too lazy for a quote

[batskeets]

I am retarded and I left my cell phone in the car earlier. So, uh, yeah. Don't call me until after work. XD

A follow-up to yesterday's pro-choice blurb: J read it and we got into something of a discussion--he falls more on the pro-life side of the fence, you see--on the issue.

He brought up the issue of personal responsibility, and the fact that people use abortions too recklessly to get out of pregnancy, when they should be taking responsibility for their mistakes and/or lack of precautions. Which, yeah, I have to agree. That's not just true of abortions, either; a lot of people in today's society are all too eager to jump up and say, "it's not my fault!" and blame their own stupid, reckless, and/or assholish behavior on someone or something else entirely. Seriously, it's not that hard to just *avoid doing something stupid*. Or at the very least, if you're going to do something idiotic or insensitive, at least have the balls to OWN it.

I, in turn, brought up the issue that protection and precautions can only go so far. Which, he had to agree with. No birth control method is 100% effective, and there are instances when a woman may be forced into pregnancy against her will. With the legal system being as slow and bogged down in red tape as it is, we can't hope to implement procedures that would allow someone to prove a more legitimate reason why they'd need an abortion--the baby would already be born before you even saw a judge. We can easily say that a person should live with the consequences of their own actions, but should we *have* to live with the results of actions inflicted upon us by others?

We essentially concluded that there are instances when abortion is legitimate and appropriate, but that people shouldn't abuse the right to an abortion just because they have said right. So, we're not *exactly* Pro-Choice or Pro-Life... we're Pro-Don't-Be-An-Idiot. ::laughs:: See? This is why I bill myself as a moderate. Waaaayyy too much grey area in the world.

I'm going to be so glad when Collegiates is over... this is basically my last day of relative sanity before it all begins. ::rotfl:: Tomorrow, I have to make a Costco run for judges' food after work, then get ready and go to the banquet, and then I'll probably be off to set up the competition floor. Then, I'm up bright and early on Saturday for registration and volunteer-wrangling. Waaaaaugh. The good news is, we now have a house for the after-party, so that's one less thing to worry about. I'm looking forward to unwinding... don't be surprised if you see me on Saturday night and I'm piss dr0nk. ;p

This week needs to end nownownow. People keep inviting me to various things, but I can't because I'm either training or planning or just trying to stay fed and rested and not-homicidal. I'm doing well so far, but it's a downer when I get offers for fun things that I can't accept.

That's all. Rrargh!

Comments

[divadrummer.livejournal.com]

With the legal system being as slow and bogged down in red tape as it is...the baby would already be born before you even saw a judge.

Hah, that's an interesting point. Which makes me wonder...will the far-right will pay for the infastructure it'd take for all these women to appeal to a court system? The orphanages for unwanted children? The social programs (wellfare, foodstamps, etc.) for those mothers who are forced to carry their pregnancy to term and then decide not to put the child up for adoption? The extra schooling these children - wards of state or otherwise - will need?

I can only assume the answer. It's really sad that in life-of-others vs. money, money usually wins.

Long almost-rant, I guess.

[kitsileya.livejournal.com]

I tried to use a quote as headline for my last post. "In many countries where girls feel obligated to comply with the wishes of men, girls need to know that abstinence is a choice." That's a direct quote from Laura Bush on abstinence in third world countries. That's how far removed from reality the right are when it concerns abortion. Abortion in the US today isn't really a pro-life/choice issue. It's a class issue. Do you really think Jenna and Barbara Bush and their ilk won't get an abortion if they need it? No, didn't think so. However, while RoevsWade is still on the books, it's de facto dead for a large part of American women. Mississippi and South Dakota only have one abortion provider each - in the whole state. Incidentally, or not, they are also states where laws have been proposed that ban all abortions - even when the pregnancy is a result of incest and rape. They are trying to get it before SCOTUS - they hope that now that Roberts and Alito are on it, they'll be able to overturn RvW. But as I said, in many places they don't need to, because women don't have access to safe and legal abortion anyway. If you have to travel 700 miles one way to get to an abortion provider, and the law says that you have to wait 48 hrs and what not before you can get your abortion, how many poor women can afford both taking the days off from work, the motel room, *and* the abortion itself?

And as for argument that abortion is not to be used as contraception - have you seen the subtle and not so subtle attacks on Griswold from the rightwingers lately? Don't automatically assume that birth control will be available - the pill, IUDs are abortifacients, don't you know.

I'd say that having an abortion (or not, if you truly have a choice between them) *is* facing up to your responsibility. And what you must understand about those "stupid" enough not to use proper protection is that a large part of young Americans have only been taught abstinence only. How are you to use proper contraception when you've not been taught how to use it? Do you think it's easy to get access to contraception when your town is determined to teach abstinence only. Not just physical access, I mean, a trip to PP seems easy enough, doesn't it, but getting over the mental barrier created by these teachings as well (using contraception=slut).