Recently, I was talking to a Portland abortion clinic social worker (because I know how to party) and she said that one of her patients arrived at the clinic by medical cab to an unwelcoming committee of protesters. The driver decellerated and told the protesters, “I’m on your side. I’m just doing this for a job,” RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PATIENT! Doing what for a job? Being a dick? That job might seem like it pays really well, but not in healthy karmic energy currency. Also, a dick-job seems not that far off from the thing that got one into this predicament in the first place.
Not only are reproductive rights constantly under legal siege by angry white polar barely human Republicans, but women who get abortions are shamed and guilted for getting a totally legal procedure. Oregon is the ONLY state left that hasn’t imposed restrictions on abortion, but even in this best-case scenario, women are still bullied and shamed before and after abortions.
Even though it’s relatively easy to obtain an abortion in Oregon, there are still plenty of psychological barriers to stop women from getting the procedure, or more often punish them emotionally for doing so. There are crisis pregnancy centers even in the magickal fairy realm of Oregon, which attempt to counsel women out of getting abortions because of god and stuff. (Why would god care that much? I mean, he let his own kid die. I think… right? I didn’t read the whole book, just that Lord of the Rings spinoff series.) An acquaintance of mine went to a crisis pregnancy center in Minnesota—after administering a pregnancy test, they showed her pictures of fetuses almost before the urethra was dry. That’s so gross. I only get those pro-life pamphlets FOR THE ARTICLES. No, Mom, it’s not what you think, it’s just pictures of fetuses under my bed! If I slumber above them for a fortnight of moons, the spell shall be complete.
No one should have a baby out of guilt. If you’re going to contribute to overpopulation and urban growth, be proud of it. If you’re gonna splooge your corrosive genes into the universe, own it! In the game of reproduction, Humans: 1. Planet: 0.
The dick of the week is abortion protesters who shame women for getting a perfectly legal procedure—but hey, at least we don’t live in Texas! Tune in next week to make me feel guilty for giving away that Sandman comic book that was once a part of me, but just doesn’t fit into my current lifestyle.
So you’re saying you’re not going to spread your corrosive genes and reproduce? Good.
I was kind of wondering where you were going with that angry white polar bears thing, but now I suspect it was a typo for “bipolar?” Perception: I know, right?
Aren’t abortion shamers kind of a bunch of dicks by default?
Is there any way around that?
Until O’bamacareless, medical conditions and procedures used to be confidential, unless patients were to make public disclosure. Why invite confrontation; especially at a time when the patient is most vulnerable? Wouldn’t it be better to simply go to a regular hospital or general medical clinic? No doctor is going to out their patient, and no patient needs to advertise the fact that she is so much as getting botox. If you don’t like, ‘don’t ask – don’t tell,’ then fine; go ahead and be a protester, but then you’ve got not grounds to complain. Furthermore, there are inexpensive, non-intrusive, herbal remedies readily available.
…what?
I support legal abortion, but that doesn’t mean they’re supposed to be like a trip to the manicurist. They should be legal and safe to whoever needs them, but they also should be contemplated as the major life decision they are. It’s not just some guilt-free commercial transaction of a Wednesday afternoon.
I don’t mean that protesters and taxi drivers should shame women, but I do mean that we shouldn’t slip to the other end of the spectrum where we pretend that abortion isn’t as serious as it is.
^That
Abortion, like most hot-button political issues, ends up being tainted heavily by partisan politics. It’s an issue where I understand WHY the divide is so hostile, but also on where a bit of empathy towards the other side would do this county a lot of good.
Everyone agrees it is wrong to kill a newborn baby. The overwhelming majority would agree that there’s nothing wrong with birth control, and a smaller majority would also favor Plan B. But the point between Plan B and birth is tricky, because now we’re trying to pinpoint the actual point where it becomes wrong to end the life of a fetus. Our legal definition is at the “point of viability”, which is generally considered 24 weeks but has been proved as early as 22 weeks. Even then – it is a very difficult question as to when it actually becomes moral to terminate a pregnancy.
I am still pro-choice for all the multitude of reasons that probably don’t need to be explained to most Merc readers, but it becomes worrisome sometimes how callous others sound when discussing abortion.
What I’m saying is that being pro-life doesn’t necessarily make you a woman-hating monster. But yeah, standing outside a clinic, insulting women and showing how gross a fetus is still does.
Blabby, can you ever refrain from pontificating about something you absolutely fucking know nothing about? Unless you’ve had an unplanned pregnancy, please take your preconceptions about what women should feel like and shove them up your armchair moralist’s ass.
…Or at very least remember that it’s not like abortions are something that anyone ever does for fun. The “contemplation” you’re hoping they’re engaging in has already happened, and the choice has been made. They’re already having a shitty day; they don’t need some other asshole to make it worse.
I agree with that, RB. I don’t agree with protesting, trying to shut down or block clinics or moralizing to women who have made the choice. My ears just perk up when it sounds like someone is being glib about it. Maybe I heard something in Barbara’s post that wasn’t there.
Occupy This Page…you do know a lot of hospitals and clinics don’t provide abortion services, especially if said clinics and hospitals have a religious affiliation? If all girls could go get an abortion with no shame, don’t you think they would? I’m not saying everyone should get an abortion, because DUH. I’m just saying, we as women have a right over our own bodies and if we make a decision… it should be ours and ours alone.