Comments on: It all comes back to controlling women’s bodies http://thecurvature.com/2007/10/14/it-all-comes-back-to-controlling-womens-bodies/ Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:51:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Elaine Vigneault http://thecurvature.com/2007/10/14/it-all-comes-back-to-controlling-womens-bodies/#comment-1718 Elaine Vigneault Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:27:27 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/10/14/it-all-comes-back-to-controlling-womens-bodies/#comment-1718 Sadly, this news story is not a new phenomenon. In fact, lots of teens who get abortions are pressured by their parents. I am pro-choice because I believe women ought to have personal autonomy over their bodies. But lots of people are pro-choice for selfish reasons. Many parents are pro-choice because they want their daughters to have more options in life than an early pregnancy will allow. Many men are pro-choice because they want a back-door safe-guard against accidental pregnancy. Many would rather coerce a woman not to use a condom and to get an abortion than promote women's freedom and independence. This is one reason I think calling it a "choice" is ineffective. Those of us working on the side of women's rights ought to make an effort to call abortion a reproductive right, not a choice, because that's what it is, a basic human right not to be enslaved. Sadly, this news story is not a new phenomenon. In fact, lots of teens who get abortions are pressured by their parents.

I am pro-choice because I believe women ought to have personal autonomy over their bodies.

But lots of people are pro-choice for selfish reasons. Many parents are pro-choice because they want their daughters to have more options in life than an early pregnancy will allow.

Many men are pro-choice because they want a back-door safe-guard against accidental pregnancy. Many would rather coerce a woman not to use a condom and to get an abortion than promote women’s freedom and independence.

This is one reason I think calling it a “choice” is ineffective. Those of us working on the side of women’s rights ought to make an effort to call abortion a reproductive right, not a choice, because that’s what it is, a basic human right not to be enslaved.

]]> By: Jay http://thecurvature.com/2007/10/14/it-all-comes-back-to-controlling-womens-bodies/#comment-1692 Jay Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:58:38 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/10/14/it-all-comes-back-to-controlling-womens-bodies/#comment-1692 You go. You are absolutely right. Unfortunately, I don't share Mary Tracy's sense that this will work against the antis. Wish it would, though. Seems clear enough to me. You go. You are absolutely right. Unfortunately, I don’t share Mary Tracy’s sense that this will work against the antis. Wish it would, though. Seems clear enough to me.

]]> By: Mary Tracy9 http://thecurvature.com/2007/10/14/it-all-comes-back-to-controlling-womens-bodies/#comment-1690 Mary Tracy9 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:02:44 +0000 http://thecurvature.com/2007/10/14/it-all-comes-back-to-controlling-womens-bodies/#comment-1690 I'm naive enough to actually think that this works AGAINST anti-choicers. Because it makes it crystal clear that what people are after is CONTRO over the woman's body, not, as they maintain, after eliminating the "bad option". If a woman has an abortion, people get mad at her. If she doesn't, people get mad at her. I am sure the godbags would be more than happy to support abortion if THEY were the ones deciding over who has it and who doesn't, instead of the woman. I’m naive enough to actually think that this works AGAINST anti-choicers. Because it makes it crystal clear that what people are after is CONTRO over the woman’s body, not, as they maintain, after eliminating the “bad option”. If a woman has an abortion, people get mad at her. If she doesn’t, people get mad at her.

I am sure the godbags would be more than happy to support abortion if THEY were the ones deciding over who has it and who doesn’t, instead of the woman.

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