What inspired me to write this topic was the Central Florida woman who was victimized three times. She was brutally raped, then after calling police, she was thrown in jail for an outstanding warrant (when she was a juvenile), and then was refused emergency contraception that she was legally entitled to because of the jailer’s religious beliefs.
Now call me cynical, but I do believe the most personal decision a woman can make, the decision to have a baby, should at least include the woman. Since she will be the one to raise it, take care of it, and financially support it, I just think she should have some say in this.
For the religious right wingnut who is reading this and disagreeing with me right now, I hope that I can AT LEAST persuade you to accept that this monumentous decision should not ONLY be made by a violent criminal and an ideologically-driven hic jailer. (Because that is exactly what happened.)
Still NO? Okay I tried.
It’s just so hard to argue with a cult member.
I would love to blow these yahoos off, but here’s the sad thing: they are in our state legislature.
Most people would be upset with ignorant redneck cult members. Here, we have to contend with ignorant, redneck cult members with legislative power...
Welcome to Florida.
Because it is here that our (cult) leaders see nothing wrong with pharmacists denying prescription drugs they don’t like, or promoting the rights of a soon to be discarded Petri-dish over a sick child, or injecting themselves into a family fight over a legally dead woman (while simultaneously losing the children in our foster care system), or making pro-life license plates with proceeds going to "Crisis Pregnancy Centers" that are actually Christian hate groups.
Strangely enough, these folks lament the right of abortion while simultaneously promoting it. They oppose comprehensive sex education courses in favor of sexual ignorance, and make it as difficult as possible for our poorest citizens to raise their children by cutting their programs in favor of tax breaks and giveaways for those who need it least.
But it’s easy to do all of this when you don’t have the baggage of morality, personal rights, or common sense. It is why people cursed with these values here have to suffer.
I am angry because I live here, but the situation is the same, I’m certain, in various other red states as well. You see, logic rarely enters into the abortion debate. It’s about feelings. The feelings of anger and even hate that I have for the fat, well-dressed man screaming at the frightened teenager in front of an abortion clinic, (as opposed to the "Christian" idea of offering to help so that maybe she could have the baby), are the exact same feelings the cult members feel towards the poor teenager. (Just without the added glee of taunting the teenager: "You Got to Play, Now You Got to Pay!")
It never ceases to amaze me how hard the pro-life forces will fight for a fetus, insisting it be given more rights than the mother. However, once the fetus becomes a baby, where NO ONE questions or debates that it is a life, they couldn’t care less if it gets kicked to the curb. Hundreds of people may show up to protest, but not one ever bothers helping the sorry state of our orphanages, mentors a needy child, or, God-forbid, considers adoption as an option—especially if he or she is a minority. (One protester explained to me that God "called" him to protest, but probably others are "called" to do "that kind of stuff".)
You may assume from this diary that I am very pro-abortion. But I’m not. I’m anti-abortion, just strongly pro-choice. And folks, if you can get past the feelings, there is a middle ground that can give both sides what they want. By making it easier (and cheaper) to adopt, by making day-care more affordable, and by making it easier for those who need it to get the help they need to support their baby—abortion rates would drop dramatically.
I can PROMISE you that this way would curb a lot more abortions than making it illegal ever could. Abortions won’t stop if made illegal—the rich will fly to wherever they are legal, and the poor will return to the back-alley procedures. That is, if the reality of newer abortion drugs doesn’t make most clinical procedures moot. (And they can’t be kept off the shelves forever.)
Besides, if abortion is made illegal, there is also the issue of who exactly could be charged, and with what, if a woman has an abortion. I get different answers from different people. (Try it yourself!) Suppose she drives to Canada or some state abortion is legal: Who could be charged? The doctor? (No or maybe) The driver/parents? (Depends) The boyfriend? (Depends) The woman? (almost always—that is usually the constant).
If you are only series about promoting a misguided ideology that only results in increasing abortions, then just be prepared for the fight. The rise of the radical is over, and common sense is finally getting another shot. Our governor is a colossal panderer who will go with whoever has the momentum, so let’s make sure it’s on our side.