While perusing in another forum today I stumbled across a thread asking people to state phrases or points-of-view from their own side that they dislike. I am neither pro-legalized abortion or anti-legalized abortion, but I liked the premise of this thread, so I’ll joined in and wrote some of what I dislike from both sides. It ended up being kind of long, longer than I anticipated.
– “If you don’t like abortion then don’t have one, but don’t make it illegal for everyone else.” This ignores the fact that people on the other side view abortion as murder, and if you wouldn’t murder a 2 day old born baby, then you certainly wouldn’t approve of murdering an as-yet unborn baby.
– “Making a medical decision is between a patient and his or her own doctor.” Sorry, but no. We elect politicians to represent us precisely because people are simply not capable of self-governing. We elect politicians to establish standards to keep rogue commercial entities in line. In any and all subjects, not just medical.
– “I approve of a woman’s ability to have an abortion, but *I* would never have one.” Oh, aren’t you just the shining example of fairness and nobility. If you would never have one, then you obviously think it’s wrong on some level. Stop straddling the fence.
– “Pro choice”. I am pro-choice, too… wait a minute, what are we choosing? It’s too vague to actually mean anything. If you have to use a euphemism to make it sounds less offensive then you are admitting there are moral issues involved, and that said moral issues are uncomfortable for you.. The procedure has a name, and the name is “abortion”. If it’s so unoffensive, as you claim, then suck it up and use it.
– “Pro Life”. While a tad closer to being accurate, you’re no more noble than the “pro choicers”, regardless of the euphemism you choose. Your actions and opinions regarding life after birth betray your stated concern.
– “Pro-Lifers are hypocrites because they’re also pro-death penalty.” Are you really so dense that you cannot see the difference between the two? In abortion, the baby/fetus/whatever has no say in the matter. They didn’t do anything wrong. They didn’t do anything to earn their fate. In the case of the death penalty, the person is at that place because of their own choices and actions.
– Prosecuting the killing of a pregnant woman as a double-murder. No. If the baby/fetus/whatever is not worthy of legal protection, then we need to be consistent in that. If the baby/fetus/whatever IS worthy of legal protection, then we need to be consistent there. Pick one.
– Similar to the above point, “…except in cases of incest or rape.” This is just a bone to toss to people to make it more politically palatable. If it’s a life, it’s a life, regardless of the circumstances. Is it a life, or isn’t it? Again, pick one.
– Pro-Lifers acting all pious regarding abortion, but having no plan or concern for what happens after birth. Hell, some openly want to offer no help whatsoever. For some of these births it’s going to be abject poverty? That’s good?!?
– Political pandering. President Clinton once said, smugly, that abortions should be, “…safe, legal, and rare.” Oh, do shut up, Mr President. That’s never going to happen, all three of those together.
– “Men should have no say over a woman’s body.” Ok, fine. If the man has no say then he should also have no responsibility, financial or otherwise. It should be treated like a parent surrendering their parental rights in an adoption… it’s done and finished and irrevocable.
– “If health insurance won’t pay for abortion or birth control, then it shouldn’t pay for Viagra.” Health insurance should pay for birth control, and it should pay for Viagra. The purpose of medicine, actually, is to heal and not do damage, or IOW not “break” things. Thwarting a pregnancy from even happening via birth control is not breaking anything. Viagra is an attempt to heal something that is broken. Abortion is taking something that is working as it is designed to perform, and breaking it.
At least this wasn’t another Trump post, right?
as listening to a talk show yesterday and someone emailed in and said they were put off when they paid $200 for tickets to a Roger Waters concert and were greeted with what they felt was a 2 hour anti-Trump rally. I couldn’t help but nod my head in agreement. As much as I loathe Trump, I would feel the same way.