Dr. George Tiller and the Headless Babies

[jedifreac]

I kind of kept quiet about writing on this subject. I don't know why; I'm usually very outspoken about this kind of stuff. I was shocked to learn that Dr. George Tiller, one of the only doctors in the United States who performs late term abortions, was assassinated--in his church--last week. Initially my post was your typical screed about how it

Comments

[swmartin]

There's a reason why most anti-abortion activists also oppose sex education or low-cost pre-natal care. It's because "saving babies" is not the real reason they hate abortion. It's a reason they use as an argument, a reason they actually do believe in, and a reason that channels their activism. But it's usually not THE reason they oppose abortion to begin with. Stopping abortions isn't about saving babies. It's about punishing people for having sex

[hagdirt]

What he said. I would add "and people hate abortion because women are only for making babies," but I'm not sure I need to.

people are having illicit sex and GETTING AWAY WITH IT!

For the record, this is also a direct quote from my mother. She's still pissed about her college roommates. Ironically, she ended up teaching sex ed later on in life. I worry about those kids now.

[jedifreac]

Well yeah, the rabid fundies feel this way, but there are also several people who are against abortion, regardless of the situation, who I don't think have thought things all the way through. That's why I'm using examples like this birth defect to point out that things are not always clear cut, and punishing illicit sex is not going to reduce abortions.

[essentialsaltes]

"If a Mafia hit man gets killed, people recognize it's an occupational hazard." and "The perpetrators of widespread injustice like slave traders and Nazis expect to go home and live in tranquillity. That's an absurd expectation."

Another obvious analogy for these repulsive guardians of the national morality is: "She was dressed in a miniskirt; she was asking for it."

[aaronjv]

Awesome post, can you send it elsewhere? To the anti-choice websites?

Seriously, I bet many of them never put themselves in the situation you describe.

Rigidity leads to breaking; I'm all for moral relativism, to me it means you think and consider each situation as it comes, in context.

[jedifreac]

This would not go down well at actual anti-choice websites. They would just tell you that it is just God's will to have you carry the baby to term. They wouldn't mention that sometimes the fetus dies and then needs to be excavated because labor does not begin (leave it in there and you have weird tumor or health problems going on there, but hey.)

It is an argument to use on adamantly "pro-life" friends, to try and get them to understand that by being "pro-choice" you're trying to allow patients to make their own choices. And to understand why people would want to make that choice for themselves.

[aaronjv]

This would not go down well at actual anti-choice websites. They would just tell you that it is just God's will to have you carry the baby to term. They wouldn't mention that sometimes the fetus dies and then needs to be excavated because labor does not begin (leave it in there and you have weird tumor or health problems going on there, but hey.)

So you've already done this?

It is an argument to use on adamantly "pro-life" friends, to try and get them to understand that by being "pro-choice" you're trying to allow patients to make their own choices. And to understand why people would want to make that choice for themselves.

OK, where are your adamantium pro-life friends hanging out?

[jedifreac]

Yeah, I used to be naive and preachy once upon a time.

Well, after talking to them about stuff like this, most of them either backed off or also became pro-choice. Occasionally the topic comes up among my "casually Catholic" friends. The ones who believe in condoms and evolution.

[nemogbr]

Hello:

Good post. I've forwarded it to DIGG.
http://digg.com/world_news/Dr_George_Tiller_and_the_Headless_Babies

Could you repost to this group?
Global Campaign for Women: Unbound, Sacred; not Sacrificial
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?sid=ae516fd2efdd8ccf4157b2dcacbaa2e5&gid=14097225243&ref=search