Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

notconvinced — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:30:02 GMT

Interesting. So you're saying it's a parody blog? That was my first thought (hence the name "notconvinced") but I was giving it the benefit of the doubt. Is there confirmation somewhere? I'm curious to read her rationale behind it.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

Dwtintx — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:03:01 GMT

Sally, I'm not sure if your comment was directed at me or at the post generally, but I'm not portraying her as anything. She's portraying herself. And if she has any deep feelings whatsoever about her "Tumor" beyond "Eww, get it out, get it out!", she's not displayed them so far as I can read.

Again, I don't have a problem with anger or her expression of it. I don't have a problem with her honesty. But I think it is undeniable that she gives pro-choice women a very bad voice. She is who the religious right will point to when they level the charge that women use abortions as birth control and don't take seriously the fact that a life is ended when an abortion is performed. Because I've seen no acknowledgement or comprehension of that fact in the blogger's writing whatsoever. And on a personal level, I find that lack of acknowledgement or comprehension disturbing.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

notconvinced — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:31:44 GMT

I also agree that she's a terrible voice for reproductive freedoms. Obviously, she has the right to express herself as she sees fit, but I find her thoughts disturbing and juvenile in the extreme. Thankfully, she's not going to be a mother any time soon.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

rrr — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:12:59 GMT

Sally, I couldn't have said it better!

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

Sally — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:33:49 GMT

Wow. So, let me get this straight, you have a beef with right-wingers portraying women who seek abortions as free-wheeling lefties who drink and callously toss their fetuses in the garbage. But the moment a woman decides to honestly talk about her feelings (and maybe use a bit of dark humor to deal with her situation), you portray her as a free-wheeling lefty who drinks too much and callously tosses her fetus in the garbage. Pot, meet kettle.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

Dwtintx — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:05:49 GMT

I don't have a problem with her being angry at her pregnancy or her fetus, or with her expression of that. What I have a problem with is that she seems to have no concept that pregnancy is a big deal, and that terminating a pregnancy should also be a big deal, because it's a potential human and a living thing you're talking about. Be angry all you want, I'm sure I would be too if I had ever had an unintended pregnancy. But have some respect for the other life involved- that of the fetus- even if you choose to terminate. I think what bothers me so much is that she has no regard whatsoever for the momentousness of a pregnancy and what it means to terminate a pregnancy. And that kind of callous disregard for the potential human whose life she is taking makes her the worst possible voice for the pro-choice movement.

I agree that she should be able to voice whatever she likes, but if she is going to be public with her comments, she needs to be prepared for criticism. I don't think anyone here suggests that she should be shut down or censored, but only that she is a terrible voice for people who support reproductive freedoms. I think the worst possible criticism of the pro choice perspective is that it doesn't take the significance of abortion seriously, and this woman completely personifies that criticism.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

Larissa — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:28:26 GMT

Perhaps if this blogger were reflecting on a past experience, we could expect tempered, sage insights about her experiences, a balanced and thoughtful perspective. However, she's not reflecting, she's blogging a live and actual experience, one that is hard and messy and brings up strong feelings. I don't think her anger at her fetus is out of place at all, if she doesn't want to be pregnant, it seems like an honest reaction and I don't think it makes her any more likely to kick a puppy or disrespect the life of other humans. I do think she alludes to relationships in her life that have been effected by her pregnancy & decision to abort. Her instructions to young men about their role when a sexual partner wants to terminate a pregnancy come from a strong women's autonomy & human rights perspective. I have been reading the blog and do wonder if it might be a parody or fiction, but I don't think we'll ever know. But she's got everyone talking, doesn't she?

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

Knitty — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:01:46 GMT

I'm with rrr. I haven't read any of the blog and doubt I will, but I see no reason why anyone should censor themselves in fear of what the right-wing wingnuts will squeal about. They're always going to find something to fake moral outrage over, and if they can't find something to fit the bill, they wouldn't hesitate to manufacture such a website.

The beauty of the Internet is that all voices can be heard, not just the ones that make their way into our corporate media.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

Dwtintx — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:46:47 GMT

I have to say that I am appalled by this. I am definitely pro choice, and you are right that everyone is entitled to the way they feel about an unwanted pregnancy and how they feel about an abortion. Abortion should be legal and remain a choice open to everyone. What shocks me here is the absolute callousness, the disdain for the fact that it is a life she is taking. We can argue about whether a small ball of dividing cells is life, but let's be real- those of you who are parents know that at 8 weeks gestation, it looks like a baby in there, and it moves around and is very much alive. I don't think she should feel bad for doing it, but at least be respectful. That fetus deserved to be acknowledged as a living thing, and treated with some kind of respect, even if the ultimate choice was to end that life.

If this person feels such disgust and disdain for a life she created, just because it hasn't been born, why should I believe she has any concern for any living thing? Why would she respect you or me, or anyone except herself? I don't think abortion is necessarily wrong, but I certainly don't think it should be celebrated, and the fetus shouldn't be treated with such disgust. It was a living creature that she created. She should have the decency to respect that.

And rrr, your attitude combined with that of the blogger's make me seriously concerned for the young women you speak of who relate better to this woman than to those who are earnest in their discussion of choices. Abortion is (or should be) an earnest decision; it should not be something undertaken casually or glibly. That is one stereotype the conservative side likes to flog, and this blogger personifies it. It worries me greatly that you see nothing wrong with how she abdicated all sexual responsibility, and then has such a disturbing reaction to a life that she had a hand in creating. Despite all my talk of a living being, that I am pro choice; I'm no anti-choice person sock puppeting. But let's all be responsible enough to face up to the fact that abortion does end a possibly viable life, and be grown up enough to respect that.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

rrr — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:10:51 GMT

Wow, I've been reading the blog you're talking about since her first post and I've enjoyed it wholeheartedly. I think this kind of honest voice will be really helpful to young women looking for information on abortions. There are a million sites offering earnest, well-meaning lectures of both the left-wing and right-wing variety but their tone of voice often rings hollow to women in their teens and twenties.

Now here is a young woman blogging about her experience for her peers in a way that they can relate to, and you want her to tone it down so as not to give anti-choicers ammunition? They are already set in their beliefs and beyond the point of reason or dialogue so why should this blogger change what she's saying because of them?

Stop with the tutting and looking down your nose at this woman. Choice means that every woman has a right to have an abortion, but also the right to say how they feel about their abortions whether or not you approve of their attitude.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

Alice — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:44:55 GMT

I agree with Ticktock. It is a Right wing parody. This is how they think white, liberal women think.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:43:36 GMT

It's definitely not meant to be a parody. I did have the thought that it could be a fake blog written by an anti-choice activist. Still, I became concerned when I read that Jezebel, the progressive women's issues site that I normally love, was praising the blog as funny, honest, and much needed.

re: Abortion Blogger Gives Liberal Parents a Bad Name

ticktock — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:30:04 GMT

Looks like it might be a parody blog... only from a right wing pro-lifer trying to make a point.