Sep
2

Women DO Deserve Better, Women Deserve CHOICE

filed under 2008 election, politics, reproductive rights

I was linked to a post on Work It, Mom! via Twitter claiming from it’s soapbox that Sarah Palin is indeed good for feminism. Of course, because I’m well, me, I had to get on my own symbolic soapbox and leave a comment and after making some pretty rad points, I thought I would share my thoughts.

Please note: The article at Work It, Mom! is a great article and very thought provoking. Excerpt:

Feminists work to ensure that women and girls have access to equal education, have agency in their health decisions, are respected whether or not they give birth, and ultimately trust women to do what is right for them. Palin & the GOP do not trust women…They only trust women who can stand up and say, “Vote for me so I can tell you want to do with your life.” The Pink Elephants give a great break down of things Palin has done for Alaska, but none related to moving women forward towards equality.

What does a feminist candidate look like to you? What does feminism mean to you? I’ve met plenty of feminists who call themselves Republicans, but they usually differ from me on business issues. Some are even endorsed by feminist organizations. Are you one? How do you reconcile the tension between feminism and the goals of the Republican Party?

Granted, the following are not very thorough explanations, but rather some stream of consciousness bullet points that I will most likely be coming back to again and again for the next two months because frankly, this is how I feel and I’m unapologetic like that.

I think that feminism (and feminists) stand up for human rights and equality.

1.) I support a man’s right to get a vasectomy so I support a woman’s right to get an abortion.

2.) As a feminist, I support women and do not go as far as to directly and blatantly insult their intelligence and say that they should have no choice or simply aren’t smart enough to have control over their own bodies. Sarah Palin is directly horrible for feminism and should not even be deemed as a feminist because as a woman she thinks that women should not be given a choice but should be forced to carry a pregnancy to term despite rape or even incest and that is disgusting and inexcusable. Sarah Palin’s “traditional family values” moves people back in history instead of propelling us forward. Her politics are corrupt and she is one of the most horrible VP picks in American history.

I’m a feminist and because I believe in feminism, I believe in a woman’s right to choose whether or not she wants to have an abortion. I am a feminist because I believe in women.

As for the whole “women deserve better” bullshit from Feminists for Life…Yeah, I believe women DO deserve better. Women deserve a hell of a lot better than being forced to carry a child they do not want, cannot afford, or is the product of a traumatic and heartbreaking event. Oh, and speaking of women deserving better, take a look at this:



delicious   digg   mixx   kirtsy   stumbleupon   propeller   newsvine   twitter   reddit   facebook   myspace
comment  

Related Posts

Viewing 13 Comments

    • ^
    • v
    Damn. Fantastic video clip! Would you happen to know who the speaker is?

    I just might have to post this one to my blog as well, since I'm sure the men will appreciate it. ;)
    • ^
    • v
    Great stream of consciousness!
    • ^
    • v
    I think that all people regardless of gender or race or social status should stand up for human rights and equality.

    I support a man’s right to get a vasectomy so I support a woman’s right to get her tubes tied.

    I support people taking responsibility for their actions. If both genders engage in sexual intercourse, even with protection, and the woman gets pregnant, then both parties will take responsibility for their actions. In this case both participants HAD a CHOICE.

    I support abortion for women who have been raped (Incest is RAPE). In this case they had no choice.

    I believe in all people – not just women.

    MY OPINION: Feminism or other movements isolate a portion of society and will never survive or grow unless a majority of the population of that society supports the ideals etc… If you want to make a change – you need to look beyond a single gender or race. After all – EQUALITY isn’t just about a single gender, neither is choice or freedom.

    Labels are bad (in my opinion) and distract from positive action. Feminism A doesn’t agree with Feminism B or C etc… IS THERE A WOMAN out there that does not want to be equal? Men in general do not feel the pain as they generally do not suffer it. However, some do as well as other races. All the women I ever hired after retiring from the Army – were paid the same as the men – no exceptions. I do not tolerate sexual harassment from either gender. Race and gender have never been an issue when hiring individuals or advancing them. If anything I may have preferred hiring women and racially different personnel, as they tend to bring different thought processes and backgrounds to the table.


    Is sex wrong? If I CHOOSE to have consenting sex and my partner gets pregnant – are we not both responsible? Should all males get “fixed” so no one can get pregnant? Should all women? Should everyone? Is pregnancy only right when one chooses to get pregnant? SEX EDUCATION 101 – SEX makes babies…..Sarah was crucified in blogs and media for HER CHOICE to have a downs syndrome baby – WHY is that bad? She knew the risks and made the choice and accepted responsibility for her actions. If that is an indication of WRONG, then someone needs to take me out and shoot me.

    Do contrary thoughts, values and beliefs make someone the wrong candidate for president or vice president? If translated to the corporate world – most corporations would be out of business and have no employees. Bring it home – My family and I would starve because I would not shop at any of the food stores.

    I want change in this country, not just in government. Talk will not achieve this. Radical action will not achieve this. Voting for Obama will not achieve this. Voting for McCain will not achieve this.

    WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE – are the only ones that will achieve this.

    Just things to think about…..
    • ^
    • v
    "IS THERE A WOMAN out there that does not want to be equal?"

    Unfortunately, yes. There are women all over the world who believe that they are not/should not be equal to men. Not all women believe in equality, which is incredibly sad to me.

    "I do not tolerate sexual harassment from either gender."

    It's great that you don't. But guess what? There are men in the armed forces who DO. I just read a book called "Men Speak Out" in which one (male) writer documents the sexual harassment he sees leveled against women in the military. Just because you're not contributing does not mean it doesn't exist. Furthermore, just because you don't contribute doesn't mean you're helping the problem. Unless you're fighting to stop sexism and harassment in the military, the problem is not going to go away.

    "Is pregnancy only right when one chooses to get pregnant?"

    YES. Pregnancy is wrong if the fetus was conceived as a result of rape. Pregnancy is not right if the couple was taking precautions to not get pregnant and do not want the child. pregnancy is not right if the woman carrying it cannot even afford the healthcare she needs to carry the pregnancy to term. Children ARE a choice. I know that sonner or later (when I have enough money saved up to afford it), I'll be getting "fixed" so that I cannot have children. I can't wait for that! Pregnancy would NEVER be right for me.
    • ^
    • v
    Agreed – Having been to some of those places. However, I do not believe its gender specific either. Oppressed people, regardless of gender, often display that same attitude. One can look at the difference of opinion between women in Afghanistan as an example.

    That issue is also not gender specific. Men and women in the military that do not occupy the role of warrior are often thought of as inferior etc… Having served in both roles, I can attest to this. I was recently on a military forum where some were discussing the recent award of the Combat Medical Badge to a woman and I was appalled at some of the things I read. I was also proud that some were supporting this, as that tells me some barrio are still dropping. IED, mortars, and suicide bombers are not gender specific. Women bleed on the battlefield the same as men. Attitudes and opinions are changed everyday, not as much by men who support equality in the military, as much as by women themselves displaying the qualities that earn them respect. I know what that sounds like, but understand, it’s that process which lends to beating down the barriers between gender and race. People standing up and people proving themselves will all add up in the end.

    I’ve already stated that rape/incest is not a choice to bear a child. However, when I get in my vehicle to drive down the street, I know I might have an accident no matter how good a driver I am. Just as I know that when I have sex, even protected, there is a chance that I may be part of the conception of a child. We might debate this for awhile, as I stand by my belief that we all need to take responsibility for our actions. Being irresponsible and getting caught is no excuse, yet it happens in many aspects of peoples lives daily. Although our opinions on this topic may differ, I still support the freedom of choice for abortion. I also support other options to abortion. I might just add that I am human and I like sex, I also like to drive my vehicle(not intended as sexual innuendo).
    • ^
    • v
    "Sarah Palin’s “traditional family values” moves people back in history instead of propelling us forward. "

    Even her family values are questionable if you think about it, or she wouldn't have a daughter having sex out of wedlock. What happened to abstaining and all that? I'm not part of that party, so I'm not overly fazed by her, but one does have to wonder what McCain was thinking? She strikes me as someone who would seriously damage his campaign. There's something fishy going on, methinks.
    • ^
    • v
    Even the Obama’s support traditional family values. I do not think that label today means what it did one hundred years ago – or Sarah would not be a working mother, in government, etc…

    Actually, quite the opposite in my opinion. She may have imparted the values (taught them etc..), but she did not enforce/force them. Obviously, or the daughter would not be pregnant. And as any decent parent, she did not kick her out of the house for not following her own beliefs.

    What was McCain thinking? I do not know, but I do not think it’s nefarious, and I would propose that Sarah’s merits stand by themselves. Having looked around and listened to her here - http://www.ktoo.org/gavel/ - as well as doing some other digging, I pronounce her human and with character. The kind of fresh character this country needs right now (my opinion).
    • ^
    • v
    I am extremely pro life, but that is my choice... I also believe that I do not have the right to tell another what their choice should be. Women need to make an informed decision that is right for them... my hope is that it's one that will not make them feel guilty for the rest of their lives... and with all the choices that are available... each one of them could pose those implications... I think that education is the most important factor...
    • ^
    • v
    i cant stand anybody that tells me what i shoud or have to do inmy life. thats why im a libertarian
    • ^
    • v
    How can you compare a vasectomy to an abortion? Wouldn't a more relevant comparison be a hysterectomy? Seems like a bit of a stretch. You make some very good points though. Good read.
    • ^
    • v
    I absolutely love this video. If only we all had such passion when it came to our beliefs.
    • ^
    • v
    I believe in a mens right to have a vasectomy, and a womans right to have a hysterectomy. These are equal. Killing an unborn child isn't.

    I believe a woman is smart enough to know that once she starts getting her period, she can have babies if she doesn't take precaution. If she does get pregant, then the child is not just hers to "decide" about. What about the Father? It is his seed, a women should not have the right to kill his child. "Sex" is not so important that it should more valuable than a human life. And it's not so unimportant that is should be done so casually as to not understand that a human life could be the result of the act.

    As for rape, I think that is a terrible crime, and should be punished, maybe even by the death penalty. Especially if the rape results in a child being murdered in the end. However, I still do not agree with abortion. As, a women, I would hate to have to give birth to a child that was the result of rape, but I could put the child up for adoption, or something else. But two wrongs do not make a right.
    And abortion, under any circumstance, is murder.
    • ^
    • v
    I strongly believe that we always have a choice.
 
close Reblog this comment
Powered by Disqus · Learn more
blog comments powered by Disqus