I’ve been reading a lot about Barack Obama lately and trying to see what this guy is all about. I have to say, the man impresses me! His disposition alone really makes an impression and having spent three years getting a bird’s eye view of politics, I’m interested to see what’s going to unfold in the coming months.
Some friends and I were discussing Obama’s views on abortion recently and found ourselves in the midst of a very interesting debate; Obama appears to be a very Christian man and all the while, he supports the right to choose. This didn’t sit well with many of my friends! Personally, I try to steer clear of this topic because frankly, my own opinion doesn’t sit well with most of my friends either and I do what I can to keep a fair distance between me and the firing squad whenever possible! I guess my issue is that abortion tends to be defined, and judged, as any intentional termination of a pregnancy, regardless of the circumstances. This covers a very broad spectrum of motives; from the teenage girl using abortion as a means of birth control to the woman who, for medical reasons, must choose between her own life and that of her unborn child. It’s a very fine line and there is, in my humble opinion, a great distance between each end.
The debate took a very interesting twist though when we realized that the group discussing the topic was mostly made up of men…a gender that would never and could never experience the result of such decision making in the same capacity as their female counterparts. The question quickly came up about whether or not this should entitle men to the same degree of influence regarding this topic as they would have in matters such as the economy or education? Some men felt that by no means should they have any say at all when it comes to the issue while others strongly felt that men were the only ones who could provide a voice of reason to an otherwise emotionally charged topic.
Personally, I had never given it much thought. I still spend a lot of time just trying to figure out my own feelings regarding the matter nonetheless how much input others should have. Yes, it’s true that a man can never be privy to the physical and emotional experience of being pregnant and in turn, can never experience the grueling agony of having to make such a decision but, on the other hand, there is still a piece of them in that life…in those choices…in the consequences that remain.
And so I’m left baffled at the questions that my friends have managed to stir up and feel compelled to put it out there in the universe to stir things up some more!
So, any thoughts…??
Some friends and I were discussing Obama’s views on abortion recently and found ourselves in the midst of a very interesting debate; Obama appears to be a very Christian man and all the while, he supports the right to choose. This didn’t sit well with many of my friends! Personally, I try to steer clear of this topic because frankly, my own opinion doesn’t sit well with most of my friends either and I do what I can to keep a fair distance between me and the firing squad whenever possible! I guess my issue is that abortion tends to be defined, and judged, as any intentional termination of a pregnancy, regardless of the circumstances. This covers a very broad spectrum of motives; from the teenage girl using abortion as a means of birth control to the woman who, for medical reasons, must choose between her own life and that of her unborn child. It’s a very fine line and there is, in my humble opinion, a great distance between each end.
The debate took a very interesting twist though when we realized that the group discussing the topic was mostly made up of men…a gender that would never and could never experience the result of such decision making in the same capacity as their female counterparts. The question quickly came up about whether or not this should entitle men to the same degree of influence regarding this topic as they would have in matters such as the economy or education? Some men felt that by no means should they have any say at all when it comes to the issue while others strongly felt that men were the only ones who could provide a voice of reason to an otherwise emotionally charged topic.
Personally, I had never given it much thought. I still spend a lot of time just trying to figure out my own feelings regarding the matter nonetheless how much input others should have. Yes, it’s true that a man can never be privy to the physical and emotional experience of being pregnant and in turn, can never experience the grueling agony of having to make such a decision but, on the other hand, there is still a piece of them in that life…in those choices…in the consequences that remain.
And so I’m left baffled at the questions that my friends have managed to stir up and feel compelled to put it out there in the universe to stir things up some more!
So, any thoughts…??
4 comments:
Hmmm...no thoughts thus far! I'm disappointed!! Mostly because I know that it's on the tip of everyone's tongue!!
Spill it!!
I do not beleieve in abortion. I have seen a fetus in the early stages and was amazed at the heart beating, the human form that was present. I could not help wonder if this little human - and yes it was and is a human- was going to be the next famous composer or the next premier of Ontario or the next Bill Gates.
There but for the grace of God could be any one of us, who are aborted every day.
And yes I feel men can have just as many feelings as women when it comes to pregnancy. Yes I know they can never feel the wonder of a child growing in their body but yet it is a part of them.
I get so angry when a single women finds out she is pregnant after she had unprotected sex and then decides to have an abortion without telling her partner she is pregnant. It takes two!!!! And two should make any and all decisions. So now I spilled it!!!!
I once read that there are no illegitimate children...only illegitimate parents. This completely changed the way that I viewed bringing children into this world!
Thanks for coming by Kate (and thanks for spilling it!!!)!
I am someone who believes in pro-choice. I know it is not a belief that a lot of people have, my family included, but I believe that everyone has the right to make their own decisions and will have to live with those decisions forever.
That being said, I would not choose abortion for myself. I have always wanted to be a mother, so having an abortion is not something that I could ever live with. I do understand, that for some people, abortion feels like the only choice. Sometimes, the father is no longer a part of a person's life. I have a very close friend who, as soon as she told the father she was pregnant, he took off. He changed his phone #, changed all of his email addresses etc. So, it isn't always as easy as saying it took two to tango so it takes two to nake the decision.
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