Wednesday 18 April 2012

That Genetic Mishap

And here, Anonymous gives me the chance to vent what I really feel about sex-selective abortion.
The thing that drives me crazy is how it is a fact -- women are not valued as highly as men; in business, in government, in courts, anywhere in society. YET, when it may be that someone is actively CHOSING A CHILD based upon that value, well, the shit hits that fan. Worried about gender selection? Fights for women's equality. Tax dowries.
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Most middle-of-the-roaders on abortion accept it in some cases: rape, incest, risk to life or health of the woman, fetal deformity.

But then the all-pervasive misogyny kicks in.

How do we know a woman is telling the truth about rape or incest? Does it have to be violent rape?

How do we know a woman's health is really endangered? Should a woman be evaluated by more than one doctor to make sure?

What about mental health as a reason? Does a woman have to attempt suicide or just threaten it?

How bad does fetal deformity have to be? Is anencephaly (i.e. having no brain and no chance of survival) a good enough reason? (Nope, according to the Vatican Taliban.)

How handicapped, dependent, limited, distorted a life does the fetus have to face?

How mocked, vilified and shunned will its existence be?

If, simply by virtue of a genetic 'mishap', the fetus will face relentless, lifelong, murderous hatred, is that a good enough reason?

In many benighted places in the world, the genetic mishap of having XX chromosomes IS a good enough reason. I wonder how many women forced to abort a female fetus are quietly happy that they have spared one from a life like theirs.

5 comments:

Beijing York said...

Right on, fern!

The bottom line is that women are not to be trusted, be it in an office, clinic or night club. We are either too stupid or too evil to make any decisions or complain about injustices against our person.

kva1000 said...

I'm with Beijing-Right On!

What is so absurd to me is who or what do men think they are fucking with? a 'non-person'. The fact that we are in the 21st century, having this discourse is absolutely incredulous. NO man, NO govn't, NO-ONE has any jurisdiction over my body, or any woman's body; A woman's Human=Reproductive System belongs to each and every individual woman, and it is hers alone! It's a Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) principle.

Women gained ‘Persons’ status under the Persons Act in 1929, hence, a fetus is NOT a person. To back up my Human Rights - it took thousands of women to ensure that it was ensconsed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and subsequently reinforced in Canadian Law by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1988. This RIGHT has been fought and won - case closed! Everyone is entitled to have their own personal and religious beliefts, again ensconced in the Charter, however, they are your own. Once you cross the barrier of imposing your personal or religious beliefs upon me, you are now infringing on my Human Rights. To that I respond respectfully, and and maybe not so politely with a Fuck Off! My Body, My Womb, My Right - and its the Law.
Signed by a second waver generation.

Zee said...

What is really sad about this situation is that men have no real business making comments let alone decisions about women's reproduction. It all would be better if it all were a mystery to them and they come before it in reverent silence and awe.

Niles said...

And we believe there is no 'hidden agenda' by Conservatives and allies when there is all this 'coincidental' OMG!!1!1 being whipped up...again, just before this stupid motion?

Will no one think of the brown children?!! You know, the same brown children the usual suspects say are being born too often and leeching off the social support system?

There are so many racist intersections here as well as misogynistic.

Maybe it's just me, but among the more earnest of the whingers, I keep hearing a subtext of brown men without brown women will come for white women who will eagerly copulate/breed with them to destroy the white and brown 'races' via demographic winter.

This even though the 'white' women are supposedly already bringing on demographic winter for the 'white' race by refusing to carry all white babies to term. Even though there is at least one governmental level motion in the US to stop a woman (presumed to be white in what I read) from allegedly aborting a fetus on racist grounds that it would be a 'black' baby.

It's just Crazytown out there among the Patriarchs looking for excuses to control women's lives but when a major one becomes 'you have to bear babies so heterosexal men will have a surplus of properly hued and humbled sex partners available when they desire one, Gawb forbid women should have control of the market through sheer availability of the commodity', we're getting to the guts of the matter.

Anonymous said...

Sure it's control but the moral readon is just an excuse for the corporate agenda. That's why the birthers care only about birthing. $18 billion/year paid to US hospitals. That doesn't include the incubators and other capitol costs for maternity wards etc.

Wake up people - let's Call them on it - It's all about money! any excuse to keep it flowing.

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