Love this. It's both thoughtful and practical. And yes, self-control is not the best policy to curb abortion since sex isn't rational. Flooding the commons with birth control would be a great approach ( I think the best compromise would be that certain types be dispensed for free, tbh ), but then the anti's wouldn't get to shame women fo…
Love this. It's both thoughtful and practical. And yes, self-control is not the best policy to curb abortion since sex isn't rational. Flooding the commons with birth control would be a great approach ( I think the best compromise would be that certain types be dispensed for free, tbh ), but then the anti's wouldn't get to shame women for their promiscuity - which some of them really get off on.
To me, it comes down to this: I am the one paying the cost of the bringing the life into the world - particularly if the father has abdicated the responsibility, which is all too common. I should have the right to review my resources and capabilities and make a rational decision about whether I can support this human being for 18 years or not. Animals in the wild will kill their young if resources or conditions are lacking. Why can't I have these same rights? Because humans are different? Or answer to a higher power? (Prove it.) Or, because it's squicky? I still haven't heard a good reason why the government has the right to reduce my rights during pregancy and take control of my body by leveraging force of law and gun to coerce me to do something I don't wish to do. Do I own myself or not? I know this is a loaded question with so many caveats and edge cases that it's almost ridiculous.
And every child should be wanted. I know the cost of bringing unwanted children into the world. I was one of them and I never once had a parent that championed my welfare in a healthy way and I've endured/survived all the types of parents there are - bio, foster, adoptive. I have suffered greatly from the canard that all life is sacred. It's not if you don't belong to a tribe, and even then, this perk is provisional - based on whether you follow the rules or not. People just don't care about progeny that isn't their blood. I'm looking at you Sophie Lewis! Community rearing of children indeed. The fights over who pays would be monumental, particularly once the child reaches college age. It always boils down to cash.
I would relent to some degree on this somewhat hardcore position if men were held accountable for their part in procreation. But, they aren't, for the most part, outside of some nasty custody battles - but that's the ones that want their children (and to be fair, some women are horrible mothers). It's not a tidy formula. But, many, many men do not take responsibility and face zero consequences for this choice.
And finally, because it's so complicated, because their are no pat answers, because the stakes are so high, because people's morality is all over the map, because we can't agree, because bringing an unwanted child into the world has a seriously high cost - especially for the child, I think it boils down to the choice of the people with actual standing on the issue - the mother and father of the potential child. Everyone else needs to butt out. We can futz and compromise over how far along it can occur, but the window needs to stay open.
Love this. It's both thoughtful and practical. And yes, self-control is not the best policy to curb abortion since sex isn't rational. Flooding the commons with birth control would be a great approach ( I think the best compromise would be that certain types be dispensed for free, tbh ), but then the anti's wouldn't get to shame women for their promiscuity - which some of them really get off on.
To me, it comes down to this: I am the one paying the cost of the bringing the life into the world - particularly if the father has abdicated the responsibility, which is all too common. I should have the right to review my resources and capabilities and make a rational decision about whether I can support this human being for 18 years or not. Animals in the wild will kill their young if resources or conditions are lacking. Why can't I have these same rights? Because humans are different? Or answer to a higher power? (Prove it.) Or, because it's squicky? I still haven't heard a good reason why the government has the right to reduce my rights during pregancy and take control of my body by leveraging force of law and gun to coerce me to do something I don't wish to do. Do I own myself or not? I know this is a loaded question with so many caveats and edge cases that it's almost ridiculous.
And every child should be wanted. I know the cost of bringing unwanted children into the world. I was one of them and I never once had a parent that championed my welfare in a healthy way and I've endured/survived all the types of parents there are - bio, foster, adoptive. I have suffered greatly from the canard that all life is sacred. It's not if you don't belong to a tribe, and even then, this perk is provisional - based on whether you follow the rules or not. People just don't care about progeny that isn't their blood. I'm looking at you Sophie Lewis! Community rearing of children indeed. The fights over who pays would be monumental, particularly once the child reaches college age. It always boils down to cash.
I would relent to some degree on this somewhat hardcore position if men were held accountable for their part in procreation. But, they aren't, for the most part, outside of some nasty custody battles - but that's the ones that want their children (and to be fair, some women are horrible mothers). It's not a tidy formula. But, many, many men do not take responsibility and face zero consequences for this choice.
And finally, because it's so complicated, because their are no pat answers, because the stakes are so high, because people's morality is all over the map, because we can't agree, because bringing an unwanted child into the world has a seriously high cost - especially for the child, I think it boils down to the choice of the people with actual standing on the issue - the mother and father of the potential child. Everyone else needs to butt out. We can futz and compromise over how far along it can occur, but the window needs to stay open.