After reading the essay, “And So I Choose,” by Allison Crews place her discussion of “rights” in conversation with the article you read for class this week, “Beyond Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life?” First (2 paragraphs), in your own words, please describe why each of these terms are in fact problematic or limiting to our larger discussion of reproductive rights. Why were each limiting in Crew’s reflection? What does a “reproductive justice” paradigm offer instead?
Second (1-2 paragraphs) reflect on the recent arguments surrounding legislation addressed to congress (see links below). What do you think is at stake in politicizing women’s bodies and reproduction? What would a reproductive justice argument look like in response to this legislation.
The main problem with the options of labeling yourself either pro-life or pro-choice is that both carry negative connotations that aren't necessarily true. For instance, those who are labeled pro-life may mean they do not like the abortion procedure but they have no opposition to birth control. When the majority of people I know hear "pro-life" they either think that these people are somehow better than pro-choice people for not "being a baby killer" or they think of Bible-thumping churchgoers who force women into having a child. Conversely, those who consider themselves pro-choice are often labeled as "baby haters", "monsters" or any other hateful name that insinuates they are murderers. As discussed in class and Crews' essay, these stereotypes do not even begin to explain or describe everyone in both groups.
ReplyDeleteThe worst thing about this paradigm is how deeply and pointlessly it divides us as a nation. I think our discussion in class is an excellent example. Personally, I felt attacked when I made the comment about how I do not want children even when I am older, and the girl who responded said "Or is it taking responsibility for your actions?". She assumed 2 things: 1)That I am sexually active and 2)That I was saying abortion and birth control are the same thing. I have gotten similar reaction before, and it hurts every time. If we have a woman in our class who has had an abortion, how hated must she have felt during the discussion? This issue has gone from women's right to own their body and run it as their own to a moral battle that no one can win. When we decide that a struggle over who is holier-than-thou for being pro-life or pro-choice is more important than saving lives and preventing STDS and unwanted pregnancies, then we all need to take a look at the bigger picture. What the reproductive justice paradigm can offer is a chance for people to see that each case is different, each woman is different, and assumptions should be thrown out the window.
The politicizing of women's health and private reproductive rights has done more harm than good. When the myth that abortions from places like Planned Parenthood are funded by tax-payers' dollars, it is evidence of the recurrent misinformation that happens everyday to the American people on this subject. People have been told that this is a moral issue; what they fail to realize is that they are allowing the government to police their mothers', sisters', nieces', granddaughters's and their own bodies. What's at stake is personal freedom in a private affair. The thought of not having access to clean, professional, certified gynecological care is a scary one. A reproductive justice response to these arguments may point out that centers such as Planned Parenthood prevent pregnancy (and therefore many abortions) and the spread of STDs. It may also include the point that one does not have to condone abortions in order to support people's right to reproductive health care.
Overall, I feel that this issue needs to be taken out of the context of pro-life vs. pro-choice, and examined for what it is; the issue of having choices in life.
The terms pro-choice and pro-life are both very problematic terms. As we discussed in class there are microaggressions that are associated with each term. Because someone is pro-life that means automatically that they want the government telling them what they should do with their bodies, and that they should have control over the woman’s body. When in all reality, someone who is pro-life may simply just be against abortion, and not for the government having total control. On the other hand, someone who is pro-choice is associated with being against life or murder. They are automatically associated with someone who wants to end a life. However, someone who is pro-choice may simply just believe that a woman, no matter what, should have the right to decide whether or not they want to have an abortion, or have the child. A girl said in class yesterday that she was pro-choice but could never have an abortion herself. I think that is just showing how these terms just don’t hold up anymore.
ReplyDeleteIn Crew’s story, she tells of how she was raised being pro-life with her mom and participated in protests outside abortion clinics. Crew tells about the time she sees that girl and her mother go in for an abortion and the look on their faces when they come out. I think it was in that time that she realized that what she was doing by embarrassing the girl was not helping at all. Then Crew herself gets pregnant. She was never able to go through with an abortion and was constantly put down for wanting to have the baby herself. She had to battle people telling her constantly how she couldn’t raise the child and that she needed to give up her baby. Personally, I think that’s a decision she should make on her own. I think her parents should have been there to help her, not make the decision for her. Reproductive justice offers a woman’s choice throughout the entire pregnancy. To me it means the woman from the beginning can decide to have the baby, have an abortion, or give the baby up for adoption. Throughout the pregnancy, she can decide what doctor to use, and all of the parts of her pregnancy. She gets to make the decisions during the birthing process, where she has the baby, c-section, and whether or not she receives medication. After birth, she has the right to raise the child how she sees fit. To me that’s what reproduction justice is.
As we discussed in class, if we make abortion illegal, it is going to increase the number of unsafe abortions. It will be like the 1950s and 60s when women were dying from having an abortion. I believe that the government is wrong for taking away the funding for women to have cancer screenings done, especially mammograms. I know two women, under the age of 30 who have been affected with breast cancer, one which may never have children. I think it’s a mistake taking that money away when it is becoming so prevalent, even in younger women. I truthfully don’t think taking money away from Planned Parenthood is going to stop women from having abortions. It’s like any other law, people are going to find a way around it.
The terms “pro-choice” and “pro-life” can be problematic to the discussion of reproductive justice. As discussed in class, there are microaggressions that are associated with each term. When someone says they are “pro-choice” it may lead others to believe that he or she is anti-fetus and anti-life when this may not be the case at all. If someone uses the term “pro-life” it may cause people to believe that he is she is going judge them horribly if the other person is “pro-choice.” These two terms do not belong under the phrase “reproductive justice.” The term reproductive justice links reproductive health with social justice. A woman’s reproductive justice is influenced by the different conditions in her life that shape her social and economic status. The terms “pro-choice” and “pro-life” are someone’s personal and moral opinion. They are not the result of one’s social standing.
ReplyDeleteThe article “Beyond Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life” discusses the problem of these two terms. The author argues that the terms are only going to be problematic when a woman is discussing her right to reproductive justice. The article, “And So I Choose” by Allison Crews is about a woman’s right to her body and what decisions she makes regarding her body. This article and the previous article both discuss a woman’s right to her body but the article discussing pro-choice and pro-life is more about a woman’s right to be healthy and happy. A reproductive justice offers a woman the right to healthcare and to a mental and physical happiness that the terms pro-choice and pro-life only complicate.
I believe that Congress’ decision to cut funding to Planned Parenthood is ridiculous and sexist. Planned Parenthood offers so many health benefits to women who otherwise could not afford such benefits. The fact that Congress is making the decision to keep women from being reproductively healthy is wrong. I think it is an attack on women as a whole. A woman has the right to decide what she can and cannot do to her body and the government should have been able to control that. Planned Parenthood was not using the government funds to pay for women’s abortions; it was using it to give them sexual health necessities. This act is completely against a woman’s right to reproductive justice and I am embarrassed that my country would consider such a thing.
I think that “And So I Choose” is the perfect example of making the personal political. It shows how a young woman’s struggle with her body is turned into something political. The problem was not only the struggle but how those around her made her feel about her decision. She showed how those who claimed to be pro-life and those who claimed to be pro-choice began to show their true colors. She gave a personal example of how she could not understand these terms because of how the people acted, which confirmed what was said in “Beyond Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life.” The issue of abortion goes beyond being someone who wants for women to have a choice and wanting for women to give birth to the children they conceive.
ReplyDeleteThe terms pro-life and pro-choice become problematic because they have developed certain negative connotations which people have taken to the extreme. While the article “Beyond Pro-Choice vs. Pro Life,” gave different reasons for problems with these terms, Alison Crews explanation made the personal political. She brought the terms down to her personal experience to show how they were problematic to her. Because those who were pro-life did not seem to care about her life, she did not understand their viewpoint. And because those who were pro-choice only wanted for her to make one decision, she saw how they were hypocritical. In a similar way, “Beyond Pro-Choice vs. Pro-life,” exposed the problems that the people who are self proclaimed to be either pro-life or pro-choice find problem in identifying with those terms.
Bringing this type of legislation to the floor was, in all likelihood, something that the GOP has been planning for a while. While the arguments against this legislation, like federal dollars do not go to fund abortions, give off the impression that the GOP does not care about women at all, I personally disagree. I think that politicizing women’s bodies can become very problematic, but the GOP doesn’t intend to do that. They intend to ensure that the children women are carrying have the right to live, and if it does not, then they intend to make sure that no federal funding goes to any place where it could be used to get rid of that right. I think that if they are trying to politicize women’s bodies rather than give an unborn child the right to live, then their motives are in poor taste. And if that is the case, then it is certainly a problem we will see and have to address again. It would be a shame to have to go through the initial movement for women’s rights again.
A reproductive justice argument would be highly against this legislation. It would argue that this piece of legislation does more bad than good. It will take away funding for important educational services and services that can prevent the pregnancies that would later be aborted. It would also argue that the government has no right to bring a woman’s body onto the floor of the house. It is not the business of the government to get involved in how a woman chooses to use her body. The reproductive justice argument would bring a huge question to the reason that congress cares what a women does with her body. And I know that it would highly oppose the legislation and say that it set women’s rights back 50 years.
@Virginia88
ReplyDeleteI think that the connotations of the terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" have very negative implications. I think that you are right in how you describe each side as seeing the other. And the combination of reproductive health with social justice as being reproductive health is a great point to show what the intentions behind that argument are.
@Emily Blackwood
ReplyDeleteI found the description of the girl coming out of the clinic and being yelled at one of the most powerful parts of the Crew article. I think it showed how much pain people go through in their decision making process. I thought it was a great example of making the personal political, just as we discussed in class.
Like we discussed in class, the terms pro-life and pro-choice aren’t accurate anymore when trying to take sides on the abortion issue. We come across so many microaggressions that come with each term and most of the time they don’t apply to your views as a pro-choice activist or a pro-life activist. When you tell someone you are pro-life they automatically assume that you spend most of your days picketing in from of places like Planned Parenthood, like Crews talks about doing in her writing. They also assume that you want the government to take away all abortion rights and completely outlaw it. If you say you are pro-choice, people assume that you don’t care about the fetus that is being aborted because you are saying that you think abortion should be legal. Crews talks about talking to people online who claim they are pro-choice, but they only support the choice they believe is the right one and discriminate against those who they feel are making the wrong choice. What makes these microaggressions so problematic is that most people don’t fall under either category but will pick one that best matches their beliefs.
ReplyDeleteIts funny because as I was reading Crew’s writing, the whole time I was thinking that every time I thought about abortion and my views of it, my thoughts were exactly like hers. People get so heated when defending their side of the argument on abortion, that they really do lose sight of the fact that its about a women’s choice to have, or not have, a baby. Not the governments, not her family, not her next-door neighbor, but the pregnant woman’s choice. And that’s why I think the “reproductive paradigm” is better suited for the abortion argument. It’s a personal choice that a woman and the baby’s father (if she so chooses) need to make and they should have to right to make the right and/or best choice for themselves and not be criticized for it.
Taking away federal funding to Planned Parenthood I think is just the start for the reproductive justice argument. I think this is really going to push these activists over the edge and allow them to fight more aggressively for reproductive justice. There are so many people that look to places like Planned Parenthood for their health issues because they can't afford to go anywhere else to get help. So by taking away this funding, its like the government isn't even looking at what its doing to the lower class and how it is victimizing them. I see this as another example of making the personal political. Also, if people push enough and abortion is made illegal, women will still find ways to have abortions illegally and thats putting their health and life at risk. When we talked about this in class on Wednesday, it made me think about the abortion scene in Dirty Dancing. Untrained people would be giving these procedures in unsterilized places with unsterilized tools and women would really be at risk. We tried this in our society and clearly it didn't work back then, so why do people believe it would work now?
@emily blackwood
ReplyDeleteI agree with you last paragraph, especially the part about cancer screenings and mammograms. Being a woman in a society where breast cancer is so common, its scary to think we may have it and if you take away these screenings from us, how are we suppose to detect the cancer in time to get rid of it? I know that the government didn't take away funding with intentions of not wanting women to have mammograms, but it is still one of many negative side effects of their decision to stop funding.
@J K Howard
ReplyDeleteI remember you incident in class and I'm sorry your feelings were hurt by whoever made that comment. And the whole time all of this was going on I was also thinking that if anyone in the class had had an abortion they probably felt so uncomfortable. I took a history class in summer school this past summer and my teacher was extremely pro-life and I was openly expressing her opinion about abortion and telling everyone in the class how terrible abortions were. An older student raised her hand and told our teacher that what she was saying was offending her because she was raped and had had an abortion. To me this is such a good example of how wrong and divided our society is and has become because of abortion. A woman shouldn't have to worry about the side effects that a personal decision, such as an abortion, might bring up later in her life. Not only that but this is such a good example of how everyone has a right to his or her own opinion, but you need to be careful how you express your opinion so you don't offend anyone.
In the past few readings it is fair to say that the “pro-life” and “pro-choice” options are not good choices to have. While I feel like I’m pro choice, I wouldn’t get an abortion just because I got pregnant at a bad time. I believe that Crew’s definition is very sufficient at explaining what pro choice should mean. Every woman should have the right to make her choice and not be criticized or judged for deciding what to do with herself, her body, and the fetus that is growing in her body. It is her decision to decide what is right for her. With religion abortion is seen as killing a fetus, but God didn’t give pro life people the right to judge the woman who made their own choice.
ReplyDeleteUltimately this should be a woman’s choice right? It doesn’t matter what the man thinks? While I think the woman has more of a vote since it’s her body, but she not only thinking about how her life is going to change but also the biological father ‘s life as well.
-I knew one of my friends after graduation got pregnant and decided to keep the baby along with the biological father. After they had both made actions to support their future and the biological father declined his scholarship and joined the military she finalized her miscarriage. And she proceeded to go to the school of her choice that offered her a scholarship and the male had to continue with the contract he had just signed. –
Bringing another life into this world is a big decision, and it’s not always easy, and babies arn’t always cute, and they don’t understand what we want. I believe any person has the right to choose and has the right to be supported and shouldn’t be judged in anyway. Unfortunately human beings are stubborn and if taught one thing it takes a lot to change their mind.
Im not really understanding this whole government interaction so maybe someone can help me out.
-The government is taking the federal funding away from needed procedures to make them less available ultimately making it harder for planned parenthood businesses to make money and forcing them out of business correct?-
If this is the case being a woman and being able to have check-ups and tests done should be available to any woman anywhere, even if a planned parenthood is the closest availability and the most reasonably priced. If a woman can’t afford and OB-GYN at an office and gets cancer or an STD and doesn’t know because she can’t go to a planned parenthood, the government is stripping her of her right to have a healthy life. As long as abortion is legal, their needs to be safe places that a woman can go to make sure that they continue to be healthy and may be able to have a child later on in their life. Government interaction should be minimal and shouldn’t determine how hard it should be for a woman to make her own choice.
The terms “Pro-Life” and “Pro-Choice” are much too narrow and definitive to be legitimate. Each side is extremely limited, and in all actuality, next to no one actually qualifies as truly being pro-life or pro-choice. There is a gray area, whether it be small or large, for almost everyone who is asking themselves what they believe. Those who are pro-life have to hate having any voice or choice at all. They must believe that the government should be in charge of every aspect of their lives with no exceptions. Pro-choice believers hate the idea of motherhood and are completely against the fetus. In all honesty, no one is either pro-life or pro-choice. The definitions of the terms are far too dramatic and opposite. “Reproductive Justice” is a more fitting, appropriate term. Reproductive justice includes a woman’s right to contraceptives and family planning as well as help with reproductive health, including prenatal care and STD testing. It is a more realistic term that applies to a much larger range of women.
ReplyDeleteIn Allison Crew’s story, “And So I Chose,” she grew up completely pro-life, persay, and was picketing at abortion clinics by the age of ten. When she got older and became a pregnant teenager, she shifted her point of view to strongly considering abortion. In the end, she almost decides on adoption but land on keeping her baby. The choice process that she went through is natural and very common in young mothers. She changed her mind many times, but she has the right to do so. She calls herself pro-choice, but she does not believe that abortion is for her. She believes that all women have the right to decide what happens with their body no matter the situation. Crew is neither pro-life or pro-choice by definition, but she believes that a woman has reproductive rights to her own body. Thus, the term reproductive justice is applicable.
As commentary on recent legislation concerning women’s bodies, I believe that it is taking “personal is political” to an all new level. Women will lose the beauty and value of their bodies in this fight for rights. The government is attempting to take away a woman’s right to her own body, and that is much too political for such a personal topic. Women’s bodies are a treasure to them whether they know it or not. They grow and mature through the teenage years and full develop into womanhood later in life. Weight is gained, weight is lost, but that body is still the original one from the very beginning. To take away the right for a woman to determine what she does and does not want done to her body is completely taking away from the personalization. It is making her body the government’s property. Also, reproduction loses its intimacy and miracle-like idea. It will become too technical and processed if the government is in complete control.
A reproductive justice argument would hear the sides to each story, but in the end it would determine that women have the right to decide what goes on with their own body. Current legislation is trying to take away a woman’s right to abortion as well her her right to family planning and reproductive health. Planned Parenthood is funded by the government to give pelvic exams, cancer screenings, STD testing, and even counseling for new parents. Taking away the right to abortion as well as Planned Parenthood would leave many women alone to cope and deal with a pregnancy they may or may not even want. Options are vital to the reproductive justice case. People have the right to NOT get an abortion, so they should have the right TO get an abortion. Choices and options and understanding are the basis to reproductive justice, and current voters are in dyer need of rethinking their stance on reproductive and women’s rights.
Both Pro-life and Pro-choice have their negative assumptions. Neither is right and neither is wrong. Young women who are pregnant and support Pro-life are often told and criticized that there is no way they are fit to be a mother and take care of a child so they should abort their child; in other words “take care of it”. On the other hand young pregnant women who support Pro-choice are often assumed as baby killers, they hate children, or they’re selfish. Although I do not have a set opinion on Pro-choice or Pro-life I do believe that each woman’s situation is different. So some women may choose to abort their child because they were raped or they know that they won’t be able to raise their child in a stable environment. There may be a perfectly good reason to why the expecting mother chooses to abort their child. I don’t think that that young woman should be criticized for her decision if that was the case. The same goes for women who support Pro-life, these women may just be anti-abortion because of their religion. There are reasons why we support one way or the other and I don’t believe we should be criticized for them.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if it is often assumed that because these pregnant women are so young there is no possible way they can make the right decision for themselves. They don’t possibly have enough experience to know what’s best for them or the child. Because of these assumptions women often loose their rights. We forget that even though we may be the mothers, friends, or family of these young pregnant women we also have to take into account of how it will affect them. An abortion can be physically and emotionally difficult. We can’t just force our opinions on one another because mother knows best. What we really need is to give support. For example, in the reading “And So I Chose” the girl was raise Pro-life but still thought about an abortion and would be in hope that there would be someone to hold her hand instead of shake their hand at her and force their opinion. However I do not personally believe that all young pregnant women are incapable of raising a child. I know a lot of young mothers who have had to grow up fast but they love and care for their child all the same. In Crew’s opinion, she believes that all women have their own right, no matter what their circumstance.
I think that they decision to cut Planned Parenthood funding will do no good. Women need these services and if they don’t get them then they will go other ways, possible unsafe ways of getting them. For example, having unsafe abortions. If they take birth control away then that will increase the number of pregnancies and possible abortions. Also taking away HIV and cancer screenings would only lead to doctors not catching these disease early enough and being able to treat them.
@ Sarah Tate
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement about a gray area. I myself do not have a set opinion. I believe that those can choose to have their baby for their own reason and those can choose to abort their baby for their own reasons as well and not necessarily be completely against the opposite decision. Although I do believe there are those kind of people out there that are completely black or white about Pro-life and Pro-choice as well. But i don't think it applies to everyone.
@Maggie McBride
ReplyDeleteWell said, I think that even though young girls are getting pregnant and everyone thinks they know what's best for that girl, they are also forgetting it is her body and her baby. She has just as much of a right to decide what is best for her. Because they decision making as well as the consequences of the decision will both directly affect her.
Problems that arise when one labels themselves as pro-life or pro-choice, I believe results in hypocrisy. A person that is pro-life believes that women have only one choice and that is to have the child and not abort it. Some pro-life people seem to have no problem with women using birth control to prevent pregnancies. I view this as being hypocritical to the situation. I believe a pro-life person should also disagree with birth control. I also think that pro-life does not address the issue of women using the morning after pill (Plan B). If a person is pro-life, then they should also disagree with women using Plan B. Pro-choice is limiting because if a woman feels she wants to have an abortion, there will be people telling her it's the wrong thing to do without even knowing the situation that woman may be in. Pro-choice people always get a bad rep and are crucially criticized.
ReplyDeleteBoth are limiting to Crews because with pro-life she was faced with having the child and then giving it up for adoption. Some women are not emotionally strong enough to give up a baby that they have carried for full term. First Crews is considering abortion, but cannot go through with it. Then she is faced with having to give her baby up for adoption. Both situations are extremely tough. With pro-choice she keeps remembering the little girl from her childhood. I'm sure she did not want to feel the same way the young girl felt or have protesters in her face that are against abortion. Either situation left her confused, upset, and shameful. Reproductive justice offers women free will to make their own decisions regarding their bodies and not have to justify those decisions.
Politicizing women's bodies and reproduction is only causing injustice and chaos within society. Women's rights are being stepped on and men have no worries of theirs. The rights of women are not being protected. In response to this legislation a reproductive justice will argue that if women's rights pertaining to their bodies are limited, more problems will arise. More illegal and unsafe abortions will take place, some women will go to extreme measure to get rid of the child, more miscarriages, more babies with birth defects and mental problems because mothers are not taking care of themselves and healthcare is limited. These are only a few drawbacks of the government getting involved making matters worse. With that being said, the government needs to fall back and stop trying to control everything.
There are many complications with the subject of abortion. And I have learned in this class how to look at it from the woman's point of view, though I haven't completely lost my beliefs in the process. Before class on Wednesday, I was one of the ones that looked at abortion as being Pro-Life or Pro-Choice. Personally, it isn't something I think about a lot in general, so I never tried to break it down. I'm not a fan of politics. If anything, I think it tears us more apart than bring us together. I don't like conflict. It makes me uncomfortable. However, I was kind of forced to think about it when we were to write our responses for Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteI now see the problems with labeling individuals as "pro-choice" or "pro-life." One would assume that Pro-choice women are a bunch of women that don't like children and are trying to hide the mistakes they've made. Pro-Life women are looked at to be unbearable prudes who think you should suffer and finish what you've begun. Being someone that considered herself a Pro-Life woman before, that is not at ALL what I stand for. There are so many other things to think about, such as poverty, disease, etc... I wouldn't dream of the consequences discussed in class if the government decided to outlaw abortion: filthy, back alley abortions which could, in turn, subject a woman to disease or even death! It's heartbreaking to even think of it. Or if you're financially unable to provide for that child, much less yourself. It's just not a pleasant way to bring a child into the world.
I don't really know that there is any way to solve this issue with the best over all results. There are situations where having the baby is best or where the abortion is best. And there's no easy or quick way to distinguish this with each and every pregnant woman. I wish there was a way that no woman would have to result in giving up a life that has already begun to grow inside of her, but, unfortunately, life isn't easy. And it's not fair. There are too many unsafe outcomes that can occur to a determined woman when she is told "No."
Part 1:
ReplyDeleteReproductive rights are extremely nuanced and encompass every aspect of reproductive health, but the pro-life and pro-choice labels do not reflect this at all. A pro-life person is instantly assumed to be tied to their religion, though not all those who identify as pro-life are religious. It is also assumed that the “life” part of pro-life only refers to the not-yet-existent life of the fetus, not the life of the mother. It also conjures an image of people, like Crews’ mother and the other protesters, who want to impose their beliefs on other people rather than having a respectful discussion and allowing people to come to their own conclusions and decisions. Someone who is pro-choice will also be misjudged. For instance, a pro-choice person is often perceived to be pro-abortion, in that they will push for abortion just as much as the pro-lifers will push for the woman to carry the child to term. Both sides have extraordinarily vocal supporters that show no respect for the pregnant woman, but these do not accurately reflect the beliefs of all those who identify with one of these labels. As Crews demonstrates, there are the pro-life protesters, and, in the pro-choice group, there are those who blame and/or shame the mother. However, there are also the pro-lifers who, like the North Baton Rouge Women’s Help Center, believe in giving women the resources to care for their children but are anti-abortion, and there are the pro-choicers who, like Planned Parenthood, have demonstrated their desire for population control and lack of respect for informed consent, particularly in countries other than the US (Smith 52). No one should be presumed to be speaking for an entire group, but, unfortunately, it happens, and that biases people against the rest of the group. Also, as is mentioned in “Beyond Pro-Choice vs. Pro-life,” this duality “is a model that marginalizes women of color, poor women, and women with disabilities,” as well as “masks the structures of white supremacy and capitalism” which greatly affect each and every decision we make, whether we are aware of these effects or not (Smith 38).
Focusing on reproductive rights rather than these two camps would help us to overcome these misconceptions and begin to truly understand one another’s beliefs, which would prevent us from using these labels to quickly determine who we should or should not work with to further our goals. It also allows us to be more inclusive in our issues, because reproductive justice is not just about giving women access to abortion and no single issue is used to define one’s opinion. Reproductive justice is about having access to total reproductive healthcare and addressing the social and economic conditions that prevent said access. It is about having access to pap smears, mammograms, gynecological exams, birth control, family planning, infertility treatment, STD screening and treatment, in addition to abortion, but it is also about having access to the information needed to decide what is best for you, as well as having the support to deal with your decisions and the ways in which they will affect your life. Truly focusing on reproductive justice means we also have to confront the systems that give more power and resources to certain groups. If abortion is legal, but only white and/or upper-class women have the resources to access and pay for an abortion, then it may as well be illegal for other groups. If a woman cannot afford birth control, she has no access to it, and thus no justice.
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteWe cannot talk about reproductive rights and pretend that all women, even only speaking domestically, already have them just because abortion is not still criminalized and because facilities exist where their other reproductive needs can be met. Women, especially those who are poor and/or of color, already had to struggle to gain access to Planned Parenthood and similar facilities because of their jobs and families and, often, because of the facilities’ locations. Cutting funding to Planned Parenthood will only exacerbate the marginalization of minorities and lower-class women when it comes to reproductive rights. It is a step back from reproductive justice, because taking away access and resources is exactly the same as taking away choice in our capitalistic society. A reproductive justice argument would focus on the lack of equality and the destruction of choice, but it would also point out that using laws to impose your beliefs on women strips us of our dignity and shows the disrespect for women which is so prevalent in our system of patriarchy. The only positive thing about this bill is that it continues the public conversation about reproductive rights and justice, particularly with this coming on the heels of the “No Taxpayer for Abortion Act.” Politicizing women’s bodies and reproduction makes us and our choices politician’s playthings. With the political importance of this matter right now, even positive change would most likely fail to be a true step toward justice because it would most likely not be a result of people changing their opinions, but of politicians hoping to have a stronger candidacy. Thus, the systems of patriarchy, capitalism, and racism that create the situations which necessitate these kinds of conversations would still be in place. The systems have to change in order for reproductive justice to actually exist, but this is just one more area in which we can fight against them.
The terms “Pro-Choice” and “Pro-Life” are both problematic because there is too much gray area to just categorize someone or say that “this is pro-choice and this is pro-life.” In the reading for class this week, “Beyond Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life”, women were interviewed and asked if they considered themselves “pro-life or pro-choice”. The response that were given were a mix of what some people consider “pro-life and pro-choice.” Women who wouldn’t dare consider abortion for themselves still wouldn’t condemn anyone else for making that decision. Allison Crews’ situation and life exemplifies just how much gray area there is in the situation of pro-life and pro-choice. As a child, everything that she was taught was strictly pro-life, but when she began to experience the effects of these categories first-hand her fight to let her voice and her rights be heard began. She witnessed at twelve years old, a teenager being ridiculed and condemn even though she was scared and from this incident she didn’t want to be apart of the pro-life crowd (because of the condemnation).
ReplyDeleteHowever, when she became pregnant, she thought that going to the pro-choice community would be safe and supportive of her choice to keep her child. On the contrary, they condemned her for the choice she made. A community that is suppose to be all about the right to make your own choice just like the pro-life community is suppose to be about life, but most condemn the lives who make the decision to have an abortion. A reproductive justice paradigm offers the right to choose whatever is best and support the decision even though people may not always agree with the decision. It offers information on health and the truth about keeping your child or having an abortion. It doesn’t condemn and it provides other facts on reproductive health and health in general. It accepts the woman as a whole and the baby as well.
One of Congresses arguments to cut the funding for planned parenting was to stop tax payers’ money from funding abortions, but it was stated that the government wasn’t funding abortions even before this was passed. Another argument addressed to congress is that abortion is a part of health care and of women’s everyday life. I can understand how abortion is part of health care even though I don’t always agree with abortion. In the case of an emergency abortion, the Republicans have also proposed before to limit the funding for this and for rape victims who can prove that their rape was “forcible”.
@J K Howard
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what you are saying about the assumptions made in class after you spoke. You are making a choice for yourself, yet it is not so extreme as to say you want to abort any pregnancy that may occur. Birth control and abortion are definitely viewed differently by me as well as by a large amount of women. A woman has the right to choose for herself, whether it be not to have children and use birth control methods to prevent it, abortion, adoption, or keeping the baby. You are just exercising your right to choice (without even killing a baby), and you are still singled out and attacked.
When the subject of abortion comes up many complications and opinions come into play. I believe that we should always look at it from the woman’s point of view. I honestly think that no one really knows what she is unless they have been in a situation when they have to decide. On might say she is pro-life but if she was sixteen and got pregnant maybe she would change her mind to pro-choice because she knows she cannot take care of a baby at that age. I think there will always be somewhat of an area where the question of do you believe in pro- life or pro-choice. I think that a woman should have every right to do what she wants with her own body, she is the one who gets to make the decision on what is best for her. When it comes to the man in the situation I ultimately believe it is the woman’s choice no matter what because they are not the ones who supply a home for nine months, change their bodies, and stay and raise the baby. Most men leave a woman when it comes to young age births.
ReplyDeleteThe article discusses the problems of both these terms. The author argues that the terms are problematic when it comes to the discussion of what one believes in, as we all saw in class on Wednesday this is one of the biggest argumentative issues that stand. The article by Crews is all about a woman’s right to her own body but takes it to a deeper level because it discusses how pro-life and pro-choice is more about health and overall happiness. When thinking about reproductive justice, it is all about the right for women’s healthcare and for safety of their own body.
The fact that the government wants to cut funding for Planned Parenthood is outrageous. Planned parenthood offers so many health benefits for not only women but also for men. It is not fair to take away this safe place for anyone to go to when they are in a time of need or just want advice and information about their own bodies. These are our rights as women to have these places of confidentiality about our bodies. If they cut out Planned Parenthood where will all these people go who rely on Planned Parenthood for their health because that is all they can afford and they know it is safe. They cannot take away these rights and privileges; it is over the top unfair in every way.
After reading the article, "And So I Choose" by Allison Crews, I didn't realize how much pressure teenage mothers are under. They are bombared by opinions and etc. from every direction. Nobody gives the pregnant teen a choice. By taking taking away their rights, the pregnant young girls are like puppets. This makes me think of the Plan B after-morning pill being released for girls under the ages of 17-18. It might help those young girls if they get pregnent.
ReplyDeleteThis goes into some of the stuff we read for Wensday's class. In her article, Living Incubator, Fetal Container, or a 'Womb with Legs,' Melain DeMaeyer said pregnant women are often overlook becuase of the fetus they're carrying. I think she's probably right about that because people who are either pro-choice or pro-life try to think about the fetus, but overlook the woman carrying that fetus.
Also, the words pro-life and pro-choice have negative stigmas attacted to them. Some think if someone is pro-life, it means that they want the govement controlling women's reproductive rights or they want abortion to be criminalized. If someone's pro-choice, people think those people are all for abortion. The idea of women having control of their own bodies and reproductive rights are often overlooked by this. One example of this is Planned Parenthood since it's getting its funding cut. Planned Parenthood was a good place for getting info on starting a family, contraseptives, abortion, and etc.
@Emily Blackwood
ReplyDeleteI agree with what was said in class also. Taking away the right to abortion will not end abortion. It is like anything else in the world: what people want, they will find a way to get. Taking away the right to abortion will only cause deaths to not only the unborn babies but also to the mothers that carry them. If the government is worried about murder charges, they need to seriously consider the amount of women that will die in an effort to abort a baby unsafely.
@ Amy Lea
ReplyDeleteI understand your point of view on this topic. I myself never really thought about abortions in depth. Of course, I knew it was happening but never dwelled on the issue because I wasn't the one considering having an abortion. I never degraded people for wanting to have one. I feel it's their own personal choice. At the end of the day we all have to account for our own decisions and no one else.
@ Maggie McBride
ReplyDeleteI also believe the government should have minimal involvement on this issue. Interactions from the government are only making things worse. Like you said some women cannot afford an OB-GYN, so planned parenthood is a benefit for these women.
@J K Howard
ReplyDeleteI think the response in class was also a result of people forgetting that birth control fails. With the prevalence of abstinence-only sex ed, is it any wonder that people do not understand birth control and how it works? When birth control, of any form, is not used correctly, the failure rate significantly increases. I think we have the responsibility to make sure that we are using birth control correctly if we do not want children, but even with perfect use, the only thing 100% effective at preventing pregnancy is abstinence. Accidents happen, and we should have the right to deal with them in whatever way we deem best.
@Sarah Tate:
ReplyDeleteThe new legislation certainly is a step towards "making [a woman's] body the government’s property." Men are granted autonomy, so why shouldn't it be granted for women also? If a man gets a woman pregnant and she fights for it and proves paternity, then he'll have to pay child support. Otherwise, he can just walk away. Society won't judge him for that. Women, however, aren't allowed to make those kinds of decisions without judgment. If a woman were to have her child and expect the father to take sole responsibility for it, she would be ostracized, even if she paid child support just as he would have. This goes all the way back to the first unit, discussing gender roles. There is still a strong emphasis on women as mothers, even though that's not what every woman wants. Limiting access to birth control and all of the other things that were paid for with Title X makes it even more difficult for a woman to choose that motherhood is not for her and thus get the appropriate birth control. It also, though, will make life even more difficult for some existing children. For instance, their mom may have breast cancer and not be able to go to the doctor to have it detected early enough because she doesn't have the money. She may have cervical cancer, but not be able to get a Pap smear, so she won't know. Cutting funding for Planned Parenthood is not about trying to get the organization to cut abortion and pay for the other things, regardless of what the politicians say. It will affect all aspects of a woman's reproductive health.
@Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteI agree with the side your are taking because I feel that women should not get their rights taken away. Overall, I believe that the pregnat women herself should be able to make the choice about the certain matter. I believe if the government changed the law it would impact many pregnat teen's lives in negative way.
@ J K Howard
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment and believe that if you don't want children in the future that doesn't mean that you're irresponsible or dislike children. I have also thought about what if someone in the class has had an abortion and how would they feel. Then I think about my own family members who have chosen to have abortions...should I condemn them? What if I had chosen to have an abortion if the situation played out in that way? Maybe some people see abortion as a way of taking responsibility just as people feel that birth control and abstinence is as well. I apologize for you being hurt and offended.
@ Emily Blackwood
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the simplicity of your comment and the truth of how much people blow the terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" way up and how problematic they are. Like you said someone who is "Pro-life" may just be against abortion, not someone who is willing for the government to dictate their life and body. Someone who is "Pro-choice" may just believe that a woman has the right to decide what to do with her pregnancy and not a murderer. A reproductive justice paradigm is beneficial to see life, reproduction, and pregnancy more than just a fight of closed-minded opinios, but as a way to get the truth about health and pregnancy out.
@ Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteYou are certainly right that in every story we read the woman is completely overlooked. People don't care about the effects pregnancy or abortion has on the woman. They are only concerned about the fetus. I think the mother is just as important as the fetus because if not for the mother, the fetus would not continue growing since that fetus is 100% dependent on the mother.
@ PMBlonder
ReplyDeleteI agree that a man shouldn't have a say in whether or not a woman has an abortion or keeps a baby. However, it takes two people to make a baby. I don't think it's entirely fair to rule out the male because he did help make the baby. I don't think he should have the ultimate say but his opinion should be considered. Every person knows what can happen if they have sex, it's whether or not they are mature enough to handle what can happen.
I believe that the an should have a say so in wheather or not the baby is being aborted or not. It takes two people to make a baby, a man and a woman. So, how could you possbly say that the man has no say so in wheather or not the baby is being aborted. However, the woman has to carry the baby around for nine months but the two of you have to take care of the baby.
ReplyDeleteI also feelthat the government also has no say so in making abortions against the law. I feel that they should not be able to tell you that you cannnot abort your baby because that i syour decision. You made the decision to have sex so I think you should have the decision to abort the baby or not. Your body has to go through the changes and emotions and if you are not able to deal with it then you should be able to abort if needed.
@demilamb
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement on how in class everyone was bringing up different scenarios about pro-life/pro-choice. I thought that class discussion on such a tough issue that is very complicated that we didn't get anything accomplished in class but I agree with you. And its all according to how you were raised and brought up.