BlogHer - Letting Our Voices Be Heard - Taking Action On Issues Facing Women Today - Comments

Thank you Jim for your service to our country.

Catherine Morgan — Wed, 23 May 2007 11:57:55 -0500

Thank you for your service to our country, and for your viewpoint on this issue. I agree 100%. Our country is about freedom, equality, and choice...it is a slippery slope if we allow one group of people to put limitations on the freedoms of half the population of our country.

Thank you for your comment.

Catherine Morgan
Women 4 Hope and Be The Change You Want To See In Yourself

One viewpoint

heivilinj — Wed, 23 May 2007 10:35:46 -0500

I spent 13 years of my life in military service protecting people's right to have opinions and attitudes and to live their lives based on those beliefs. I consider it time well spent for the most part.

However I resist the efforts of any group of those people I spent my youth protecting to force their opinions and beliefs on any other group of people.

Jim Heivilin

A women's right to choose needs to be protected.

Catherine Morgan — Tue, 22 May 2007 17:23:34 -0500

Women like you should be held up as heroes. What you (and others) did for the advancement of women's rights is heroic. The thought that there are others who would fight to take these rights away from us, is very troubling to me.

Suzzane Reisman says it well in her post today, "Do the Ends Justify the Means?"

It is my belief that a women's right to choose needs to be protected.

Catherine Morgan
Women 4 Hope and Be The Change You Want To See In Yourself

Thank you Frances Ellen

Denise — Tue, 22 May 2007 17:07:19 -0500

Thanks for taking a stand - for us all.

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

Like I said...

Catherine Morgan — Tue, 22 May 2007 16:16:12 -0500

Like I said...My intention was not to turn this post into a debate on abortion. I also said...

However, even though I am relatively sure this will be in vain, I will attempt to address some of the issues in your comment.

As I imagined would be the case, my response was in vain.

In an attempt to clarify one thing...

Is it immoral to take another's life? I think it is. If that makes me judgmental, I accept that. But your very statement above shows you're judging me right back and that is your right. I accept that.

It is my "observation" that you are being judgmental of people that don't hold to the same belief as you. This is not me making a judgment on you, just an observation of what you have already stated is true about yourself.

It seems it is your contention that no availability to birth-control would bring down the abortion rate? I'm not sure I see the logic in this theory.

Isn't that a bit ironic? Birth control has done little if anything to solve the abortion problem in America.

Also, I would beg to differ...

Our society is more than willing to abort. It's so much easier (cruel, but easier) to just end a pregnancy rather than be responsible for our actions.

I am relatively certain that "most" women would say that the choice of abortion was not an easy one. As I mentioned earlier - Since you have not walked in the shoes of these women (their financial, medical, emotional, and physical shoes), judging their actions is really beyond your scope of knowledge and understanding.

Aside from that; Your above statistics only clarify and confirm the need for women to be given more reproductive options (such as education, birth-control, and emergency birth control), not less.

And, as long as you are compelling me to continue on this soap-box, let me also ask about the lack of "outrage" over the destruction of embryos from in-vitro fertilization.

Please see: This is a one minute video of what happens to a frozen embryo instead of being used for medical research. This is a perfect example of how our government and the "pro-life" movement is protecting "life".

Seems an unorthodox way to protect life...but who am I to judge?

Catherine Morgan
Women 4 Hope and Be The Change You Want To See In Yourself

Every woman has the right to choose

Frances Ellen — Tue, 22 May 2007 15:35:56 -0500

I am a 63 year old woman and I worked hard to see that women have a right to choose. I had doors slammed in my face and I've been spit upon by people who did not understand the word "choose," but the end result was women were given the right to choose.
A right to choose means just that--Choose. It doesn't mean I have the right to choose for my neighbor, or that my neighbor has the right to choose for me. Choose means no woman can be forced to do something she doesn't want to do.

It wasn't my intention to

Dana J. Tuszke — Tue, 22 May 2007 14:07:37 -0500

It wasn't my intention to make your post an abortion debate either, but it the impression you give is that reproductive rights and abortion rights are the same. They aren't. I felt this was very misleading.

Your example of a population crisis is something I don't think we'll ever see. Especially when so many women have abortions every year. And even if abortion were illegal, a population crisis can only be prevented if people abstain from sex. I don't see that happening either. Our government would never pass a law forcing women to abort and if that ever passed, then God help us all.

Planned Parenthood lists on their website that the #1 way to prevent abortion is to "Make contraception (birth control) more easily available."

However, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood's own research organization tells us that 54% of all abortions happen despite contraception use. Only 8% of women having abortions have never used birth control, and 90% of the women most likely to have an abortion are on birth control.

Isn't that a bit ironic? Birth control has done little if anything to solve the abortion problem in America.

I wasn't very clear on my statement about personal responsiblity and I apologize for my hot-headed comment.

Just using birth control is not enough. Our society is more than willing to abort. It's so much easier (cruel, but easier) to just end a pregnancy rather than be responsible for our actions. I don't think abortion makes women stronger. I don't find it very empowering or liberating. It seems like the very opposite.

If that makes me the hated one, I have to come to terms with that. I've learned to accept that I'm going to be disliked by my opponents on this matter.

What is morally wrong in my mind...is when people make judgments on other people's behaviors or choices, having not walked in that person's shoes. We each have moral responsibility over ourselves, and no other person should force their personal morals onto another.

Is it immoral to take another's life? I think it is. If that makes me judgmental, I accept that. But your very statement above shows you're judging me right back and that is your right. I accept that.

It was clear to me...

Catherine Morgan — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:34:32 -0500

Hi Nelle -- It was clear to me, and I agree 100%.

Thanks.

Catherine Morgan
Women 4 Hope and Be The Change You Want To See In Yourself

Thank you...

nelle2nelle — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:32:00 -0500

To be clear, if my post left this unclear, I am decidedly pro-choice, and cited those figures as they indicate women do move quickly in dealing with unwanted pregnancy.

Given that those who are for tighter controls on choice seek a reduction in abortion, those things can have significant impact without restricting rights. Moreover, they should be something both sides can agree to.

nelle

Thanks Denise

Catherine Morgan — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:31:22 -0500

Thanks.

Catherine Morgan
Women 4 Hope and Be The Change You Want To See In Yourself

I agree...

Catherine Morgan — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:28:27 -0500

Hi Nelle -- I agree that addressing the issues prior to or immediately after an unwanted pregnancy would be the best way to reduce the need for abortion.

Thank you for the interjection.

Catherine Morgan
Women 4 Hope and Be The Change You Want To See In Yourself

Very nicely done, Catherine

Denise — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:25:20 -0500

VERY nicely done.

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

A quick interjection...

nelle2nelle — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:03:55 -0500

According do Guttmacher, 89% of abortion is in the first trimester. There are about 11,000 d & x later term procedures, pretty much exclusively for health reasons... that equates to 8 in 1,000.

Best way to reduce abortion is through universal health care, comprehensive sex ed, and widely available and cheap contraception. Better to deal with thing either before or immediately thereafter than progress to medical intervention.

Anyway, thought that might be worth pondering.

nelle

I did not intended this post to ignite a debate on abortion...

Catherine Morgan — Mon, 21 May 2007 18:47:35 -0500

Hi Dana -- Let me just say that I did not intend for this post to ignite a big debate over abortion rights. The purpose of the post was to make women aware that there are ways they can find out about issues that may be important to them, and how they can have their voices heard on these issues. If you go to the NOW site you will see that this is about much more than abortion rights, you can choose to support or not support what ever issue is important to you. I don't want to take away that important aspect of this post.

However, even though I am relatively sure this will be in vain, I will attempt to address some of the issues in your comment.

I can think of other alternatives. One of them being personal responsibility. If every person was as responsible for their actions, particularly in this case, sex, I truly believe there would be fewer unwanted pregnancies which is the number one reason women have abortions.

There is just so much wrong with this statement that I don't even know where to begin. So, I'll just point out one thing. Even while "taking responsibility" (ie. using birth-control) women will and do still get pregnant. Unless you sterilize everyone who is sexually active, there is going to be unwanted pregnancies. And some of those women will feel that the way for them to "take responsibility" is to terminate their pregnancy. These women are not "immoral" or "godless"...they are just women who believe differently than you.

America is the great country it is because of our differences, and our acceptance of our differences. One group of people can not have the right to dictate the morality of the entire country. It would be no different than forcing a particular religion on the entire country. We have freedom of religion in this country, and we have the choice to make reproductive decisions without interference from our government in this country, and this should not change.

Anyone who believes abortion is wrong, has the right to believe so, and by all means should not be forced to have an abortion. What is morally wrong in my mind...is when people make judgments on other people's behaviors or choices, having not walked in that person's shoes. We each have moral responsibility over ourselves, and no other person should force their personal morals onto another.

This is something that takes more than just understanding. It will take a miracle for me to "understand" the choice to destroy life. Each and everyone one of us started as embryos or "a bunch of cells" as some people refer to it. The only difference is that some of "these cells" were wanted and were born.

Contrary to what you may believe, your "understanding" of the issue of "choice" is not necessary. There are many things in life we will never understand, that is just part of life. The only thing that is necessary, is your decision to make moral judgments for yourself and not for others.

Your comment also suggests to me that you believe that any pregnancy that ends in a birth is a "wanted" child. I would be willing to bet that there are several times more unwanted children in the world than there are abortions. Millions of children are being abused, are homeless, and hungry. In fact this is an issue that could really use some of the attention that is now being given to the issue of abortion. Another important issue regarding "life"...is the issue of stem cells being tossed in the trash, when they could be used for the advancement of medical research.

I hope you understand that I respect your beliefs, and I respect you. But the issue of abortion, has become a political wedge issue that only serves to divide this country further, and divert attention away from "real" political issues. I mean no disrespect by this, only that reproductive rights should have no place in politics.

Just food for thought...

One hundred years from now when there is a population crisis in our country, would it be o.k. for the government to force women to have abortions? It seems that would depend on whether or not the government had political power over a women's reproductive rights.

Catherine Morgan
Women 4 Hope and Be The Change You Want To See In Yourself

When you say you wish

Dana J. Tuszke — Mon, 21 May 2007 16:30:00 -0500

When you say you wish abortion wasn't necessary, do you really mean that? I am sorry to second guess your statement. I don't believe abortion is necessary. Aside form mothers in danger medically-speaking, which is not something that occurs as often as we're led to believe.

I can think of other alternatives. One of them being personal responsibility. If every person was as responsible for their actions, particularly in this case, sex, I truly believe there would be fewer unwanted pregnancies which is the number one reason women have abortions.

And women are not the only ones who need to be held accountable for their actions, men need to be responsible, too.

I understand that it's easier said than done, but I can do it.

I made the choices in my life that led me to where I am today. I'm responsible for my choices and actions. It's amazing that many people are so quick to shrug off the "choice" to abort. Where are our morals? How can society think it is not morally wrong to elect abortion?

This is something that takes more than just understanding. It will take a miracle for me to "understand" the choice to destroy life. Each and everyone one of us started as embryos or "a bunch of cells" as some people refer to it. The only difference is that some of "these cells" were wanted and were born. I'm sad that others aren't so lucky.

Dana from The Dana Files.

Letting Our Voices Be Heard - Taking Action On Issues Facing Women Today

Catherine Morgan — Mon, 21 May 2007 10:15:26 -0500

I think one of the best things about the age of the Internet, is how easy it is for us to make a difference when it comes to issues in politics. Contacting our state representatives, signing petitions, and having our voices heard has never been easier than it is NOW.

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is helping women Take Action on important political issues. It's as easy as point and click.

Let me tell you a little about some of the issues facing women today, that need your attention and action.

This week Representative Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) will be re-introducing legislation that would make womenâ€™s health issues a priority at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She needs you to tell your Representative to co-sponsor her legislation. - Contact Congress Now

Ask Your Representative to Co-Sponsor the FDA Scientific Fairness for Women Act - and Demand Accountability for Women's Health at the FDA.

Take a minute to urge your representative to co-sponsor this important legislation, the FDA Scientific Fairness for Women Act.

Because Congress is facing many issues at the moment, a quick phone call would be especially helpful in bringing this bill to your House member's attention. -- find out more

You can also take action on Abortion Rights and Reproductive Issues

NOW affirms that reproductive rights are issues of life and death for women, not mere matters of choice. NOW fully supports access to safe and legal abortion, to effective birth control and emergency contraception, to reproductive health services and education for all women. We oppose attempts to restrict these rights through legislation, regulation or Constitutional amendment.

Also See: The supreme Court Abortion Decision - by Ronnie Bennett

and Back Up Your Birth Control - by Denise

The Bush record on reproductive rights.

The Supreme Court Decision in Bush v. Gore appointed George W. Bush to the presidency of the United States on January 20, 2001. Since then the Bush administration has quietly, but relentlessly, done all it could to reverse nearly 30 years of progress in women's rightsâ€”especially reproductive freedoms.

Advance Women's Reproductive Health NOW - Write To Your Senators

The content of the Prevention First bills focuses on consumer education about, and providing access to, contraception, family planning services and compassionate treatment for rape survivors. It promotes: reducing teen pregnancy; providing medically accurate information; ending insurance discrimination against women; and awareness about emergency contraception (also called EC or the "morning-after pill)." The goal is to provide scientifically correct information and health care coverage and services to girls and women in order to help them prevent unwanted and unintended pregnancies and reduce the spread of sexually transmitted, often life-threatening, diseases.

These are just some of the ways you can make a difference in issues facing women today. You can find many more issues and many more ways to help at the NOW Key Issues page. So, find your voice, and find an issue that is important to you...and Take Action.

Violence Against Women is another very important issue.

Also See: Post on Domestic Violence - by Nordette

How a pair of lovers gets to this point in a relationship isn't always clear, but I thought that this might be a good time to post signs of a spouse escalating toward physical violence. Many times it doesn't happen out of the blue, especially when it happens between pairs that seem like the perfect match.

I hope this post will encourage women to seize their power, and take action. If you are a women that already takes action, please leave a comment and let us know how it makes you feel, and if you think it makes a difference.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
also at Women 4 Hope and CatherineBlogs.com