Dear Anti-Choice Men: Part II

Dear Anti-choice Men:

Does shouting at people change behavior? You seem to think so. You just seem to shout the same old arguments over and over and over and...

Your basic arguments seem to be that:

1. Women who have unplanned pregnancies should show more self-control. They are sluts, in other words.

2. But... but... but... abortion is killing babies, anti-choice men repeat... over & over & over...  

So, I'll try shouting and see how effective it is!

+People, DO NOT have sex before commitment!!!
+Unmarried partners, DO NOT have sex without a condom!!!
+Everyone, ALWAYS use effective birth control as directed +Use birth control ALL THE TIME EVERY TIME !!!
+MEN, I'M SHOUTING AT YOU, TOO?

Women, NEVER EVER get pregnant by mistake -- 
+even if you don't have insurance, 
+do not live anywhere near a free clinic,
+do not live near Planned Parenthood,
+cannot afford the price of the most effective contraception, 
+do not have transportation,
NEVER EVER GET PREGNANT BY MISTAKE.

Even though birth control isn't 100% effective, you must NEVER EVER GET PREGNANT BY MISTAKE.

Following the logic, poor women cannot afford to have sex!

None of this takes into account natural sexual drives and the human desire for companionship and communication.

Poor women cannot afford the best & most effective birth control and they cannot afford to have children. 

Screwed, literally & figuratively. Celibate until they win the lottery, go to med school or become the next guv - no need to get an education for that!

Now, anti-choice men, mothers and fathers have been screaming those messages to their teens for a few millennium.  But, let's try screaming anyway. I am going to shout at you! 

ABORTION IS NOT KILLING BABIES. That is YOUR belief. It is not everyone's belief. That is your religion. It is not every religion. It is a belief, not a fact. Other peoples, religions, cultures have NOT believed that a fertilized egg, a zygote, or an embryo is a baby. In other times, cultures and religions, an embryo wasn't considered "human" until it "breathed the breath of life."

WOMEN DO NOT HAVE ABORTIONS FOR CONVENIENCE!  How patronizing can you get?  Men, you have just proven that you are completely out of touch with the lives of women! Unplanned pregnancy & children can ruin the lives of families, women and couples who are already living on the margins socially, financially, emotionally. 

WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD HAVE ABORTIONS FOR SIMILAR REASONS:

Women risk their lives, all over the world, to have abortions because they would rather be dead than bring another child into their world.

Women living below the poverty level in the USA are 5 times more likely to have an abortion than women who live above the poverty level.

Women who cannot feed, clothe, house, or educate a child are more likely to have an abortion. Women who cannot care for existing children, who already have a child too close in age, who do not have support or a stable relationship are more likely to have an abortion.

And, adoption? No, far too many women just cannot even face pregnancy. Women all over the world risk death every day rather than risk pregnancy. Pregnancy is not without risk. It is not an inconvenience. It can be an overwhelming physical, emotional, intellectual experience -- even when happily anticipated. 

The very fact of a pregnancy being unplanned presents likely complications. Because of lack of awareness: no prenatal care, alcohol and drug use, continued use of dangerous medications, etc. 

SHOUTING:  THE BEST WAY TO DECREASE THE INCIDENCE OF ABORTION IS TO MAKE CONTRACEPTION & ABORTION EASY TO ACCESS AND AFFORDABLE.

Ah... the reason that I know that decreasing the incidence of abortion isn't really the goal is that the best way of doing that is to make contraception easily accessible and affordable.

The lowest abortion rates in the world are in Western Europe where abortion is legal and contraception is easily available.

So, is the shouting working?

With love in my heart!

Vivian