Friday, March 16, 2012

White men can't jump (or have children).


So I've been sitting on this topic for a while, just letting it heat up to boiling point. I've debated getting into the use of women's rights as a political tactic because it is very difficult to make a strong argument for women as a woman, in that hypocritical patriarchical way our country identifies with, but it's something that calls for defense regardless. It's particularly difficult to be female defending females, because society and media has made damn sure that women hating women is what men are most comfortable with. But here we are, front and center again so if anyone wants to call it a feminist rant or blame my hormones, you can come say it to my face.

Where to even begin. So it's come to my (and the entire northern hemisphere's) attention that abortion and contraceptive use is what's wrong with this country. Here is my abridged list of what I consider to actually be wrong with this country, in light of this political atmosphere:


1. Rush Limbaugh. Attacking a private citizen about her sex life is pretty 90's, bro. Not to mention ethically abhorrent, because if you can reduce an educated woman who is exercising free speech to make a case for contraceptive coverage to a prostitute, I wonder how loosely we can use that definition in the future. Birth control has many purposes, not all of which are about having sex. There are plenty of health related reasons women use contraceptives, reasons Rush Limbaugh is happy to ignore in order to call women who use birth control sluts and tell them that he wants to watch their sex tapes. Both creepy and ignorant. You should do that bit at your birthday party. Invite all of your sponsors they'll love it.

2. The fact that we are discussing abortion. STILL. How often is a progressive move like legalizing abortion overturned? Where is the logic decades after Roe v. Wade, as we move forward generationally and as a culture that we would choose to suddenly regress into some kind of puritanical society where women are forced to have a child nomatter how it was conceived? This is like some bizarre dystopian nightmare. I have no idea why it's okay for grown men to cover their ears and try to scream over the reality of rape, incest and broken condoms. I'd say generally when push comes to shove a broken condom is going to present a stronger argument than God when it comes to the decidision to have a child. Wrapping this issue up in the misinformed, stifling blanket of pro-life doesn't change the reality that it is anti-choice. Not taking into account that there is a certain psychological trauma that is inherent in having a child of rape or incest, and that this child that you're so graciously forcing all precious life upon even though nobody asked you, old white men, to do that, this child may end up living a life fraught with resentment and confusion because you have forced an identity on another human being that they did not ask for.

So thanks again, privilaged white men I'm sure have thoroughly googled this and know exactly what it must feel like to be forced to have a child. Puritan America really was the golden age.
Oh and make sure to really hammer home your future points about people abusing the welfare system when we're dealing with over population. Be sure all the teenage moms and low-income mothers who had their rapists babies aren't trying to pull a fast one on the rest of privilaged America.

3. Arguing that Americans are paying for abortions and for contraceptives. Hey reality called it wants it's overwhelming social cost of unexpected pregnancy back.

4. Rick Santorum is a self-righteous jackass.


There are hundreds more points I can make about this country but I am trying not to dissolve this into a cantakerous survey or a forum to preach. Believing in God or being 'pro-life' for yourself is not the problem, the suggestion that believing in God makes you worthy of making everyone else's decisions for them is the problem. This issue has become especially potent because I consider it to be condescending, regressive and a waste of everybody's time.


No comments:

Post a Comment