How the Abortion Debate Is Used to Divide Women

“Women have the great power and honor of growing our future humans, giving life and birth to them. That kind of power must be wielded with dignity, self respect, and the knowledge that we have had the ultimate power all along. Oppression and inequality is only temporary. The day we realize our collective strength, is the day it ends.”

I received a lengthy and thought-filled comment to last week’s post about the New York Women’s Equality Agenda getting tripped up in the state house over its inclusion of an abortion provision adopting Roe v. Wade standards. Leslie Hatcher of Green Life Wellness took considerable time to send me the following message - I post it below in its entirety for you to read and think about. And, I hope, write your own comments!!

There are several issues here. Had the push to make Roe v. Wade a state’s right been left out of the language, then women and their families would have had an amazing victory on their hands in New York. You have to wonder why that was included. It seems to me that everyone failed us that day, everyone on both sides. I hope to see this kind of legislation reintroduced (without an obvious, antagonistic thread attached) soon. Equality legislation for women has to start somewhere, but it will never start with abortion language attached. That’s known to most 9th grade Civics students I suspect. So, what was the purpose of this charade? Press? Abortion has been used AGAINST women, as much as the right to have one has been touted as a personal freedom. I am not anti-anything, so keep that in mind as you read this. I am pro-woman, pro-children, pro health freedom, and pro economic and justice equality for all (particularly women).

This whole thing smacks of ulterior motives, and it’s plain to see that had the abortion language been left out of this one, we would be celebrating. Pick your battles, and take your victories.

I would like to add, as a health care professional, that it is rare to need to abort a fetus to spare a woman’s life. I have never seen it. I have seen women in comas continue to carry their child until term. I do think that there are physicians who would be too quick to terminate, in a case where they just didn’t know what else to do. Most women are already attached to their unborn children (or fetuses, or pregnancies…use whatever language doesn’t push your buttons), and would never allow a medical abortion late term. They may be pressured to do so by a frightened family member, or physician, but really. Mothers choose their children over themselves as part of just being a mother. I think the late- term abortion fiasco is actually something pushed by ultra conservatives to upset everybody. If you deal in realities, the need to remove a baby from his mother’s uterus when he is fully formed, but unable to survive on the outside…well, there is no need. We have many other options for pregnant women experiencing serious health complications.

So, this issue is not about protecting anyone, is it? It’s about scaring and manipulating people. Playing on the fears of both the feminist, and the oppressor, we have two sad images: The feminist’s fear is manipulated with perceived threats of losing what ground we have gained, and the image of women unable to legally vote, or hold a job creeps steadily across our minds. Meanwhile, the horrific image of a tiny baby yanked out of it’s mother’s womb, and left for certain death strikes fear in anyone with an ounce of humanity. I’ve actually seen babies born in week 25 that survive with intense medical treatment. These babies came early on their own, nobody forced them out. You have to hand it to political strategists: They are good..really good.

What are we really looking for here? Women are still paid less for equal work, punished financially for becoming mothers, treated unfairly within the legal system, oppressed, harassed, demeaned, shamed for having children, shamed for having abortions, shamed for being frigid, shamed for being “sluts,” and I could go on, but will spare you. There are many more women in this country than men. We are kinder, more compassionate, and more intuitive than the male of out species, but do you think maybe we should stand up and say piss off?

Women have the great power and honor of growing our future humans, giving life and birth to them. That kind of power must be wielded with dignity, self respect, and the knowledge that we have had the ultimate power all along. Oppression and inequality is only temporary. The day we realize our collective strength, is the day it ends.

Thanks, Leslie, for writing and letting me know what you made of how the NY state effort was handled. I hope more readers are encouraged to share their thoughts, about that or all matters maternal, right here on the blog.

‘Til next time,

Your (Wo)Man in Washington