I'm pretty sure most Republican politicians don't know (I didn't until recently) that "abortion" is an umbrella medical term for many procedures, including the one Bridget references: where the fetus has died and must be removed from the mother's body for obvious lifesaving reasons. My sister-in-law was one of the people who educated me …
I'm pretty sure most Republican politicians don't know (I didn't until recently) that "abortion" is an umbrella medical term for many procedures, including the one Bridget references: where the fetus has died and must be removed from the mother's body for obvious lifesaving reasons. My sister-in-law was one of the people who educated me on this. She was 5 months pregnant and her baby boy tragically died. Removing her dead baby from her body was classed in medical terms as an abortion. And any politician who does know this and agrees to passing a bill criminalizing a necessary medical procedure such as this is evil.
I am a pro-life person who believes that human life even before birth is sacred, but I have become much more educated about how complicated a topic "abortion" is in the past year. I have also reluctantly accepted the fact that, even though I believe a human life with a soul is present from the beginning of the pregnancy, this is my belief, not something that is proven, and that other people have different beliefs. (I am one of those people who is willing to accept that I might be wrong about stuff I believe!)
As we are a (so far) free society without the right to impose our religious/ethical/political beliefs on others, I have come to the conclusion that whatever limits are placed on abortion should be the result of a broad, nationwide decision based on legitimate medical knowledge and decisions of the general citizenry. Just because I happen to believe that a "fetus" really should be called a baby, and an innocent baby shouldn't be aborted, for instance, because of the circumstances of his/her conception, doesn't mean that my opinion should have more sway than someone who believes a fetus isn't a person until a certain point in the pregnancy. And I'll repeat again that all kinds of medical issues related to the health and life of the mother and baby make this a much more complicated issue than Republican legislatures in many states are willing to think about.
My mother had six pregnancies. I am the only one that lived. We think this may mostly be b/c mom was a three pack-a-day smoker at a time when the link between smoking and miscarriage wasn’t well-understood, but we don’t really know why and, frankly, it doesn’t really matter now.
Two of those miscarriages took place well-along her second trimester, 5th & 6th months. She almost bled to death, twice. (The second time she bled so much she had an out-of-body experience. She floated above the surgical table and could see the medical team trying to save her. Then her father appeared and told her it wasn’t her time and she woke up in recovery.)
But here’s the point: she was living in Saudi Arabia in the 1950s, getting her medical care from a small clinic, and she STILL got better medical care than women are getting in Texas in 2023.
Thank you. I admire it when people expand their understanding of an issue. Some days it feels like our entire culture works against changing your mind.
Just remember - I believe in Ohio they tried to legislate "re-implanting" an ecotopic pregnancy.
If I'm leery about "pro life legislation," that's why.
I agree with you, rc..... I do have a bone to pick with the "patriarchal religious zealot" part of your comment. It may not be what you meant, but I get annoyed by the idea that the reason I, a woman and mother, have the opinion I do about abortion is because of a slavish, meek, adherence to what a bunch of men administering my religion have told me to think. Again, I apologize if I am painting you with the broad brush of one of my pet peeves. I am an American, a woman, a feminist, and a person who tries my best to form my opinions based on using my God-given ability to reason and get all the information I can on an issue. And based on all that, I have my beliefs about abortion, and accept and respect the fact that others have their own beliefs.
I have to disagree politely. All of this information was out there, and I thought it was very clear. But as you know, a lie travels around the world before the truth has the chance to put its boots on. Planned Parenthood was always pointing out what happens when women can't get abortions, pointing to countries like Ireland and Poland. Medical associations were also proactive. But you just can't force people to absorb things they don't want to absorb. Some people really want to think that "after-birth abortions" is a thing. And some men just think women's issues aren't important. I don't get it either, but I don't think it's a messaging fail, more of an empathy fail.
They don’t want to listen. And ask yourself -- if you’d had an abortion, would you want to publicize it for any purpose, given how insane pro-life people can be? You want to be called a baby killer? Get doxxed by project Veritas types? Be stalked on social media or have people turn up at your home or work?
Pro-lifers have done their damndest to shut down discussion of who has abortions and why, all in favor of their religious and political ideologies. If people don’t know that you can’t implant an ectopic pregnancy in the uterus, thank pro-lifers.
I'm pretty sure most Republican politicians don't know (I didn't until recently) that "abortion" is an umbrella medical term for many procedures, including the one Bridget references: where the fetus has died and must be removed from the mother's body for obvious lifesaving reasons. My sister-in-law was one of the people who educated me on this. She was 5 months pregnant and her baby boy tragically died. Removing her dead baby from her body was classed in medical terms as an abortion. And any politician who does know this and agrees to passing a bill criminalizing a necessary medical procedure such as this is evil.
I am a pro-life person who believes that human life even before birth is sacred, but I have become much more educated about how complicated a topic "abortion" is in the past year. I have also reluctantly accepted the fact that, even though I believe a human life with a soul is present from the beginning of the pregnancy, this is my belief, not something that is proven, and that other people have different beliefs. (I am one of those people who is willing to accept that I might be wrong about stuff I believe!)
As we are a (so far) free society without the right to impose our religious/ethical/political beliefs on others, I have come to the conclusion that whatever limits are placed on abortion should be the result of a broad, nationwide decision based on legitimate medical knowledge and decisions of the general citizenry. Just because I happen to believe that a "fetus" really should be called a baby, and an innocent baby shouldn't be aborted, for instance, because of the circumstances of his/her conception, doesn't mean that my opinion should have more sway than someone who believes a fetus isn't a person until a certain point in the pregnancy. And I'll repeat again that all kinds of medical issues related to the health and life of the mother and baby make this a much more complicated issue than Republican legislatures in many states are willing to think about.
My mother had six pregnancies. I am the only one that lived. We think this may mostly be b/c mom was a three pack-a-day smoker at a time when the link between smoking and miscarriage wasn’t well-understood, but we don’t really know why and, frankly, it doesn’t really matter now.
Two of those miscarriages took place well-along her second trimester, 5th & 6th months. She almost bled to death, twice. (The second time she bled so much she had an out-of-body experience. She floated above the surgical table and could see the medical team trying to save her. Then her father appeared and told her it wasn’t her time and she woke up in recovery.)
But here’s the point: she was living in Saudi Arabia in the 1950s, getting her medical care from a small clinic, and she STILL got better medical care than women are getting in Texas in 2023.
This is where we are.
Thank you. I admire it when people expand their understanding of an issue. Some days it feels like our entire culture works against changing your mind.
Just remember - I believe in Ohio they tried to legislate "re-implanting" an ecotopic pregnancy.
If I'm leery about "pro life legislation," that's why.
I agree with you, rc..... I do have a bone to pick with the "patriarchal religious zealot" part of your comment. It may not be what you meant, but I get annoyed by the idea that the reason I, a woman and mother, have the opinion I do about abortion is because of a slavish, meek, adherence to what a bunch of men administering my religion have told me to think. Again, I apologize if I am painting you with the broad brush of one of my pet peeves. I am an American, a woman, a feminist, and a person who tries my best to form my opinions based on using my God-given ability to reason and get all the information I can on an issue. And based on all that, I have my beliefs about abortion, and accept and respect the fact that others have their own beliefs.
I have to disagree politely. All of this information was out there, and I thought it was very clear. But as you know, a lie travels around the world before the truth has the chance to put its boots on. Planned Parenthood was always pointing out what happens when women can't get abortions, pointing to countries like Ireland and Poland. Medical associations were also proactive. But you just can't force people to absorb things they don't want to absorb. Some people really want to think that "after-birth abortions" is a thing. And some men just think women's issues aren't important. I don't get it either, but I don't think it's a messaging fail, more of an empathy fail.
They don’t want to listen. And ask yourself -- if you’d had an abortion, would you want to publicize it for any purpose, given how insane pro-life people can be? You want to be called a baby killer? Get doxxed by project Veritas types? Be stalked on social media or have people turn up at your home or work?
Pro-lifers have done their damndest to shut down discussion of who has abortions and why, all in favor of their religious and political ideologies. If people don’t know that you can’t implant an ectopic pregnancy in the uterus, thank pro-lifers.