago) abortion is again in full focused spotlight.  Frankly, I wish we could get past that.  Not that it shouldn't be discussed; as the reality stands right now, it needs to be discussed non stop, and I feel more attention by candidates and media are needed right now rather than less.  I just wish we could get to the point of respecting one another enough to make our own healthcare decisions.  Until we respect and trust each other to do so, we will not be equal, and the economic repercussions of not being equal will persist. 
     Abortion is a medical procedure that has been around for millennia, and predates most religions. 
     Would I ever have an abortion?  None of your business, but really, nobody can say one way or another unless they are in a certain circumstance, what they would do.  
     I always find it interesting that there are advertisements for Viagra and Cialis at all hours, (saw one at 9am today, on a Sunday, no less), that the country has no problem with a man having sexual intercourse if he's 100, but God forbid- if he gets someone pregnant with one of those 4 hour erections, that's where the problem is.  I don't know, but 100 year old sperm doesn't sound to me like the best start for a healthy fetus.  You laugh, but didn't you hear?  Viagra may help men live longer.  Meanwhile the female Viagra may cause women to pass out.  So, just to be clear, if a woman passes out in a car on the way to her lover's place, not only will she not get some loving'; she won't be living to 100 either.  But; there's no sexism in America.  Right?
     Furthermore politicians, many just either obviously don't think before they speak, or have absolutely no idea about everything that is at stake for every single individual woman.  And it's not just the politicians on the Right.   
     VP nominee Senator Tim Kaine expressed being opposed to abortion for religious, moral reasons.  Hopefully the women in his family will 1) either never need one, or 2) will keep their decision private (i.e. won't tell him).  While overall he supports a woman's right to make her own healthcare choices; he has expressed support for parental notification with a judicial bypass.  I don't know, but I sincerely hope he's changed his mind on that as well.  A scared teenager who's scared to tell her parents, would be just as, if not more so, intimidated by a stranger; a judge.  Check out this Mother Jones' article for more elaboration, on what possibly go wrong with that idea:
 This Is How Judges Humiliate Pregnant Teens Who Want Abortions
    Even Secretary Clinton at one point expressed the desire to make abortions "rare".  Thankfully, she now understands that to say such, is to pass judgement.  And that is so, not what we need.  

    As for my own shame; I like so many, have never questioned the term: "Partial Abortion." Do you know what it means?  The term itself conjures up images akin to Mary Shelley's masterpiece.

     But after seeing Samantha Bee's Full Frontal, on Monday, I read up a bit.  For starters, did you know that "partial abortion" is a political, not a medical term?  
      Other notable points:
      According to March of Dimes, as many as 50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage.  According to the article 80% of those miscarriages occur in the first trimester (12 weeks).   
      Still, in 2015 about 4,000,000 babies were born in the US.  
      I do not mean to confuse miscarriage with the focus of this post- induced abortion.  I just wanted to present some numerical data for relative clarification.  Induced abortion, according to studies has decreased in the last few years, with late term abortion being increasingly rare.

     If you think you know what a late term abortion decision involves, you may want to read these:
     Six Must Read Accounts From Women Who Have Actually Had Late Term Abortions.

     The last thing a person needs in any of these circumstances is to have to go through more walls. red tape or obstacles to an already traumatic experience.  The diagnosis in these circumstances has already been decided; certainly not by any choice of the people involved.  Why make it more traumatic for them by adding callous terminology or judgement?


     As I've said before, I really don't like the terms pro choice, and pro life. 

     I'll tell you what I do like: a country where every individual has self autonomy.  Where everyone can decide what's best for them with their choice of assistance, whether it be medical, loved one, religious.
    I also like the notion of education, that includes the fact that penis in the vagina is how the sperm gets to the egg beginning in elementary school.  More facts are introduced each year based on age, interest/aptitude for retaining.  Abstinence is taught, but so is it acknowledged that we are sexual beings.  That's how we got here.  Because of this fact, we are each capable of extraordinary things. So it is also taught of how not to add to the population until we are ready.  Reminders of what the kids might do in the next 10 years IF THEY ARE NOT BURDENED WITH BEING A PARENT. 
     If we were able to do this, maybe the need and desire for abortion would only be in rare cases.  

     But when things are not well, or even ideal, since I will not be there to deal with the consequences, compromises, and concessions that will come from that decision, I do not feel I have the right to hinder the one individual person who will.


The only view that matters is the woman's who seeks an abortion. 

I don't have all the answers, or any for that matter.  


But neither do I think I have the right to limit others to finding theirs.



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