Mom Asked Why
Mom Asked Why Abortion was such a do or die issue. Now let me remind you, my mom is the one that does this blog with me, but she never posts. She may some day. Though I have ended up using this blog as my own, it's always oriented at least a bit toward mom, and this is an example.
Personally, I think abortion is made a central issue because it's beside the point of what most politicians really worry about. Consider that the Supreme Court hears very few cases on reproductive issues and tons and tons of issues that relate to corporate behavior and corporate priveledges, why would abortion be the end all be all of a liberals consideration?
Well, as I say, one reason is because it's a way to talk about something emotional, and important, that doesn't get to the collusion between simple business interests and government. So one reason is merely to avoid talking about important issues of business law.
But that wouldn't help explain why this dodge works so well, that is, it works because as I said in addition to being a tool of manipulation, abortion is also a very important issue. And the issue is, from a progressive point of view, fundamental.
It's a medical right.
It's a matter or personal autonomy.
It's a woman's freedom issue.
First, I cannot stress too much how this issue is a matter of liberty in general. If we have personal liberty that MUST include the right to make final decisions about our own healthcare, that is, to choose which of our medical options we pursue. The issue of life or death is key in all medical decisions, you can die when you go to get your apendix out. The baby is clearly a ward of the mother, and while I have opinions on what the right and wrong decisions are, they are hers to make while the baby is in her body, what other guardian could the fetus have.
It's not a matter of when life begins, it's a matter of who is competant to make their own decisions, and if they are not, who makes those decisions. Yes they are hard decisions, but we cannot expect them to be easy decisions if the state makes them? The state's role must be to give this decision to an individual, and there is no other candidate besides the mother.
It is also a woman's freedom issue because women are often denied this autonomy in history and other nations, and even when the decision is given to an individual, it is not always the woman, and so represents the history of maltreatment of women.
This is why it's so important philosophically, but we also have to remember practicalities, when abortion is illegal that means that rich girls still get abortion, and poor girls resort to bad doctors or just plain stupid ideas which endanger them. The bottom line is that human beings know their rights about their bodies, and they will act on those rights even if they are not guaranteed. If society wants to have an influence, it needs to acknowledge the autonomy and influence decisions through education and by providing sound infrastructure so that if people do have children at a bad time of life, they will not be giving up every opportuntity to pursue a productive life.
Personally, I think abortion is made a central issue because it's beside the point of what most politicians really worry about. Consider that the Supreme Court hears very few cases on reproductive issues and tons and tons of issues that relate to corporate behavior and corporate priveledges, why would abortion be the end all be all of a liberals consideration?
Well, as I say, one reason is because it's a way to talk about something emotional, and important, that doesn't get to the collusion between simple business interests and government. So one reason is merely to avoid talking about important issues of business law.
But that wouldn't help explain why this dodge works so well, that is, it works because as I said in addition to being a tool of manipulation, abortion is also a very important issue. And the issue is, from a progressive point of view, fundamental.
It's a medical right.
It's a matter or personal autonomy.
It's a woman's freedom issue.
First, I cannot stress too much how this issue is a matter of liberty in general. If we have personal liberty that MUST include the right to make final decisions about our own healthcare, that is, to choose which of our medical options we pursue. The issue of life or death is key in all medical decisions, you can die when you go to get your apendix out. The baby is clearly a ward of the mother, and while I have opinions on what the right and wrong decisions are, they are hers to make while the baby is in her body, what other guardian could the fetus have.
It's not a matter of when life begins, it's a matter of who is competant to make their own decisions, and if they are not, who makes those decisions. Yes they are hard decisions, but we cannot expect them to be easy decisions if the state makes them? The state's role must be to give this decision to an individual, and there is no other candidate besides the mother.
It is also a woman's freedom issue because women are often denied this autonomy in history and other nations, and even when the decision is given to an individual, it is not always the woman, and so represents the history of maltreatment of women.
This is why it's so important philosophically, but we also have to remember practicalities, when abortion is illegal that means that rich girls still get abortion, and poor girls resort to bad doctors or just plain stupid ideas which endanger them. The bottom line is that human beings know their rights about their bodies, and they will act on those rights even if they are not guaranteed. If society wants to have an influence, it needs to acknowledge the autonomy and influence decisions through education and by providing sound infrastructure so that if people do have children at a bad time of life, they will not be giving up every opportuntity to pursue a productive life.
posted by Pyrrho | 12:05 PM
1 Comments:
You hit it on the head with this one as well-great job reducing argument to what it really is; a distraction to occupy the time that Americans should be spending defending the rights WE, AND EVERYONE WHO EVER OBSERVED AND RECOGNIZED INJUSTICE knows we have.
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