17 May 2007

Politics at large

I heard with a twinge of relief that Jerry Falwell passed away this week. And then my years of religious training in guilt kicked in, and I felt horrible for not being sorry that the guy is dead. Of course I am sorry for the family that he has left behind, but the Beeb was playing bits and pieces of things that he'd said over the years that were pretty cringe-worthy. Did you know, for example, that feminists caused the Sept 11 attacks? Riiiight.

OT for a sec, I note that the Beeb really enjoys tweaking people's noses. Wonder why that is? Is it a Brit thing? They seem to really enjoy putting people on the spot in interviews, twisting their words or trying to make them uncomfortable. It is either funny or annoying, depending on my mood.

Then the news that brought me crashing down into the dumps, a report from ABC that talked about the abortion debate and places like Alabama, where they are trying for an outright ban. Or the states that are trying to force providers to offer an ultrasound, which will add to the costs of abortion for poor women, and way to pile on the unnecessary hoops to jump through to get one!

Ohio requires biased counseling and a mandatory waiting period. 'Round these parts, you've got to drive an hour to find a provider, so that makes the whole thing even more costly, either find a hotel to spend the 24 hour waiting period in or spend the $3 /gallon for gasoline to get there twice.

Why IS it that the most vocal, strident anti-choice loons are always men? Self-righteous smug folks, who wave their moral indignation around. The guy in the ABC interview is a very staunch anti-choice fella, and wow, I can't help but wonder where he gets off. Yes, yes, I can finally admit that men have a right to have an opinion on the subject. For a very long time I thought that men shouldn't be able to even voice an opinion about it. When you can get pregnant, sir, then you may have an opinion about it. But that's a bit radical, really, and I no longer feel that way. Sure, you can have an opinion. But keep in mind that it is the woman's ultimate and deeply personal decision.

I remember a cute little web photo that I saw on a forum that said, "May the baby you save grow up to be a gay, Wiccan, black, democrat." Wish I'd kept it. And yes, there's some proof right there that the fan forums are not the only ones I participate in!

2 comments:

Windlost said...

great post!

thanks for being you!

Lucy Arin said...

awww, thanks! I'm trying hard to not panic about the erosion of women's rights...