NEWS: A Culture of Life Argument Worth Listening To

pro-choice advocates and birthing rights advocates can work together, whether they are identifying civil and human rights violations or formulating an agenda that genuinely values pregnant women, maternal health and motherhood.

The time has come to move away from divisive (and inaccurate) “pro-life” and “pro-choice” categorizations and stand together. We need broad based support for laws and policies that genuinely promote a culture of life—one that includes and values the women who give that life.

The time has come to move away from divisive (and inaccurate) "pro-life" and "pro-choice" categorizations and stand together. We need broad based support for laws and policies that genuinely promote a culture of life_one that includes and values the women who give that life.

Sphinxter said:
Or since they're specifically concerned with women, they could go back to fighting the biggest issue that effects women and ONLY women, which is abortion restrictions/rights.

Sphinxter said:
In her Op-Ed she mentions one of the issues facing women (I note, women, specifically) is lack of universal health care. Doesn't everyone lack that?

And then, lack of protect from discrimination in the workplace. Aren't there a ton of other groups out there who are pissed off about this?

While they're joining hands despite their pro-whatever-the-fuck stances, maybe they aught to also join hands with people of every minority and hell, the rest of the free world, and pursue their issues like discrimination and universal health care...

Or since they're specifically concerned with women, they could go back to fighting the biggest issue that effects women and ONLY women, which is abortion restrictions/rights.

BrokenandHostile said:

Since when does abortion only affect a woman? I am pretty sure that it takes two people to make a baby, one man, one woman. I could be wrong, i have been out of the game for a while

Bitch_PhD said:

Um, pregnancy is pretty exclusively a women's issue, and not having health care while pregnant, not being able to get maternity leave, and not having recourse if you're fired for pregnancy are all pretty much issues that face women, specifically.

yourfashionwar said:
yeah, if pro-choice women weren't baby-killing infidels, i'm sure we'd all have a lot in common.

gutterman said:
Pregnancy and lack of health care are issues that only apply to women.

Sphinxter
... if you look at the laws and so forth right now it's considered the woman's decision and her decision only. The guy can't refuse to pay child support if she does have it (by saying, "well, I thought we should have had an abortion so I won't pay for the baby") and he can't STOP her from having an abortion (it's her body at that point).

Bitch_PhD said:

Um, pregnancy is pretty exclusively a women's issue, and not having health care while pregnant, not being able to get maternity leave, and not having recourse if you're fired for pregnancy are all pretty much issues that face women, specifically.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions constitutes unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII. Women affected by pregnancy or related conditions must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations.

k) The terms ``because of sex'' or ``on the basis of sex'' include, but
are not limited to, because of or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth,
or related medical conditions; and women affected by pregnancy,
childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be treated the same for
all employment­related purposes, including receipt of benefits under
fringe benefit programs, as other persons not so affected but similar in
their ability or inability to work, and nothing in section 2000e-2(h) of
this title [section 703(h)] shall be interpreted to permit
otherwise. This subsection shall not require an employer to pay for health
insurance benefits for abortion, except where the life of the mother would
be endangered if the fetus were carried to term, or except where medical
complications have arisen from an abortion: Provided, That nothing herein
shall preclude an employer from providing abortion benefits or otherwise
affect bargaining agreements in regard to abortion.

Bitch_PhD said:
Um, pregnancy is pretty exclusively a women's issue, and not having health care while pregnant, not being able to get maternity leave, and not having recourse if you're fired for pregnancy are all pretty much issues that face women, specifically.

mat8drb said:

Um, what?

If the pregnancy arises in a family unit where a mother to be is fired . refused maternity leave, then that will affect the family unit as a whole in the long run. The spouse, the child and the woman.

In the case of being fired, the spouse will inevitably have to work longer hours and spend less time with the mother and the child due to this.

In the case of lack of maternity leave, this could affect the child (while still in the womb) and also lead to the spouse having stress issues leading to further strains on the family unit.

Shalome said:

No, no, see, you're not speaking the right language here. We must assume that all pregnant women will be utterly abandoned by the evil man who knocked them up, by their friends, their families, their neighbors, their employers, health care professionals, and by society in general. How strong and brave these women are, carrying on despite the fact that they can depend on no one but themselves... and, of course, their academic feminist sisters, who will attend conferences and write blogs on their behalf.

Curethedots said:

Zing!

Shalome said:
I'm of the opinion that womens' issues like Bitch_PhD writes about are really inherently class issues. Being discriminated against in the workplace and feeling like you have no recourse, limited access to health care or information about health care, drug arrests with harsh punishments -- these are far more likely to happen to poor people than well-off, well-educated ones.

Note I didn't say "poor women."

Shalome said:

While I don't have a PhD in Bitchery, I did minor in womens' studies.

I was disillusioned by my experiences with womens' studies, in which I found that a lot of very smart women wrote an awful lot of deep analysis of past and current issues without offering solutions or action (or worse, offered soft-edged "can't we all just work together and get along?" whines), who wailed to each other about injustice and the need to raise awareness (although I wondered whose awareness they intended on raising, since their papers always seemed to be written for and read by their already-like-minded peers).

I found writing letters to congresspeople and local leaders and volunteering at a shelter (and educating myself on community resources and the legal system so I could educate others) were much more fulfilling and did a lot more immediate good.

I'm of the opinion that womens' issues like Bitch_PhD writes about are really inherently class issues. Being discriminated against in the workplace and feeling like you have no recourse, limited access to health care or information about health care, drug arrests with harsh punishments -- these are far more likely to happen to poor people than well-off, well-educated ones.

Note I didn't say "poor women."