Why Am I Pro-choice?

I was asked this question on a forum I visit. Since I haven't posted anything in a while, I figured I'd post my reply here, just in case anyone is searching for any reasons as to why they should be pro-choice instead of anti-choice.

I think it mostly has to do with the fact that I think women are human people capable of being treated like people who can make their own moral decisions rather than children who must be monitored and told what to do "for their own good". I don't think women should have to be forced to donate their bodily resources when no man is ever forced to. I don't think rape victims should be treated worse than their rapists just because they happen to have a uterus. I don't think women should be punished for enjoying or having sex, and yes, that goes for non-procreational sex. I'm not worried about the human race becoming endangered or extinct nor am I worried about poor infertile people not having any spawn, and I'm certainly not willing to subject women to uterine slavery to make sure they can have the white/male/healthy baby they're so desperately searching for while they "ZOMG would love to have any baby!1". I don't think it's fair to compare a woman and a fetus. They're not on the same level. A woman is a sentient human being. She is not potential. She is physically independent. I do not believe in magical invisible sex contracts that make women responsible for carrying any and every pregnancy by virtue of having a uterus and the need to have sex. Because yes, it is a biological drive, even for us women. I've read the stories of death-bed confessions and clandestine abortions not only from this country in the pre-Roe era, but also from other countries where abortion is still illegal. I see no reason why we should subject women to that for other people's fantasies of fetal personhood. I am a feminist and I care about women. I know that they are individuals with individual beliefs, situations, goals, bodies, and wants. I realize that being anti-choice in any situation creates a harmful hierarchy among women and especially between women and their doctors. There is no way to successfully implement exceptions, and I'm not willing to gamble with women's lives to protect the egos and misogynistic, out-dated traditions of patriarchy and those who would seek to uphold it whether consciously or not. Women have a right to make their own reproductive choices. If they want to be childfree, they should not have to be celibate until menopause. It's ridiculous to expect and it's misogynistic to implement. If they want to have 12 children, they should be able to choose to do so. The fact of the matter is, women should be treated like the people they are, and that requires trusting them enough to be able to make their own decisions.

So there you have it folks. Take your pick of the reasons. There certainly are many.

The Amber & Jen Project is Taking It to the Streets

The Amber & Jen Project was started by NARAL Pro-Choice America to get people to the polls to make Congress pro-choice again. We need 6 victories in the Senate and 15 victories in the House to make this happen. Amber & Jen gives us tips on how to spread the word with their new video!

In case you were wondering, the song playing in the background as Amber posts the flier in that record store is "Till It Happens to You" by Corinne Bailey Rae. *thumbs up*

New Jersey Politics Makes My Head Hurt

I read this interesting article about women politicians in New Jersey and how they haven't exactly been successful. Women in politics makes many people from all 50 states recoil in horror, but this article raised some interesting points.

"Women lead three New Jersey universities - Princeton, Montclair State and the College of New Jersey. The Garden State also ranks 11th in the number of women-owned businesses.

"Three of the seven justices on New Jersey's Supreme Court are women, including the chief justice, Deborah Poritz. Women account for a quarter of all judges in the state's courts - 106 of 440.

"New Jersey ranks sixth in the percentage of women with college degrees, placing it close to Colorado, Massachusetts and Maryland.

"In contrast, New Jersey drops to 31st in the nation in electing women to state and federal offices, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Utah and Texas rank higher; Ohio, Georgia and Tennessee lower. South Carolina is at the bottom."

New Jersey and other states are filled with intelligent women who are competent leaders. What is it with some people that they don't trust women to run the government? And what is it with very few women running for office? I don't get it. Let's discuss it together!

ZOMG!

It's our favorite feminist's birthday!

Happy birthday, Emily!

Feminists As The "Crazy-Assed Bitches of Society".

So I've got this ongoing story on this blog. If you're a reader of this blog (how few there are!), then you might remember a guy I mentioned a long time ago named "Bob". Well, this is still ongoing drama, so I shall now give the latest installment, because let me tell you, the saga gets better and so much more misogynistic.

Bob and I happen to have the same lunch. I don't talk to him and try at every moment not to ackonwledge his existence, because if I did acknowledge his existence, Jeebus knows it wouldn't have to be for long, if you know what I mean.

So, this little story doesn't involve Bob directly, thank goodness, however, it still involves something that feminists face every day.

Allow me to first tell the story:

I am sitting at lunch with a few of my friends. My friend that we called "Pam" in the first couple of posts about Bob was there, and as you all know she hates Bob just as much as I do. So, we're sitting there laughing it up with my boyfriend, another girlfriend of ours, and two other guys that I don't know quite as well but they're acquaintances of mine. So, somehow the conversation turns to Bob and how much Pam and I hate him. The question of "OMG Why?" comes up of course, so we explain. Now the good part starts. After our explanation, we are told that Bob is "still a really cool kid" and we really shouldn't hate him. I mean, after all, it's cool to sexually humiliate chicks, right? Or, if a guy does that, well, it's doesn't really matter, does it? Not only is Bob a cool guy, however, but he's also funny! He is so hilarious that these two boys just couldn't imagine why I didn't like Bob.

So I called them on that shit. I told them that, sorry, but sexually humiliating women was definitely NOT funny nor was it cool, and anyone who could do something like that is not someone who deserves any human interaction, let alone any sort of praise. It's like saying that a rapist is still a really cool guy. If I had been in the mood to Godwin, I probably would have asked them if they thought Hitler was still a pretty cool guy (You know, vegetarian, neat mustache, etc.) even though he murdered 6 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, etc.

So, once that was established, it came down to the age-old "I don't believe you" defense. Suddenly, the story that these two guys had swallowed moments before was no longer plausible. I was a lying crazy bitch who hated this poor innocent funny-man for no good reason. Damn me to Hell.

So, there are two issues here that I want to discuss. I would hope that everyone could pinpoint them, but if not, here they are: First, it was just fine and dandy that this guy had sexually humiliated his girlfriend (he was still part of the good ol' boys club) and once again there is no male opposition to outright misogyny. Second, when all else fails, invoke the ideology of inherent female dishonesty. OF COURSE the womenz are just embellishing/don't know what they're talking about/outright making up stories.

I was quite bewildered by this. I've spoken about this at length with my other friends who are guys. I had a huge blow-up with my boyfriend about it because of his own passive attitude toward this guy, despite the fact that he was the one that was in a position to actually make a dent in Bob's idiocy. I talked to a frequent commenter and reader of this blog who happens to be my friend, and he has nothing but disdain for this kid. He believed me. My boyfriend was there! (As mentioned before, he was also at the lunch table today, so that was certainly brought up in major pwnage of the two guys that were in disbelief that Bob could have possible been the douchebag he was). Pam believed me when I told her about it. All of the girls I told believed me. It was only the two guys that were shocked, shocked to find out that perhaps their buddy wasn't as wonderful and funny as they thought he was (although they still maintain that the hilarity continues, apparently misogyny only makes the humor grow stronger).

So, once again, I present to you "Feminists as the Crazy-assed Bitches of Society". We're lying when we say sexism exists. Just thought I'd let you know.

P.S.-This post is probably entirely incoherent. I've been laid out with a virus for the past two days. Cut me some slack.

Misogynistic Boy Causes Ruckus on Facebook

A young man called Brody Ruckus created a group on Facebook called "If this group reaches 100,000 my girlfriend will have a threesome. In the group's description, Brody claims that he has been asking his girlfriend to have a threesome with him several times, and she has always refused. The couple supposedly made a bet that if his group becomes the largest group on Facebook, they will have a threesome. I joined this group instead.

I can't wait for this group to become the largest on Facebook and for his girlfriend to surprise him with another dude as the third person.

Who the Shit is This Bible-Thumper?

NARAL Pro-Choice America must think I live in New Jersey's 5th District, because they just sent me this video of Representative Scott Garrett (R-NJ) expressing his anti-choice views and urged me to donate to Paul Aronshon's campaign. Check out the (I assume) lady with the "I Regret My Abortion" sign. I regret not taking Lactaid before eating pizza. Overturn Dairy v. Wade!

UPDATE 9/21/06: As if this isn't bad enough, Stephen Colbert just profiled New Jersey's 5th on the segment called "Better Know a District" on The Colbert Report. Guess who didn't agree to the interview? Scott Garrett. What a robot.

Potential Rape Law Reform in Pakistan Causes a Stir

Here's a heart-warming story of blind nationalism and religious fanatacism *barfs*

Currently, Pakastani law requires testimony from four witnesses to prove a rape case. How often are there four witnesses to a rape (four people raping the same woman doesn't count)? Women who can't prove they were raped are considered guilty of adultery, which is punishable by death. President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's party introduced a bill to change this law by doing away with the 4-witness requirement. Members of Pakistan's National Assembly threaten to walk out if the law is changed. "We will render every sacrifice for the protection of the Shariah (traditional Islamic) laws," Islamic coalition leader Maulana Fazalur Rahman said Tuesday.

UPDATE 9/13/06

"Pakistan rape reform fails after Musharraf caves in"

*&%$^&*$$#&(&%$# VICTIM BLAMERS!!!!!

Okay, so this isn't actually news, but it just pisses me off to no end when people blame rape on the victim for stupid crap like what she was wearing. Megan and I often troll around the-n.com message boards. Sorting out misogynists is our raison d'être, and we're kind of notorious for being those feminists who wouldn't be so uptight if we just experienced the beauty of forced pregnancy between 16 seconds of fucking through a hole in the sheet and that walk in the park that is childbirth. Here's what some girl said after another girl informed her that rape isn't a choice:

"Well sorry to break it to you, but most rape victims draw attention to themsel[ve]s by the clothes they [wear], I've seen the news reports, 13 year old girls dressing, and acting like they're 18, I'm not saying all rape victims are the same, but most of them draw attention to themsel[ve]s."

After Megan and I both figuratively karate-chopped her head off, I reported the post, and it's been taken down. Feminists to the Rescue indeed!

And thanks to Drew for sending me the cartoon a million years ago.