The Den of Debauchery's Subannex

I try not to talk abortion in this space. My views have changed. I used to fall into the "Women are stupid AND evil" camp of pro-lifer. (Most pro-life people fall into "women are evil ogresses" or "women are too stupid to make their own decisions" camps in my experience) Now, I believe everyone gets a chance to be born, many times, and that early abortion is akin to soul-recycling rather than murder. (and late-term is done only in cases incompatible with life) Others believe differently and I no longer have a dog in the fight.

But these days, the debate isn't just abortion, it's birth control too!
We have a man running for president who openly states he wants to overturn Griswold.

REALITY!
You're supposed to be less evil than my dystopias!

I'm a birth control militant. I was the mom that had condoms, that gave advice, that got called when the extra kids got pregnant (sometimes before their own moms got called). I believe in a good solid Malthusian drill, and that every woman is resposnsible for her own fertility.

Amanda at Pandagon talks about why we're seeing more attacks:
http://pandagon.net/index.php/site/comments/the-anti-choice-fight-for-dog-women and Rh reality check: http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/01/22/39-years-after-roe-women-are-losing-independence

Our mothers fought for us to control our own bodies, to control our own lives. Not to be Mrs Husband's First Name Last Name. And we have dropped the ball. We accepted the idea that being feminist means hating men, being fat, unwashed and hairy, ugly and shrill.

Most of all, we accepted the idea that the man we were having sex with has a say over our bodies. Some of us came to this from religion, submitted wives, quiverfull and all that got started in the 80s.

Now, my daughter is a firm believer in "bros before hos" and that she will be on her own for everything, that she shouldn't ask for anything from her man, because it's all his. Including her.

I am depressed.

And the whole Personhood Amendment thing gets me even more. Seriously, they are talking jail time for miscarriages! Most women have a miscarriage at some point. And execution for abortions. 40% of women have abortions. Think about that: These men want to execute 40% of women, or 20% of the population of the country! Over morality! (FYI, that's 60 million people)

I know the amendment failed in Mississippi and Georgia. But they keep trying, next time is Oklahoma.


From Feministe
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2012/01/24/fun-facts-on-abortion/

Interesting that abortions are lower where it is legal, safe and accessible.


Can we NOT use The Handmaid's Tale as a blueprint for society?

My younger sister (the one who is not jlm121) has a cold.

This means, she takes lots of chemicals, goes to work, goes to school, gets her kids around and manages some housework. When it goes into bronchitis, she goes to the doctor on her day off and gets an antibiotic. And, on her way home from the doc, stops off at Kinkos and picks up some printing I sent her.

This is where I'm on the phone with her. And she said, "If this were my husband, he'd take a day off to recover and be under my feet all day. Why are men such whiny babies?"

The question was something my mother or grandmother or the women I grew up around would have asked. It was the perpetual lament of women pressed into service by men who were old enough to wait on themselves but just didn't feel good.

So, I found myself explaining male privilege and doing a lousy job of it.

Later in the week, Mudd had a temper-tantrum. I got it by phone, since I wasn't home to deal with the situation. The man does not cope when a plan gets altered by forces outside his control. So naturally, he yells and swears a lot and looks for me to make it better.

And I realized how endemic it is.

At this point, I'm wondering why I'm still heterosexual. Because to me, manhater=returning the favor.