Difference between revisions of "328 2010--Week 11 Questions/Comments"

Regardless of everyone's outrage at the stigma attached to abortions during most of the twentieth century and up to today, why wouldn't it have been a public decision? Pushing aside my own feelings towards abortion and trying to stay away from issues of morality or immorality, shouldn't our society be concerned about demographics? For example, during the early years of the twentieth century in the US and in the pre-WW2 years in both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany we saw government incentives for parents to have more children, because (at least in the latter two) they had a national security interest in seeing higher birth rates. Americans at the turn of the century (and arguably still today) were concerned that low birth rates and abortions among upper and middle class whites would lead to "racial suicide." When people at the time thought in this manner, why wouldn't abortion become a public decision? It seems that it made sense for that time in history and arguably even today--unless one thinks that we should all go our separate ways and that individual decisions do not affect society as a whole. I think the decision to take a pregnancy to term or abort has drastic consequences (although unforeseen) for society insofar as determining the demographics of that society in years to come. And if the argument that men should provide financially for the women that they impregnate and either assist in expenses or pay for an abortion is ironic in that it perpetuates the idea that women cannot provide for themselves, and is a form of protectionist legislation that we saw in earlier years such as Muller v. Oregon. I feel that as one of the few men in the class I should just come out and state my stance on abortion--I am all for it, especially as a male I feel as though no matter what my personal convictions are as far as morality and life and etc., it's not my body and it's not my choice. Personal liberty is important to me, which is why I support the ability of women to have abortion, and also the same reason why I oppose legislation that demands men to take financial responsibility for these matters--it's a violation of personal liberty. And no, I'm sure that it isn't "fair" that men can "have fun" and not have to deal with the same consequences, but that isn't something that can be legislated into equality. On a different note, the stigma attached to abortions then and now--it doesn't just come from oppressive conservative men, but it comes from women as well. Not just the Bible-thumpers, but from young, college-aged liberal-esque women who for all their proclamations of being prochoice, still seem to find ways to label their fellow women who have found some level of sexual liberation and have fun, like men have supposedly been doing for ages, various derogatory terms. An example of this would be all the dirty looks and hushed whispers I've seen and heard on this campus from girls directed towards girls who have had abortions. Again, women cannot be socially oppressed by just men, other women take part in it and I want to know why--what do women have to gain by perpetuating certain stigmas and conceptions? -schang

Regardless of everyone's outrage at the stigma attached to abortions during most of the twentieth century and up to today, why wouldn't it have been a public decision? Pushing aside my own feelings towards abortion and trying to stay away from issues of morality or immorality, shouldn't our society be concerned about demographics? For example, during the early years of the twentieth century in the US and in the pre-WW2 years in both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany we saw government incentives for parents to have more children, because (at least in the latter two) they had a national security interest in seeing higher birth rates. Americans at the turn of the century (and arguably still today) were concerned that low birth rates and abortions among upper and middle class whites would lead to "racial suicide." When people at the time thought in this manner, why wouldn't abortion become a public decision? It seems that it made sense for that time in history and arguably even today--unless one thinks that we should all go our separate ways and that individual decisions do not affect society as a whole. I think the decision to take a pregnancy to term or abort has drastic consequences (although unforeseen) for society insofar as determining the demographics of that society in years to come. And if the argument that men should provide financially for the women that they impregnate and either assist in expenses or pay for an abortion is ironic in that it perpetuates the idea that women cannot provide for themselves, and is a form of protectionist legislation that we saw in earlier years such as Muller v. Oregon. I feel that as one of the few men in the class I should just come out and state my stance on abortion--I am all for it, especially as a male I feel as though no matter what my personal convictions are as far as morality and life and etc., it's not my body and it's not my choice. Personal liberty is important to me, which is why I support the ability of women to have abortion, and also the same reason why I oppose legislation that demands men to take financial responsibility for these matters--it's a violation of personal liberty. And no, I'm sure that it isn't "fair" that men can "have fun" and not have to deal with the same consequences, but that isn't something that can be legislated into equality. On a different note, the stigma attached to abortions then and now--it doesn't just come from oppressive conservative men, but it comes from women as well. Not just the Bible-thumpers, but from young, college-aged liberal-esque women who for all their proclamations of being prochoice, still seem to find ways to label their fellow women who have found some level of sexual liberation and have fun, like men have supposedly been doing for ages, various derogatory terms. An example of this would be all the dirty looks and hushed whispers I've seen and heard on this campus from girls directed towards girls who have had abortions. Again, women cannot be socially oppressed by just men, other women take part in it and I want to know why--what do women have to gain by perpetuating certain stigmas and conceptions? -schang

=="An Unplanned Pregnancy", by Joanna Rubin==

=="An Unplanned Pregnancy", by Joanna Rubin==