Monday, May 31, 2010
Remembering Dr. Tiller
One year ago today, it was a calm, bright, Sunday morning. I had nothing planned for that day. It was a lazy, relaxing, uneventful day for me. I was expecting it to stay that way.
Then, I heard the news that shattered my heart into a million pieces. A doctor dead by the hands of not just one assassin, but one deadly movement. They call themselves "pro-life", and if you don't do what they tell you to do, they will kill you. Today, they will weep their crocodile tears and hide behind their label, "pro-life". Then they will go on to promote killing by promoting the outrageous idea that doctors are "mass murderers" and "baby killers", when in fact the people who are responsible for murder are these "pro-lifers" themselves.
One year ago today, we lost a true American hero. We lost a man who saved dreams and lives, a man who eased and prevented suffering, a man who, for many women, was the shining star in the worst week of their lives, a man whose legacy will live on in my heart for the rest of my life.
One year ago today, America lost a friend. He was a friend to other doctors, to his patients, to his colleagues, and to women everywhere. We lost him because he was a friend. We lost him because he helped people. We lost him because the anti-choice movement hates to see a pregnant woman get help. They hate to see her get that help, so they destroy her only source for help.
I always hear talk of the hope that other doctors will "replace" Dr. Tiller. This will never happen. Maybe someone can take his place as a physician, but when we lost Dr. Tiller, someone lost a husband, a father, a grandfather, a best friend. No one can take Dr. Tiller's unique place in this world. No one.
Today, I'm asking myself this: How many more doctors will have to die? How many more doctors will be assassinated before America (and the rest of the world) recognizes the anti-choice movement for what it is- a large terrorist group? How many more people will have to lose their spouses, their fathers or mothers, their uncles and aunts, before we can bring this terrorism to a halt? How many more clinics will be bombed? How many more doctors will have to live their lives in fear of terrorism, just because they choose to help women?
Dr. Tiller was a man who, in the words of Dr. Warren Hern, represented a thought. He represented dignity, he represented the opportunity for women to become full citizens and participants in our society, he represented social change. Dr. Tiller represented the value of human life. He represented freedom, and that is why he's dead today.
Dr. Tiller is physically dead, but please don't let his memory die along with his physical being. I am going to let Dr. Tiller live on in my heart and in my actions, and I'm asking you to do the same.
God bless you Dr. Tiller.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
For those who hate the comment moderation system..
..well, I'm not here to please you. If I leave the comment moderation system up, people will complain. If I take it down, people will complain. Please understand that I did not create this blog to try to please everyone.
My problem is now that people are trying to use unrelated posts to complain about the comment moderation system. Well, here is your place to complain. Don't use my other posts, because I don't like for them to be derailed. Tell me how much you hate not having spam on my blog here, I don't mind.
My problem is now that people are trying to use unrelated posts to complain about the comment moderation system. Well, here is your place to complain. Don't use my other posts, because I don't like for them to be derailed. Tell me how much you hate not having spam on my blog here, I don't mind.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Hatred Fuels Their Souls
Anti-choicers seem to love hating people. It almost seems like a game to them. Pick any group of completely innocent people, and find a reason to hate them. Trans people? They hate them. Pregnant people? They hate them. Rape survivors? Well, they apparently hate them, too!
The subject of rape tends to come up a lot with me, particularly when I'm speaking about abortion. Rape and forced pregnancy are so closely tied together, it's difficult to avoid the connection. Both are extreme violations of bodily autonomy, and I will fight against both for as long as I live.
However, I've noticed a bit of a trend. Whenever I mention rape, speak about my own rape, or call an anti out on his or her rape apologism (without even mentioning abortion), they go berserk. This is when they start calling me names, this is when they tell me to "shut up", this is when they tell me that I'm playing the "victim card". This is when they imply that I'm stupid. This is when they call me a rapist and/or a rape apologist. This is when they call me a whore, delusional, paranoid, psychotic, pathetic, a "little bitty girl", a nut, and a Nazi.
Oh, and by the way, I made none of that up. Those are some of the things that anti-choicers have said to me recently. Aren't they so peaceful?
All of this has got me thinking; What is it about rape that gets these people so riled up? Why do they get so angry when I advocate against rape? Well, I have a few ideas.
My first thought is that they will obviously be pro-rape. You either believe in bodily autonomy or you don't. Anti-choicers obviously don't believe in bodily autonomy when it comes to pregnancy, so why in the world would they believe in it when it comes to sex? They have no reason to. If they're okay with traumatizing women with a pregnancy, they'll also be okay with traumatizing women with rape.
My next thought is that this hatred comes from the fact that many rape survivors go against their agenda. Rape survivors easily debunk the "all women who have abortions are dirty little sluts" sentiment. They see me tell my story, and they get angry. My story is of a 14 year old who got raped who would have surely killed herself if she got pregnant and was forced through her pregnancy. This angers them. They only care to hear about the young teenagers who are raped and are overwhelmingly happy about carrying a rape pregnancy. That's great for those girls, but what about all of the others? What about the ones who are/were in my situation? Anti-choicers go as far as they can to silence those who can not be exploited to advance an anti-choice agenda. Every time I speak about my rape experience, an anti-choicer straight up tells me to "shut up". It's very obvious that they're trying to silence those who are bad for the anti-choice agenda. They like to pretend that people like me don't exist. They might as well cover up their ears and scream "LALALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!".
The more I interact with anti-choicers, the more I am convinced that 100% of them support rape in one way or another, and I am not exaggerating. Even the ones I trust the most do this to me. They will tell women that it's their job to not get themselves raped, they will blame women for their own rapes, they will tell rape survivors that they must carry a rape pregnancy to term, they will stand by rape apologists if that rape apologist is anti-choice. I haven't met one who doesn't do anything any of those things. Not one soul.
And sadly, it doesn't surprise me. Not one bit.
Oh, and anti-choicers, don't even bother leaving rape apologist comments here. I'm telling you now, they will be deleted.
The subject of rape tends to come up a lot with me, particularly when I'm speaking about abortion. Rape and forced pregnancy are so closely tied together, it's difficult to avoid the connection. Both are extreme violations of bodily autonomy, and I will fight against both for as long as I live.
However, I've noticed a bit of a trend. Whenever I mention rape, speak about my own rape, or call an anti out on his or her rape apologism (without even mentioning abortion), they go berserk. This is when they start calling me names, this is when they tell me to "shut up", this is when they tell me that I'm playing the "victim card". This is when they imply that I'm stupid. This is when they call me a rapist and/or a rape apologist. This is when they call me a whore, delusional, paranoid, psychotic, pathetic, a "little bitty girl", a nut, and a Nazi.
Oh, and by the way, I made none of that up. Those are some of the things that anti-choicers have said to me recently. Aren't they so peaceful?
All of this has got me thinking; What is it about rape that gets these people so riled up? Why do they get so angry when I advocate against rape? Well, I have a few ideas.
My first thought is that they will obviously be pro-rape. You either believe in bodily autonomy or you don't. Anti-choicers obviously don't believe in bodily autonomy when it comes to pregnancy, so why in the world would they believe in it when it comes to sex? They have no reason to. If they're okay with traumatizing women with a pregnancy, they'll also be okay with traumatizing women with rape.
My next thought is that this hatred comes from the fact that many rape survivors go against their agenda. Rape survivors easily debunk the "all women who have abortions are dirty little sluts" sentiment. They see me tell my story, and they get angry. My story is of a 14 year old who got raped who would have surely killed herself if she got pregnant and was forced through her pregnancy. This angers them. They only care to hear about the young teenagers who are raped and are overwhelmingly happy about carrying a rape pregnancy. That's great for those girls, but what about all of the others? What about the ones who are/were in my situation? Anti-choicers go as far as they can to silence those who can not be exploited to advance an anti-choice agenda. Every time I speak about my rape experience, an anti-choicer straight up tells me to "shut up". It's very obvious that they're trying to silence those who are bad for the anti-choice agenda. They like to pretend that people like me don't exist. They might as well cover up their ears and scream "LALALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!".
The more I interact with anti-choicers, the more I am convinced that 100% of them support rape in one way or another, and I am not exaggerating. Even the ones I trust the most do this to me. They will tell women that it's their job to not get themselves raped, they will blame women for their own rapes, they will tell rape survivors that they must carry a rape pregnancy to term, they will stand by rape apologists if that rape apologist is anti-choice. I haven't met one who doesn't do anything any of those things. Not one soul.
And sadly, it doesn't surprise me. Not one bit.
Oh, and anti-choicers, don't even bother leaving rape apologist comments here. I'm telling you now, they will be deleted.
Monday, May 17, 2010
New AbortionGang Post
In case you haven't seen, I have a new post up on the Abortion Gang that's actually aimed at anti-choicers to answer. It's about the new "pro-life majority", or so it's called. So far, there's a nice discussion going on. If you don't already read the Abortion Gang, you should check it out. There are a lot of other young reproductive justice advocates blogging there. Yes, antis, you are allowed to comment. You just have to be respectful :)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
20 Reasons Why a Person Might Have an Abortion
There are a lot of reasons why a person might have an abortion. Here are a few:
1. She doesn't want to become a parent now.
2. She doesn't want to become a parent ever.
3. She's still in high school/college and wants to complete her education.
4. She had an incomplete miscarriage.
5. She has an ectopic pregnancy or other health problem.
6. She has children that she is already struggling to take care of.
7. She doesn't want to be a single parent.
8. She can't afford a/another child.
9. There is a fetal anomaly present.
10. She is looking after a family member with health issues and can't take care of both a child and a family member.
11. She is in an abusive relationship.
12. The pregnancy was a result of rape.
13. The child(ren) that she already has has special needs and she has to take care of him/her.
14. She is a drug addict/alcoholic and doesn't want the fetus to be born with health problems or raise a child while still being addicted.
15. She doesn't want to have a child at her age.
16. She doesn't want to be pregnant with a specific person's fetus.
17. Because having a child is and always will be life changing.
18. Giving a child away for adoption would be too painful.
19. She feels violated by the pregnancy.
20. She just doesn't want to be pregnant.
..and all of these reasons are good reasons. I don't expect any anti-choicers to understand this. I don't expect anti-choicers to treat any pregnant person decently, or even humanely. However, I do expect that pro-choicers will respect all women, regardless of their choice and their reason for that choice. We must always remember that it's not our (or anyone's) place to judge these women.
Have a happy Sunday!
P.S.
-If you have any more things that you think I should add to this list, post a comment telling me what I should add. :)
-It's almost been a year since Dr. Tiller's assassination. Please remember to acknowledge that day (May 31st) and raise awareness about anti-choice terrorism. If you're on Twitter, you can start raising awareness by using the #TrustWomen and #RememberingDrTiller hashtags. God bless you, Dr. Tiller.
1. She doesn't want to become a parent now.
2. She doesn't want to become a parent ever.
3. She's still in high school/college and wants to complete her education.
4. She had an incomplete miscarriage.
5. She has an ectopic pregnancy or other health problem.
6. She has children that she is already struggling to take care of.
7. She doesn't want to be a single parent.
8. She can't afford a/another child.
9. There is a fetal anomaly present.
10. She is looking after a family member with health issues and can't take care of both a child and a family member.
11. She is in an abusive relationship.
12. The pregnancy was a result of rape.
13. The child(ren) that she already has has special needs and she has to take care of him/her.
14. She is a drug addict/alcoholic and doesn't want the fetus to be born with health problems or raise a child while still being addicted.
15. She doesn't want to have a child at her age.
16. She doesn't want to be pregnant with a specific person's fetus.
17. Because having a child is and always will be life changing.
18. Giving a child away for adoption would be too painful.
19. She feels violated by the pregnancy.
20. She just doesn't want to be pregnant.
..and all of these reasons are good reasons. I don't expect any anti-choicers to understand this. I don't expect anti-choicers to treat any pregnant person decently, or even humanely. However, I do expect that pro-choicers will respect all women, regardless of their choice and their reason for that choice. We must always remember that it's not our (or anyone's) place to judge these women.
Have a happy Sunday!
P.S.
-If you have any more things that you think I should add to this list, post a comment telling me what I should add. :)
-It's almost been a year since Dr. Tiller's assassination. Please remember to acknowledge that day (May 31st) and raise awareness about anti-choice terrorism. If you're on Twitter, you can start raising awareness by using the #TrustWomen and #RememberingDrTiller hashtags. God bless you, Dr. Tiller.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Trusting Women for Mother's Day
Who has abortions? What kind of people have abortions?
The answer: they're white people, black people, brown people. They're cis and they're trans. They're gay, straight, and bisexual. They're alcoholics, drug addicts, smokers, and straight-edge. They're depressed, pessimistic, optimistic, and the most happy-go-lucky people in the world. They're feminists, non-feminists, and anti-feminists. They're meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. They're Christians, Satanists, Muslims, Pagans, atheists, and Buddhists. They're liberal and pro-choice and they're conservative and anti-choice (yes, anti-choice women have abortions, too). They're rape victims, married, sex workers, and promiscuous. Some of them have no children. 60% of them do.
That's right, my friends, read correctly. 60%. Totally debunks the "if only you knew how it feels when the 'baby' kicks, you wouldn't have this abortion!" argument from anti-choicers. 60% of women do know how it feels to go through a pregnancy, to see the ultrasounds, to feel the fetus kick, to give birth. Women aren't stupid. We know what is inside of us when we're pregnant. We really do.
This Mother's Day, I will be celebrating the beauty of motherhood by trusting women to make their own life decisions. You can not celebrate the beauty of motherhood by forcing it upon women. You can not celebrate the beauty of motherhood by disregarding the emotions of anyone who has or wants to have an abortion, especially considering the fact that 60% of those people are mothers. Pregnancy and motherhood is so, so beautiful when it is chosen. That is not the case when it's forced. When it's forced, pregnancy becomes an act of violence, much like rape. Forcing violence upon anyone is not celebrating motherhood.
This Mother's Day, I'll be celebrating my own mother and her right to choose. I am so glad that she was not forced through her two pregnancies. I trust my mother with her own body, life, and family, just as I trust other women. I trust them enough to fight for their liberty. I trust them enough to not assume that they're liars when they say that they're raped, or when they say that they do/do not regret their abortion. I trust them enough to not assume that they're too stupid to know what to choose when they're pregnant. I trust them enough to tell them the truth about their pregnancies and bodies. I trust them enough to avoid screaming at them as they're trying to see a doctor. Can you say the same, anti-choicers?
Happy Mother's Day, everyone. Give your mom a big hug today!
P.S.
-Don't forget to celebrate our birthmothers, too. Yesterday was BirthMother's day! I missed it, but it's never too late to celebrate. Every day should be a day of celebration for our mother's and birthmother's.
-Speaking of trusting women, the producers of the Trust Women Movie have $3,000 dollars in 15 days to be able to make their documentary about Dr. Hern and Dr. Carhart. Can you help? They can't do it without you!
-Also, click here to vote for Dr. Tiller as a women's health hero. He gave his life for liberty. He was such a brave man, I can not believe that it's been nearly a year since his assassination. RIP Dr. Tiller. You are dearly missed.
The answer: they're white people, black people, brown people. They're cis and they're trans. They're gay, straight, and bisexual. They're alcoholics, drug addicts, smokers, and straight-edge. They're depressed, pessimistic, optimistic, and the most happy-go-lucky people in the world. They're feminists, non-feminists, and anti-feminists. They're meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. They're Christians, Satanists, Muslims, Pagans, atheists, and Buddhists. They're liberal and pro-choice and they're conservative and anti-choice (yes, anti-choice women have abortions, too). They're rape victims, married, sex workers, and promiscuous. Some of them have no children. 60% of them do.
That's right, my friends, read correctly. 60%. Totally debunks the "if only you knew how it feels when the 'baby' kicks, you wouldn't have this abortion!" argument from anti-choicers. 60% of women do know how it feels to go through a pregnancy, to see the ultrasounds, to feel the fetus kick, to give birth. Women aren't stupid. We know what is inside of us when we're pregnant. We really do.
This Mother's Day, I will be celebrating the beauty of motherhood by trusting women to make their own life decisions. You can not celebrate the beauty of motherhood by forcing it upon women. You can not celebrate the beauty of motherhood by disregarding the emotions of anyone who has or wants to have an abortion, especially considering the fact that 60% of those people are mothers. Pregnancy and motherhood is so, so beautiful when it is chosen. That is not the case when it's forced. When it's forced, pregnancy becomes an act of violence, much like rape. Forcing violence upon anyone is not celebrating motherhood.
This Mother's Day, I'll be celebrating my own mother and her right to choose. I am so glad that she was not forced through her two pregnancies. I trust my mother with her own body, life, and family, just as I trust other women. I trust them enough to fight for their liberty. I trust them enough to not assume that they're liars when they say that they're raped, or when they say that they do/do not regret their abortion. I trust them enough to not assume that they're too stupid to know what to choose when they're pregnant. I trust them enough to tell them the truth about their pregnancies and bodies. I trust them enough to avoid screaming at them as they're trying to see a doctor. Can you say the same, anti-choicers?
Happy Mother's Day, everyone. Give your mom a big hug today!
P.S.
-Don't forget to celebrate our birthmothers, too. Yesterday was BirthMother's day! I missed it, but it's never too late to celebrate. Every day should be a day of celebration for our mother's and birthmother's.
-Speaking of trusting women, the producers of the Trust Women Movie have $3,000 dollars in 15 days to be able to make their documentary about Dr. Hern and Dr. Carhart. Can you help? They can't do it without you!
-Also, click here to vote for Dr. Tiller as a women's health hero. He gave his life for liberty. He was such a brave man, I can not believe that it's been nearly a year since his assassination. RIP Dr. Tiller. You are dearly missed.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
To the Oklahoma Lawmakers
I'm sure you all know about the two disgusting measures that were enacted in Oklahoma recently. One forces a woman to have an ultrasound before she has an abortion. The other protects doctors who lie to women about the health of their fetuses. Horrifying, right? Well, today I found this awesome video via Finding My Feminism. Seriously, watch this. This is AMAZING!
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