The Komen Foundation's decision this week to pull funding from Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings is yet another example and reminder of how the Roe v. Wade decision is not infallible. Pro "life" groups regularly take the back-door approach to put women's access to their reproductive resources in jeopardy despite the Supreme Court's ruling. Further, a few of the Supreme Court justices are to the point of retirement, meaning that the next president could appoint new justices who would have control to overturn Roe v. Wade.
All this effort on part of the right to not only try to outlaw abortion but to also limit women's access to birth control, while not wanting to put money into helping impoverished children, says to me that the right doesn't care about lives, particularly after the umbilical cord is cut. But rather, they just want to try to put women in their place and prevent them from having sex lives.
Otherwise, funding birth control and children's services would be unanimously supported.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Monday, October 10, 2011
20th Anniversary of Anita Hill's Testimony
This month is the 20th anniversary of Anita Hill's testimony against Clarence Thomas. Here is an interview with her: http://feministing.com/2011/10/08/the-feministing-five-anita-hill/
This year I had to deal with the insurance company of a man who rear-ended me and I ended up taking them to civil court for money they refused to pay, despite my having the right to it. However with some loophole, the judge ruled that they did not have to pay me the money.
The process was difficult and anxiety-provoking, and I was the victim! And because it was nowhere near as challenging as it would be for a woman in Anita Hill's situation, or a victim of rape trying to speak out against her perpetrator, I have an even greater appreciation that cannot be expressed in words for women in those types of situations.
As anxiety-provoking and frustrating as my first court experience was, so was the benefit in me being forced to think of women in similar yet exponentially more difficult circumstances.
This year I had to deal with the insurance company of a man who rear-ended me and I ended up taking them to civil court for money they refused to pay, despite my having the right to it. However with some loophole, the judge ruled that they did not have to pay me the money.
The process was difficult and anxiety-provoking, and I was the victim! And because it was nowhere near as challenging as it would be for a woman in Anita Hill's situation, or a victim of rape trying to speak out against her perpetrator, I have an even greater appreciation that cannot be expressed in words for women in those types of situations.
As anxiety-provoking and frustrating as my first court experience was, so was the benefit in me being forced to think of women in similar yet exponentially more difficult circumstances.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Remembering those who died 10 years ago today.
In this article Sam Harris posits that religious belief is the root of terrorism and that focusing only on eradicating terror does not accomplish the larger goal of a safer society: http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/september-11-2011/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SamHarris+The+End+Of+Faith%2C+by+Sam+Harris
I think that many people are motivated by power and politics and they, though not necessarily consciously, use god or religious ideas to justify their behavior. However I agree with Sam on the big picture, for fighting that began 2000 years ago due to religious differences largely explain the hate-related crimes that continue today, as exemplified by the September 11th attacks.
Religion can be a 2-edged sword. It gives so many peace and purpose. And I don't mean to minimize that at all. Further, I just see different religions as simply different ways of living that bring qualities that all humans might strive for regardless of culture, such as humility and the capacity to love and respect. At the same time, the second edge is that it can hold us back from progressing toward a more just and equitable world. I see religions as trying to explain life's big questions before science was at a point of answering those questions. After all, we used to believe the earth was flat and now we have a more accurate sense of the universal bodies.
At the same time, many still believe certain notions despite us having more scientific explanations for them. Some still believe that certain diseases come from immorality rather than lack of education on how to prevent or treat the diseases. Or that losing a home to a tragic incident such as natural disaster or accidental fire are due to god punishing the person. This then leads to agony in trying to figure out why god would do that when it is the natural chaotic process of the weather or a simple accident from which nobody is immune. Further, traditional belief has oppressed various groups of people such as women and lower castes in Hindu society. As Sam Harris so beautifully describes in his book The Moral Landscape the scientific process can get us to a moral landscape even better than traditional religious thought because it is informed by how the world works rather than a set of arbitrary axioms that may have served to keep certain people in their place. He very astutely recognizes that so much religious belief is outdated given what we now know about our physical world and yet many continue to believe without thinking critically.
If god is the answer for everything, then why do science? Scientific laws don't apply only where we want them to. If gravity applies everywhere, so does law of causality, conservation of mass and energy and law of parsimony. We need to be open to learning more about the world so that our decisions can be more informed and empowering rather than simply holding onto tradition. Then only will we achieve peace because we wouldn't be judging others simply because they are different than us.
I think that many people are motivated by power and politics and they, though not necessarily consciously, use god or religious ideas to justify their behavior. However I agree with Sam on the big picture, for fighting that began 2000 years ago due to religious differences largely explain the hate-related crimes that continue today, as exemplified by the September 11th attacks.
Religion can be a 2-edged sword. It gives so many peace and purpose. And I don't mean to minimize that at all. Further, I just see different religions as simply different ways of living that bring qualities that all humans might strive for regardless of culture, such as humility and the capacity to love and respect. At the same time, the second edge is that it can hold us back from progressing toward a more just and equitable world. I see religions as trying to explain life's big questions before science was at a point of answering those questions. After all, we used to believe the earth was flat and now we have a more accurate sense of the universal bodies.
At the same time, many still believe certain notions despite us having more scientific explanations for them. Some still believe that certain diseases come from immorality rather than lack of education on how to prevent or treat the diseases. Or that losing a home to a tragic incident such as natural disaster or accidental fire are due to god punishing the person. This then leads to agony in trying to figure out why god would do that when it is the natural chaotic process of the weather or a simple accident from which nobody is immune. Further, traditional belief has oppressed various groups of people such as women and lower castes in Hindu society. As Sam Harris so beautifully describes in his book The Moral Landscape the scientific process can get us to a moral landscape even better than traditional religious thought because it is informed by how the world works rather than a set of arbitrary axioms that may have served to keep certain people in their place. He very astutely recognizes that so much religious belief is outdated given what we now know about our physical world and yet many continue to believe without thinking critically.
If god is the answer for everything, then why do science? Scientific laws don't apply only where we want them to. If gravity applies everywhere, so does law of causality, conservation of mass and energy and law of parsimony. We need to be open to learning more about the world so that our decisions can be more informed and empowering rather than simply holding onto tradition. Then only will we achieve peace because we wouldn't be judging others simply because they are different than us.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Surrogacy in India
Now someone can pay thousands of dollars to a woman in India to be a surrogate for their child. This has been bothering me for a while. On the one hand it's a way for someone to find a surrogate who is not otherwise able to, and a woman in India gets an opportunity to improve her financial situation by providing this service. On the other hand, I see it as a way of taking advantage of the women's financial situations and willingness to do whatever they can to earn the money. These women are renting their wombs in a sense.
Another aspect of this issue that occurred to me as I was watching the story is that surrogacy in general (aside from the issue of "exporting" it to India) is another example of when abortion may be indicated. To increase chances of a successful pregnancy, the doctor injects a few embryos to help insure that one implants. There is then also the chance that more than one will implant, decreasing the safety of all those embryos in the womb. The doctor then will need to abort all but one, in order to have a healthy and safe pregnancy for the remaining one.
Dr. Patel talks about all these details and risks with the parents and woman who is to be the surrogate. Due to religious reasons one or both parties involved may tell the doctor to inject only 2, for example, because they want to minimize the risk for abortion. This is certainly a conversation between the parties and the doctor and it is important that the doctor explain all possible scenarios so that the parties involved can make a decision with which they are comfortable. And that is the point right there, that the parties involved are making the decision, not the law.
If abortion were completely outlawed, then there would be less of an opportunity for surrogacy, something that is an imporant option for those who are not able to go through pregnancy themselves. That is why I do not understand why so many folks automatically see abortion as completely bad. There are more gray areas in the world, little black or white with what is right or wrong. We have to educate ourselves on all such issues and what the ramifications would be on outlawing something or making a blanket statement that something is just outright wrong.
Another aspect of this issue that occurred to me as I was watching the story is that surrogacy in general (aside from the issue of "exporting" it to India) is another example of when abortion may be indicated. To increase chances of a successful pregnancy, the doctor injects a few embryos to help insure that one implants. There is then also the chance that more than one will implant, decreasing the safety of all those embryos in the womb. The doctor then will need to abort all but one, in order to have a healthy and safe pregnancy for the remaining one.
Dr. Patel talks about all these details and risks with the parents and woman who is to be the surrogate. Due to religious reasons one or both parties involved may tell the doctor to inject only 2, for example, because they want to minimize the risk for abortion. This is certainly a conversation between the parties and the doctor and it is important that the doctor explain all possible scenarios so that the parties involved can make a decision with which they are comfortable. And that is the point right there, that the parties involved are making the decision, not the law.
If abortion were completely outlawed, then there would be less of an opportunity for surrogacy, something that is an imporant option for those who are not able to go through pregnancy themselves. That is why I do not understand why so many folks automatically see abortion as completely bad. There are more gray areas in the world, little black or white with what is right or wrong. We have to educate ourselves on all such issues and what the ramifications would be on outlawing something or making a blanket statement that something is just outright wrong.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Cost of unintended pregnancies.
Check out this link for a study on abortion rates and an informative video:
http://feministing.com/2011/05/24/the-very-real-cost-of-unintended-pregnancies/
Here's a link to an article talking about the cost of abortions being illegal in Dubai:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/illegal-abortions-a-fatal-choice-1.834605
Here's a link to an article talking about the cost of abortions being illegal in Dubai:
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/illegal-abortions-a-fatal-choice-1.834605
Sunday, March 13, 2011
On traditional marriage, and world hunger
How super fantastic is our current president?? So fantastic that he has made examining the improvement of women's lives a priority. His administration is the first since 1963 to release a comprehensive report on the status of women, finding that heterosexual couples are "marrying later, marrying less, and for reasons other than having children. And it's making them (and their kids) happier and healthier." Here is the link to the article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/mar/09/traditional-marriage-us-report?commentpage=last
Also, a new report released by the Food and Agriculture Association states that giving women the same access as men to resources for production is the way to start to reduce world hunger: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/07/women-equality-reduce-world-hunger
Well duh. The more people who work, the more that is produced.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/mar/09/traditional-marriage-us-report?commentpage=last
Also, a new report released by the Food and Agriculture Association states that giving women the same access as men to resources for production is the way to start to reduce world hunger: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/07/women-equality-reduce-world-hunger
Well duh. The more people who work, the more that is produced.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Judgment should be directed toward the decision to *have* a child.
The last guy that I dated said something really profound that has really stuck with me. He said that given the huge amount of responsibility and work that goes into bringing a child into this world, that decision needs to be followed with more questions than the decision to not have a child. It's so true! It seems that more often, the decision to have a child is judged as a positive one and the decision to not have a child is judged to be a negative one. And the funny thing is, there really is no substantial reason to negatively judge the decision to not have kids. People usually only say, "You don't want kids? why not???" and that's it. And it's kinda like people who choose to not have kids are the most cold, kid-hating, people ever.
However, with the decision to have a child, there are real significant questions to be asked:
-Have you thought about how you're going to raise it?
-What kind of a parent do you think you'll be?
-Are you willing to have your life revolve around your kids?
-Do you think you're stable enough emotionally, financiall and mentally?
-Do you know what you believe about life, so that you know what types of values with which to raise your kids? Do you know how you'll answer some of the questions they'll ask you?
-Have you taken care of yourself enough and know what you want out of life so that you don't find yourself resenting your kids later?
-Do you want this enough to be willing to forego sleep?
-Young children need consistency, a schedule, and structure? Can you provide those?
Yet, having a child that comes out of careless sex is considered to be the responsible act, and having an abortion as the irresponsible one? Seems like it should be the other way around. And it's not like in the olden days people had kids cuz it was the moral choice. They just didn't have birth control or sex education, and needed large families to work in the fields, and as a result of that, because the infant mortality rate was higher, they needed to try to have even more kids so that they had a greater chance of being able to keep some of their children. But our modern world offers us more options so that we can make more responsible choices. And sure, there is the valid concern of the biological clock and not wanting to regret not having your own kids when it's too late. But there are a lot of potential regrets to be had, all the more reason to first reflect on what you truly want out of life and how you want to contribute to the world. Having children is not the only way to do that.
Here is a link to an interview with feminist author Beverly Guy-Sheftall, who cheerleads for women who choose to not have children and talks about how the traditional conception of family traps people: http://feministing.com/2010/11/29/beverly-guy-sheftall-calls-all-the-single-and-childless-ladies-to-the-floor/ And it seems like the respect and excitement that women get from people when they get married or have kids is not the same amount they get for choosing to contribute to the world in other ways, such as by being psychologists, doctors, or teachers, or whatever. There is so much positive energy that is provided with bridal or baby showers, but what about the 10 or 11 hard years I'll have worked to become a psychologist? I've already helped a lot of people and will continue to do good work moving forward. Eleven years is longer than many marriages have lasted, and my dissertation is certainly my baby. I don't think it's unreasonable for me to want to register for gifts when I graduate. I've been on a student income for a long time so that I can do hard, meaningful, work and have sucked it up because I believe in what I'm doing. (And I'm not materialistic.) What's wrong with asking for help to get things I've had to put off getting all these years? I could use new linen and kitchen supplies when I move into a larger place (hopefully someday) cuz I'll also have student loans to pay back. Going to grad school was my decision? Well yeah, but the decisions to get married and have kids are made of the same volition. And I know I cook a hell of a lot more than many married couples-ha! Yet they feel they need expensive silverware and china just for getting married.
I've been reflecting on my own life a lot lately, thinking about how hard I have worked and how satisying it has been. I don't know yet whether or not I want kids but I know I don't want to do it alone. So for me it's more about first finding a true life partner I can call my best friend. If I had a child earlier in life I would not have been ready. I have grown up a lot in the recent few years and am even more self-aware about the type of parent I would be. I'm so grateful I've had a chance to focus on my own healing and growth first. And recognizing my flaws will allow me to be a more cognizant and humble parent.
And if I feel ready to parent with the right partner, we could adopt; there are plenty of children who need good homes.
However, with the decision to have a child, there are real significant questions to be asked:
-Have you thought about how you're going to raise it?
-What kind of a parent do you think you'll be?
-Are you willing to have your life revolve around your kids?
-Do you think you're stable enough emotionally, financiall and mentally?
-Do you know what you believe about life, so that you know what types of values with which to raise your kids? Do you know how you'll answer some of the questions they'll ask you?
-Have you taken care of yourself enough and know what you want out of life so that you don't find yourself resenting your kids later?
-Do you want this enough to be willing to forego sleep?
-Young children need consistency, a schedule, and structure? Can you provide those?
Yet, having a child that comes out of careless sex is considered to be the responsible act, and having an abortion as the irresponsible one? Seems like it should be the other way around. And it's not like in the olden days people had kids cuz it was the moral choice. They just didn't have birth control or sex education, and needed large families to work in the fields, and as a result of that, because the infant mortality rate was higher, they needed to try to have even more kids so that they had a greater chance of being able to keep some of their children. But our modern world offers us more options so that we can make more responsible choices. And sure, there is the valid concern of the biological clock and not wanting to regret not having your own kids when it's too late. But there are a lot of potential regrets to be had, all the more reason to first reflect on what you truly want out of life and how you want to contribute to the world. Having children is not the only way to do that.
Here is a link to an interview with feminist author Beverly Guy-Sheftall, who cheerleads for women who choose to not have children and talks about how the traditional conception of family traps people: http://feministing.com/2010/11/29/beverly-guy-sheftall-calls-all-the-single-and-childless-ladies-to-the-floor/ And it seems like the respect and excitement that women get from people when they get married or have kids is not the same amount they get for choosing to contribute to the world in other ways, such as by being psychologists, doctors, or teachers, or whatever. There is so much positive energy that is provided with bridal or baby showers, but what about the 10 or 11 hard years I'll have worked to become a psychologist? I've already helped a lot of people and will continue to do good work moving forward. Eleven years is longer than many marriages have lasted, and my dissertation is certainly my baby. I don't think it's unreasonable for me to want to register for gifts when I graduate. I've been on a student income for a long time so that I can do hard, meaningful, work and have sucked it up because I believe in what I'm doing. (And I'm not materialistic.) What's wrong with asking for help to get things I've had to put off getting all these years? I could use new linen and kitchen supplies when I move into a larger place (hopefully someday) cuz I'll also have student loans to pay back. Going to grad school was my decision? Well yeah, but the decisions to get married and have kids are made of the same volition. And I know I cook a hell of a lot more than many married couples-ha! Yet they feel they need expensive silverware and china just for getting married.
I've been reflecting on my own life a lot lately, thinking about how hard I have worked and how satisying it has been. I don't know yet whether or not I want kids but I know I don't want to do it alone. So for me it's more about first finding a true life partner I can call my best friend. If I had a child earlier in life I would not have been ready. I have grown up a lot in the recent few years and am even more self-aware about the type of parent I would be. I'm so grateful I've had a chance to focus on my own healing and growth first. And recognizing my flaws will allow me to be a more cognizant and humble parent.
And if I feel ready to parent with the right partner, we could adopt; there are plenty of children who need good homes.
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