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Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous
It is a parent's responsibility in all other regards legally, so why in this one should the parents not be involved, particularly when there are risks to the health of their children? as I said, they could NOT get their appendix removed, they could not get a prescription for an opiate pain killer or an antidepressant, and yet they can get a surgical abortion or access to prescription birth control medication readily?
what happened to the days when feminists argued that birthcontrol and abortion were tools of the oppressive, male-dominated capitalist state to control the sexuality and reproduction of women, particularly minorities? somehow it has been reversed, and yet who performs the majority of these procedures and manufactures, prescribes and distributes the majority of these medications (men)? something shaddy is going on if you ask me..
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I still disagree with you (for all of my reasons mentioned previously), but you make a good point in the second paragraph. More about that here:
http://radicaldoula.com/2007/07/30/s...use-vs-access/
So I am aware of both sides of the issue, definitely.
With that said, I don't subscribe to the idea that just because women are capable of giving birth it is therefore doing them a disservice by allowing them the option of not reproducing. Take note that I am not talking about forced sterilization or anything of the sort. Some women just do not want kids, period. And I don't just mean "at this moment in their lives." Shocking, I know. I've already realized that most girls my age have plans to get married, pop out a few kids, and do the whole family thing, and are genuinely looking forward to it happening in the near future (I guess). Personally, that's not me. I'm not completely against marriage, but the thought of it does not fill me with the same kind of joy it does others. As for kids, even when I was younger and more impressionable, I was put off by the idea of someday having my own children. I can remember a specific instance when I was maybe six or seven years old, playing house with my best friend. I'm guessing that I had just discovered the concept of adoption (one girl I went to school with early on had a brother who was adopted, and it was no secret either) and I made a remark about how I wanted to adopt a kid when I grew up. And I can remember my friend asking me why I wouldn't want my own kid. I don't remember what I said in reply, but my point is that for the most part my feelings haven't changed. Of course now I think about it in terms of finding a partner who has similar feelings (those being, if I absolutely must have--God forbid--children someday, please let them be adopted), because most people want their own kids and that could be a problem. But really if I am honest with myself I know that I'm not even sure I would want to raise children at all, even if they are adopted. Maybe that "instinct" is just not in me, but I've never really felt it. I always just considered adoption because it seemed like a practical compromise or something, or I felt weird because I've never liked kids much. It's a horrible way to look at something like this, but it's my honest opinion.
I don't see much wrong with wanting kids (though I personally can't relate and would encourage the general population not to have SO MANY kids--I will add that I am glad I have three brothers, so I may be a hypocrite), and there's nothing wrong with not wanting kids. Actually it's absolutely fucking fantastic not to want kids. And I don't think women are taken nearly as seriously as they should be when they claim not to want kids, which is a shame. People seem to think that all of these women will come to their senses someday and give in to their motherly instincts or some shit. Like, when they see all of their friends having babies or whatever. Or, babies are so cute, what woman wouldn't want one? It justifies our existence, blah blah blah, you aren't a "real woman" until you've given birth, blah blah blah, heard it all before.
I don't appreciate you using the feminist movement to back up your opinion that abortions and birth control are just "The Man's" way of controlling women's bodies. This is not so popular of a viewpoint among feminists (unless, yes, we are talking about minorities like in the link above), and considering the sheer amount of effort it takes on their part just to keep abortion legal and birth control accessible and Planned Parenthood centers up and running, you are really insulting their understanding they have of their own bodies. Basically, we are intelligent enough to realize when something is our own choice and when something is being forced upon us, as is evident in that link.