My Mother vs The Sanctity of Life

Now before anyone gets all uppity about this post, please bear in mind that this particular post wasn't even my idea. It was my mother's. During one of our rambling sessions about reproduction and choice, she made a very interesting point and asked me to use her as an example in a blog post. Here is my mom's story and how it pertains to abortion and the sanctity of life.

Right at thirty years ago, my seventeen year old mother learned that she was pregnant for the first time. The news was recieved with much joy and nervousness. She wasn't nervous for the reasons you might think that a seventeen year old would be in this situation: she had learned from her doctor months prior that she had a uterine disorder that would severely complicate her ability to carry a pregnancy to term. By severely, he meant that it would probably never happen. Mom, in her youthful vigor, decided to try. It turned out that the complications in this particular pregnancy would be trying to get me out of her (I proved quite stubborn even inutero). And on August 10th, 1981 I, in all my Leonine ferocity, was presented to the world.

She, and I, were lucky.

Mom went on to get pregnant many more times. "Many" being approximately 19 0r 20. Five of us lived. It seemed that Mommy had become a one-woman example of the study proving that 80% of pregnancies essentially terminate themselves (http://tinyurl.com/63p34wn).

The majority of antichoicers will look at women who repeatedly try to have children and suffer miscarriages with sympathy, stating that "at least they're TRYING to bring life into the world" or some such dismissiveness. But the simple facts are that my mother had prior knowledge of her (in)abilities when it came to carrying a pregnancy and still kept at it regardless off the numerous spontaneous abortions that she knew could (and would) take place.

I suppose my question to the antichoice is this: what makes my mother's case so much "better" than that of women who seek one or two abortions in their lives? She, herself, argues that her reproductive decisions cost more "lives" than the decisions of any woman who opted to terminate a pregnancy. This, cats and kittens, coming from a woman who has never had an induced abortion and miscarried 14-15 wanted pregnancies.

So in the arguement of "saving lives", would you have chosen to remove my mother's reproductive freedom as she ran such a high risk of spontaneous abortion? After all, if abortion "kills a child", by your own logic my mother is a serial killer.

No. I, of course, do not think my mother is a serial killer. And I'm certain that the antichoice are going to claim that they don't either, and they'll claim to "take such pity on this woman". But this is what their logic aims at: criminalizing and demonizing women for having reproductive control. The control women have to not be pregnant and, in the case of my mom, the control she had to keep getting pregnant.

Fun With Antichoice Inconsistencies

This response is really late to the party, most certainly, but what is it they say? Better late than never? Late it will just have to be.

In a June 10th post on her blog, Jill Stanek made a stunning revelation: feminists are selectively aborting future feminists. While many are finding it horrifying that feminists are so callously aborting the future of their own movement in such a manner, a few of us were left a little confused: when did we develop a prenatal test for feminism? Seriously. Here is Stanek's statement:

"Of course, Serena, the other reason 'there aren't enough of us out there making a difference' and why old feminists are having such trouble finding young feminists 'to pass the baton to' is because they've been aborted."

If we are going to take Stanek seriously (as I'm assuming she wants to be), we are going to work with the theory that women seeking abortions have the Genetic Feminism Analysis run on their fetus to make sure they are aborting the appropriate ones. I personally don't see how in the world this would be relevant, but obviously, if feminists are aborting all of their pre-feminists, they must have their reasons for weeding them out. I'd be interesting in knowing what those reasons are myself, seeing as how these deliberate aborting of future feminists is going to kill feminism of the future. And obviously Stanek is the only one capable of recognizing this.

So, since this is only now coming to light, I feel it's time for questions about this new procedure. Is this test specifically for feminism, or does it also cover other sociopolitical views like liberalism in general? Views on gay rights? Perhaps a woman could even find out how her baby will feel about the current mosque controversy! Also, is there a chance that feminism, liberalism, etc, can be heritable conditions? After all, many anti-choice and anti-equality parents birth and raise very equality minded progressive children. And vice-versa! The child of very openminded parents can grow up to succumb to the restrictive life of a conservative.

Enough of all of that. The real issue: how is our newfound Genetic Feminism Analysis going to affect abortion in our country? Again, Stanek's claim is that feminists are selectively aborting feminists. Seems counterproductive to me. So, how does it work for the antis?

Imagine if they could find out beforehand if their child would be prochoice. How many would break their own code to save face for their cause? How many antichoice activists would exercize their right to choose in such a situation? How many would seek an abortion from the very clinic they protest to ensure they did not have that gay child?

How often would they secretly utilize the very thing they oppose if they thought it would aid their cause? Or even just themselves?

It wouldn't be the first time:

http://tinyurl.com/ggswc

Clarification

There's some things I feel certain people in my life need to know. Many seem to be confused by my seemingly sudden switch from prolife to prochoice. They are wondering why, especially since most are antichoice or situationists at the most lax. I feel it's time to clarify.

I am prochoice:

-Because you are diabetic, you have MS, you have any assortment of problems that may threaten your wellbeing.
-Because you are homeless.
-Because you are a drug addict.
-Because you didn't ask to be raped.
-Because you did use precautions. Those precautions failed you at a critical time in your life.
-Because one day your daughter will secretly seek an abortion.
-Because no matter how much I or anyone else may disagree with your decision, I always want you HERE. With me. NO MATTER WHAT.
-Because you are only 14 and how you got pregnant is irrelevant. You clearly can't care for a child.
-Because children are the most amazing beings in the world and the most deserving individuals life have to offer. They are not consequences. They are not punishments. They are not weapons.
-Because our adoption and foster systems have been reduced to a joke.
-Because 43% of women choose to end their pregnancies. That's almost every other woman you or I know.
-Because prior to it being legal, 1 in 3 women who sought abortion died due to botched procedures.
-Because, when you take the two previous facts into consideration, 1 in 5-6 women in my life would be dead due to illegal procedures if abortion were not legal and safe.
-Because you have children you are already struggling to care for.
-Because you just found out that you have a heritable disorder that you do not want to force your child to suffer through as you now have to.
-Because I never want you to find out your child is dead because they were seeking an abortion.
-Because it's your freshman year in college and you had a few lapses in judgement due to all the excitement. And you still want to graduate.
-Because I wouldn't want someone telling me I have to end my pregnancy. Therefore I will not tell anyone they can't.
-Because you were already 4 months along when you found out and you had been partying frequently.
-Because you are trying to escape an abusive partner.
-Because I want you in my life.

But most of all, I am prochoice because I love you. I don't care who you are or what you've done. Someone's life is worthwhile and bearable because of you. Someone is loved because of you. And that someone should never have to suffer losing you over abortion.