I am extraordinarily disappointed that for some women the devotion to the
care and wellbeing of women extends only to those who 'fit'. I accept any
woman's right to belief in how to manage their own lifestyle and the choices
therein, therefore I think it is absolutely okay to disagree with
abortions. However using language of violence (belonging usually to the
domain of men) to propagate a viewpoint through its emotive intent is
narrow-minded, shortsighted and I feel illustrates the simplistic social
viewpoint of women and the framework that enables the judgement of their
supposed choices. There is no room in this for compassion or humanity. As
the saying goes you have to walk a mile in a persons shoes before you should
deem to understand therefore judge them.
It is (disappointedly) interesting that violent language is the very nature
of the obstetric reasons for intervening in birth i.e. forceps to stop the
baby being battered against the rigid wall of the perineum, uncontrolled
mutilating tears as a reason to cut a woman's vagina and perineum, etc etc.
There is no way in my mind that it is women centered or woman focused to
describe the complexity of the choices; reasons and emotions around abortion
in such simplistic demeaning and judgmental ways.
Vegetarianism and abortion, I find that incredibly ridiculous!
Is it better to go back to forcing women who still have little sexual
autonomy in todays society to birth children that for what ever reason are
not 'wanted' or whom will place a particular burden on the woman. We can
always say yes but I would do ..., hwoever it is not you or me, it is no
ones place to make such chocies and live with those choices but the woman
herslef. Violence is perpetrated against women and children all over the
world, lets not equate abortion in this, lets make the world a better place
for women and children to be born into and to live.
Like anything in life there are no easy answers
"This is a complicated and muddled world where unplanned pregnancues may be
wanted, where wanted children may emerge from unwnated pregnancues, where
the offspring of wanted pregnancies may be rejected, where infatuation with
infants grows cold and where children may be wanted soley to meet their
parents pathological needs." Juliet Cheetham 1977
I think if we can sit back and say the world is good, women are truly able
to make choices that do not stem from the social and cultural contexts' of
oppression; sexual and generded inequality and expolitation, patricahial
interest etc etc then maybe we can sit in judgement of drug addicts, and
choices such as abortion, until then vioence is perpetrated through language
and judegment. Unfortunatly it is, as it seems always, women who bear the
brunt, blame and gulit of peoples belief that they know better and sit in
judgement.
I have had to make hard choices in my career - do I really want to be with
womEn or not. It means I often have to leave my own sense of morality and
values where they belong in my private domain, this does not mean that I am
compromised, it does mean I can help far more women and maybe leave a little
of me with them...
For anyone who knows me knows I love quotes so I will finish here with a
couple...
your pain
is the breaking
of the shell
that encloses
your undserstanding. Kahil Gibran
men are disturbed not by things
that happen
but by their opinion of the things
that happen Epictetus
Before enlightenment
chopping wood
carrying water
After enlightenment
chopping wood
carrying water
Zen Proverb
Belinda
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