Is something wrong with me?
A number of news sources have been stating that the confirmation of Alito is inevitable and that Alito, since he tiptoed around the abortion question, likely does not believe that abortion is settled law. So recently, a number of columnists have been speculating what the Alito confirmation means for women's rights. I am pro-choice and whole-heartedly back a woman's right to choose in every situation. I do not believe that this right should be restricted in any way. Therefore, I do not think that a woman should have to get her parents' or her husband's consent before she has an abortion and I do not think that partial-birth abortions should be banned (yes I do have a heart for you conservatives reading my blog). Despite this, I do not find my heart-breaking over an Alito confirmation because of what it means for abortion rights. As a social liberal and a feminist (and yes I do shave my legs -- that has nothing to do with feminism), I would have thought that I would be more bothered by what the change in the Supreme Court means for women's reproductive rights. Perhaps I think that Roe v. Wade couldn't be easily overturned since a majority of the public backs it or perhaps I think that overturning Roe v. Wade wouldn't mean the end of abortion. Perhaps I have a hard time identifying with abortion, because it seems so far removed from my life right now. Maybe fighting over abortion rights seems so silly when I read articles in the New York Times detailing the widespread practices of female genital mutilation and virginity testing.
posted by Mango Kiwi @ 1:34 AM
4 Comments:
"Is something confusing me?" I see a very thin moral & ethical line between partial-birth abortion, especially in the case when the baby can be born alive, and killing the baby upon birth (like what the ancient Greeks did to their handicapped child). The reason being, in partial-birth abortion, the doctor has to literally kill the baby (via suction of the brain or some other gruesome method). Hence I would argue that it is only a legalistic difference between killing the baby outside the mother's worm vs. killing it inside.
I think that you are missing the circumstances in which people choose to have partial birth abortions. Many times people don't realize that giving birth to the baby won't cause the mother significant harm until late in the pregnancy. Having a partial birth abortion would be a tough choice for anyone, but in cases where there is potential of danger or health problems to the mother, not just imminent death, a woman should have the right to choose. I agree that a woman who waits 8 months to have an abortion should have had one sooner if there are no health issues involved, but ultimately that will be on her conscience. Imposing restrictions on who can have an abortion and in what cases, interferes with a woman's right to choose.
I think abortion is a bad thing and if I or any of my friends got one that would be sad. However, I do think not everyone has had the same priviledges that I have had. And therefore, how can I judge the circumstances that have led them to get an abortion. Perhaps carrying the child to term would lead to the their death. Perhaps the child was a result of rape/incest. I would hate to find that people use abortion as a birth control mechanism, and I would pray that the pain it causes the mother both physically and emotionally would prevent that.
In terms of partial birth abortions... I feel like this term has been bandied about and abused by politicians on both sides. If there is to be a ban on partial birth abortions then their should be exceptions for the health of the mother.
In addition, the government should make it safe for women to get abortions. Why are there always people heckling and protesting outside or shooting doctors and bombing clinics?
abortion is quite often a said and tragic choice, but a woman must have right to choose. Most oftem women are left to deal with the consequences without any help from the men or society at large. Abortion should be safe and rare.
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