Thank you Adelaide for voicing the positive aspects of parenthood. I
have tried not to react too sensitively to some of the posts on the list
which seemed to suggest that people who have children are somehow doing
the world a disservice. But, I do have to say that some of them have
come across as anti-parenthood.
My own experience -- with my own child and as a day care provider -- has
been that children (especially when they are not spoiled with
mass-marketed toys, etc) are sources of: great joy, wisdom (out of the
mouths of babes), and perspective. They also connect me to the world and
future in a very, very concrete manner. Everything that I do now will
impact them and their children and their children's children. They force
me out of a self-preoccupation which could be quite negative. I do agree
with you Adelaide, that the people my age that I know who have decided
they did not want to have children because they are too much of a bother
are among the most pre-occupied with consuming "entertainment goods" and
status items. (I am NOT saying that this is true for everyone who decides
not to have children -- I am sure that some people who make this decision
do so because they are dedicating their lives to very, very useful work
on serious social and environmental problems.)
I also agree that protecting reproductive rights includes protecting the
right to choose to have children. I only have one child, but that is
simply the result of a variety of medical and financial constraints.
Without those limitations, my husband and I would most certainly have
opted to have at least 1 more child. The key, here, is choice. What
bothers me about the Pope's latest statement is its denial of choice...
Jayne
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Apr 11 07:47:18 MDT 1995
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 09:48:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: Swarr Amanda Lock <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Bejing Conference!!
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hi!!
I have a friend who has just decided to travel to UN Wimmin's Conference
in China and she needs to get updated! Could someone please send me
any/all information about the conference, as well as details re: the email
subscription list on Bejing which has been posted on ecofem and elsewhere?
Thanks a lot!!!
-Amanda Swarr
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Apr 11 14:03:04 MDT 1995
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Beijing95
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 14:06:58 -0600
From: "Mary C. Simmons, Hydrologic Assistant, Albuquerque, NM
"<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Someone asked earlier for info on this subject. I just got this in the eamil:
Hi! My name is Jennifer Gagliardi & I am the moderator of BEIJING95-L, an
email list dedicated to the discussion of the upcoming United Nations
fourth world conference on women, Beijing Sept 95. Currently BEIJING95-L
is for women-only, but on the occasion of a possible move to another
service provider, I posed a list of questions on whether or nor
BEIJING95-L should remain for women-only or should we open up
subscriptions to men. the list of questions also included several option
such as keeping BEIJING95-L for women only while opening up a web-site
which would have a readonly file & a gender-inclusive discussion forum. so
far most women who have posted to the list are in favor of letting men on;
women who have posted to me privately are against including men for most
of the usual reasons.
I am also a host on women's Wire of the UN Women - Beijing95 discussion
forum and I am currently working on a formal RFD of
soc.feminism.international. Originally i envisioned it as unmoderated,
but after rethinking the whole situation, i will probably request
moderation. Is any one else interested in co-moderation?
thanks for all the too-cool info on spiderwoman. i will begin
constrution of the UN Women's Conf homepage as soon as the issues around
subscription-base & the move of BEIJING95-L are resolved. I'd appreciate
any thoughts/input you would have on the projects listed above. Hope
y'all are well & keep up the good-work!
jennifer gagliardi
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
moderator BEIJING95-L
