Comments on: “Men” and “mankind” apparently not being defined to include “ambulatory wombs.”

By: Tehcrim

Tehcrim — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:35:52 +0000

This looks like a thinly veiled attempt at creating a discussion about abortion. “Woman’s right over her body” etc. I’ll admit that I’m pro-life (as an atheist even, woah what??), so since I’m doubting anyone will want to hear any opinion of that, I’ll re-state the point that’s been made a few times already: Choices bring consequences.

I’m a man, so I’m not even going to pretend that I know what women are going through when they make the choices they do, but has anyone considered the feminist ideal as the cause of the critical judgements of choices? Because, being as close to an average person as I can imagine, I’ve got quite a few judgemental thoughts on several of those scenarios, but others are either workable or exceptional. In either case, unless there’s a child in a bad situation, I’ll leave the woman to her devices unless they ask my opinion.

The point of that is, who’s doing the real criticizing? I’m thinking that it’s mostly other women who made a different choice. Or powerful people on soapboxes, but who really takes them seriously nowadays anyway?

Oh, one other thing: Buy a hummer, commie!

By: Ted Fergusun

Ted Fergusun — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:02:45 +0000

Oh, can it and go bake me a pie, woman.

By: Cliff

Cliff — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:45:58 +0000

Another way to look at this is that you are criticized because you have been given choice. In the restrictive societies you mention, there is not admonishment of the woman, but other cultures do criticize the men who are in control. So we in the west constantly criticize muslim men who head restrictive societies for the way they treat their women, because those men are the ones who make the decisions, who have the choice.

In other words, with choice comes criticism.

Not that I agree with the criticism.

By: Snark Scribe

Snark Scribe — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:48:48 +0000

I was directed here through the blog carnival, and I’d like to say this is a wonderful post.

By: Elena

Elena — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:56:23 +0000

You left out this one:
You’re married, get pregnant, and manage to figure out a way to do paid work from home while caring for your baby.
Slacker! You aren’t devoting enough time and energy to your job or your child!

By: violet

violet — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:03:29 +0000

Why, in a country purportedly founded upon the rights of the individual to choose any number of things–why we have created a situation where doing so is overwhelmingly disapproved of, a situation where the only fix in terms of general societal approval would be to remove entirely that right..?

Because, I think, we don’t genuinely value true individual expression and choice—we value the authority that comes from asserting that it’s fundamental to our society.

Hmm… that may actually warrant a bit more when I get a chance.

By: Esme

Esme — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:38:25 +0000

Getting permanently sterilized is even harder. No matter what, though, women’s reproductive choices are seen as a fit realm for government control, from preventing conception through birth control pills, sterilization, or EC. Abortion is regulated to the point where it’s impossible for many women to get them, and the more LIBERAL of our candidates is saying that he doesn’t trust women not to get third trimester abortions when “feeling blue.” Even birth is a highly political issue (one that has been routinely discussed on this blog, I might add), ranging from condemnation of C-sections, to government restrictions on home birth.

By: og

og — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:22:27 +0000

sorry to double post:

i read esme’s comment now, thanks. if it’s about the legal situation in the way she described, then it makes sense to me and i agree. i didn’t know about legal difficulties in getting (temporarily) sterilized or contraception.

By: Lisa Kansas

Lisa Kansas — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:16:19 +0000

Seriously, read Esme’s comments. It explains well the difference. If you have counterarguments to that, I’d be more than happy to debate them with you, but simply restating your original comment only allows me to restate my original response to it.

By: og

og — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:06:17 +0000

thene: actually i didn’t say that women wanted to be loved by everyone. i said that about whoever thinks this article is totally true. because only if you need everyone with your choice, do you not see, that for every given choice (1. to 8. above) some groups of people will criticize you, but others will be fine with it.

my point: that is the case with almost any choice you make.

so applying the original argument leads to: people don’t want people to make choices.