09 April 2011

In light of yesterday's colossal jackassery...

If you're here looking for funny today, you can fuck right off.  This isn't going to be a knee-slapper of a funny post.  I've got a point to make.

Now yesterday, our nation was on tenterhooks, waiting on the government to pass a budget.  The government however, was having a disagreement over some of the spending.  Was it over defense budgeting and how it's grown to gargantuan amounts of money to fight losing battles and get our noses involved in bullshit that we declared over and done with (e.g. the middle east and "spreading democracy," the "war" that was declared over in 2005 and is in all reality an occupation)? Nope.  Is it about how we've cut education spending and as a result, children in public schools and college students who are trying to better themselves with assistance from the government in the form of grants are getting screwed because education isn't getting as much spending?  Children are being helped along by teachers so that they can get them out of the school system instead of being taught things that they should know and that can enrich their fertile young minds.  College students are taking out loans they can't afford or dropping out of college altogether.  Is this what caused the stalemate?  Nope.

Was it even about how the politicians have voted to give themselves numerous pay raises in addition to stipends for travel, food, lodging on their supposedly business related travel (and in many cases, they end up receiving as complimentary anyway) and then their numerous tax cuts as many of them are in business or are independently wealthy, but they say that retirees and active military shouldn't get pay or benefit increases to reflect the rising cost of living?  Nope, wasn't that either.  God forbid that particular nugget should ever come to light.

So pray tell, what was the all-important issue that almost crippled this country and sent it back to 1932?  Why, of all the fucked up, agenda pushing issues that it could have been, it was the issue of providing funding to women's health facilities that provide abortions, most specifically: Planned Parenthood.

Really? You ask this.  I can hear you through my monitor.  Apparently so according to the information, I reply.

Because extremist right wingers have a moral objection to abortion, they wished to cut all funding for the women's health facilities that provide them.  Or, in compromise, they wanted to not fund them directly, but give the money to the states and let them fund those facilities.  That was rejected out of hand because that doesn't help the issue.  These facilities need this funding because they are one of the only options available to low-income women, and because their purpose is to provide options, assistance, information, and education to everyone about their sexual and reproductive health.  Women and men.  Cancer screenings, STD testing, contraceptives of all forms, information, education, as well as regular OB-GYN services for women who have no health insurance and so can't go to a regular clinic for their reproductive health and yearly pelvic screenings.  Abortions are only a small portion of what they provide and even so, what the fuck does that matter?  It's already been mandated that federal funds can't be used to fund abortions directly except in very, very limited cases.

How does defunding the leading provider of contraceptives to the poor and working class reduce the number of abortions? Or the future need for those services?  It doesn't, it reduces the choices that are open to people when it comes to reproduction.  It's simply an attack on women and women's choices by people who are still bitter about women gaining the right to vote and wish to send women back to Victorian times.  This mindset is by people who believe women shouldn't strive to be more than wives and mothers, or rather broodmares who birth a child every year till they die of the physical trauma of it all.

But let's look at this from a purely fiscal, financial standpoint for right now.  We'll get to the horseshit of "morality" influencing law in a minute.  An abortion provided by Planned Parenthood can cost from $350-$1250 depending on the method and the stage of pregnancy.  This includes testing, medications, the procedure itself and office visits.  While this is a large amount of money for people to come up with, it's not all due at once and it's nothing compared to what it would cost to actually give birth to a child.  The prenatal visits and the birth alone of a child in a hospital setting or with a midwife can cost thousands, even tens of thousands if there are complications and hospital admission is required.  That's just from conception to birth.  Now look at all post-natal care, food, clothing, immunizations, toys, day care, education (from K-12, not pre-K), after school programs, computers, etc., etc., etc. Oh and just for the record, most of that is on the American taxpayer, and at least here in New Mexico, teen mothers, children and I believe single mothers get state-subsidized health insurance.  Is it any wonder that so many women have children they can't afford because they get welfare, food stamps, home assistance and low income housing and health insurance?

Again, most of that's on the American taxpayer.  Now think about the personal financial implications of having a child.  Kids are expensive.  Not having a child that you're not able to provide for is financially more responsible than having it.  Even if you have it and give it up, it can go into a foster home, adoption agencies have to work to place it, etc. It's still costing money.

But now let's look into abortion for what it is.  It's simply ending a pregnancy. It's not destroying a life, it's not murder. It's ending a pregnancy, and most states have laws about the latest in the pregnancy you can receive an abortion.  There are two types of abortion: medication abortion and procedural abortion.  Medication abortion is typically the best way to go in early pregnancy when it's no more than just a cluster of cells, no worst than a cyst or tumor.  Medication abortion is when a woman receives a pill similar to RU-486, and it causes the body to purge the abortion.  It's like having a really nasty period.  Procedural abortion happens if the medication abortion doesn't completely terminate the pregnancy or if it's further along, and it's a little more invasive, a little more like having surgery.  But it is guaranteed to end the pregnancy.  I'm not going to get into the details for those who are squeamish, but I do suggest you research it.  Ignorance and misinformation lead to misunderstanding and hatred.

That's all.  It's not some sicko cackling over his prey.  It's just a procedure to end a pregnancy.  Not all women are meant to be mothers, not all women are built for it.  Not all women want to be mothers.  And regardless of if you raise the child or not, you are a mother once you give birth. 

Me? I don't want kids.  I don't know if I'll want them in the future, but right now, I don't want them.  And I have no shame in that.  I take precautions: I'm on the pill, I've had my lovers use condoms, I even only have one ovary, although that's for a different reason (I had a 25 pound tumor sitting on my left ovary that went undiagnosed for years until it put me in the ER with excruciating pain and they did a CT scan on me.)
I've been on birth control ever since my very first sexual experience.  Planned Parenthood provides birth control, condoms, IUDs, everything someone would need to be in charge of their reproductive health.
 
Abortion is a single person's choice:  the woman's.  She holds the ultimate decision.  No one else has any right to tell her what to do.  I had a tumor removed; if the government had told me that I couldn't have the tumor removed because it might grow up to be cancer one day, do you think there would have been public outcry led by me? You're damn right there would have been, and rightly so.

One particular groups set of moral standards shouldn't be able to dictate laws (which are tools of logic) or finances.  By essentially criminalizing abortions (which is what'll happen if they cut funding to facilities that provide abortions), they leave women with no choice but to either bring more children into the world to burden us financially and population wise, or to resort to real back-alley abortions involving coat hangers.  Doing that sort of thing is starting to turn this country into countries that we're trying to "civilize" and give their women rights.  The middle east for example.  Abortion is almost wholly illegal there, and women have very few options or education about their health and reproduction.  Now...defunding Planned Parenthood would do practically the same thing here wouldn't it?  Shocking idea to think about since we're fighting to give them rights that we're trying to take away from our own women because of some outdated, archaic moral standard.    One almost entirely held by rich white men and women who've either never had to struggle to make those decisions, never had children, or have had too many bloody children.

7 comments:

  1. Lol thanks. Yesterday just infuriated me for so many reasons...in all reality, this is just the tip of the iceberg, but it's an issue I feel very very strongly about.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't agree with you about the whole abortion thing. But let's not go there. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But just a fun fact. Justin was a $100,000 baby. Expensive kid eh?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well that's okay. You're right, everyone has their own opinion and I understand your upbringing would make you anti-abortion. I still think that that option needs to be there for the women who need or want it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was worth reading every word!! I typically avoid voicing my opinion on controversial topics on the internet because 1. I hate confrontation and 2. Fighting online is a lose-lose, but I'm proud to say that I 100% agree with you! I'm not completely in touch with what is going on politically with in the States, I'm embarrassed to say, but I'm horrified to read what you just wrote. If nothing else it has definitely encouraged me to take absolutely 0 chances!

    P.S. you should have seen the look on my face when I checked my email and saw I had all those comments but I'll give you a hint that it was something like this- :O. It means so much to have someone intelligent reading my blog! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It was absolutely my pleasure! Thank you for writing and being open enough to post those things for us to read. It's tough being open and vulnerable on the internet.

    You're right, it's typically a losing battle and I hate confrontation too, but my opinion is worth just as much as anyone else's and maybe, just maybe if someone reads it, it might open their mind just a little bit more so they can see the other side.

    ReplyDelete
  6. i do agree that everyone needs the option and choice. I mean if I were in that position I'm pretty sure my whole perspective would change all together.

    ReplyDelete