Views on Abortion Strain Calls for Unity at Women’s March on Washington

[mimblexwimble]

Comments

[dumpweeds]

because right now it feels like if you’re pro-life, you’re anti-woman

yes, and?

[moonshaz]

The part that really got me was a couple of paragraphs down:

"It’s like if you care about women and you care about women’s rights then you should be pro-choice.”

I was like:

[sassalicious]

The law student's quote at the end: "the right to live out my womanhood" -- isn't that exactly what pro-choice people are in favor of? The right to live your life and make healthcare (yes, that includes reproductive health and family planning) choices that are good for you/your family?

[mhfromnh]

unless you are anti-war, oppose the death penalty, and in favor of gun-control, you're not pro-life. you are anti-choice. stay home.

[spyral_out]

I've met a single anti-abortion person in my life who I would feel comfortable calling "pro-life." She's a devout Catholic who opposes war and the death penalty, and invests almost every waking hour to supporting prenatal healthcare, adoption services, counseling/protection for victims of rape and incest, and so on. She's also PROFOUNDLY pro-birth control because she understands that, hey, if you're going to oppose abortion you should probably make prevention easily accessible.

We still deeply disagree on abortion law, but at least she understands the weight of her religious beliefs. She also understands that sometimes pregnancy can be fatal (as it would be for me) and that, in those cases, there's simply no other choice. I wish more people were like her and would actually follow through.

[cherriesarered]

I could respect (although still probably disagree with, with respect to abortion!) pro-lifers if more of them were like this person.

[moonshaz]

Aggreed.

[cherriesarered]

Yeah...it's fine if someone personally dislikes abortion and would never consider getting one. But once it crosses the line into wanting to make that choice for other people, no.

[moonshaz]

Absolutely.

These people need to understand that holding certain beliefs does not equal having the right to enact those beliefs into law that controls everyone, including those who hold different beliefs. *weary sigh*

[shanrina]

Yep. I'm not Christian. In general (I can't possibly speak for all the different groups and sects), most people of my religion seem to be okay with abortion, or at least not okay with forced birth whether or not they'd personally ever have one. I have no interest in conforming to the beliefs of a religion I don't even belong to, just like I wouldn't expect a Christian to avoid doing things Christianity doesn't have a problem with because it's not allowed in other religions.

[amyura]

Yup. I am not a Mormon, and I really like my coffee and craft beer. I am not Jewish or Muslim or SDA, and I really like my bacon. If others do follow those faiths and choose to abstain, fine by me. It's the same with abortion.

[meadowphoenix]

"This is what we conservative women live with all the time, this idea that we somehow aren’t really women and we just reflect internalized misogyny,” she said.

I mean...the likelyhood of any group suggesting you aren't a woman is low, and you haven't said anything so far that suggests this view isn't a reflection of internalized misogyny so...

[spyral_out]

I only started seeing the "not real women" argument recently, and it's actually overtaking the idea that pro-choice advocates are gonna FORCE PEOPLE to have abortions. I have to wonder if these people ever bother to say this shit out loud and have a good, long think about it.

[meadowphoenix]

Ah, so it's not misguided OTTness at like an insult, but purposeful opponent/straw feminist rhetoric. Good to know.

[spyral_out]

That's the impression I'm getting, yeah. It's sad how many women seem to earnestly believe it. :(