Muscio and Arcana's articles were a little different than Crews, but very similar to one another. These articles discussed the importance of having a support system, a "women's circle" to make abortion more bearable for those going through it. These authors are concerned with women's health, and emotional and mental well-being before and after abortions. In particular, Arcana thinks that abortion should not be something that we go through alone, rather, something we can talk about without feeling guilty and ashamed.
I think the underlying theme in Crews, Muscio and Arcana is that women have a choice. They should not feel forced to be ashamed of the choices they make; they shouldn't feel guilty, or told that they made the wrong choice. The beauty of the pro-choice movement is that it makes the birthing process about "motherhood" like Arcana describes. It's not just about aborting or not aborting a fetus. This choice has to do with all aspects of motherhood, from the moment a child is conceived, what choice is made to do with the child, how it is born, who raises the child, how it is raised. Pro-choice doesn't begin or end with the question of: Should I terminate my pregnancy? No, pro-choice is something we as women have the right to live day in and day out, in embracing our sexuality, acting in whichever way we choose, having sex with who we choose to have sex with, and everything thereafter. So yes, abortion is an issue, a very heavy issue, but it's not the only issue when we're talking about "being pro-choice." Pro-choice is a lifestyle, it's not just something we say when we talk about abortion.
I think Lisa does a very good job explaining how pro-choice is definitely more of a lifestyle than a behavior associated with just abortion. I agree that pro-choice allows women to take control of their own lives and make their own decisions based on the well-being of their own lives and the lives of their children. However, I think with pro-choice comes the idea of responsibility -- not only with women and their responsibility as mothers, but the responsibility of any decision for both men and women in general. Arcana explains in her article that choosing to abort a child is much like choosing to send the child to one school or another. While I do think this comparison may be a little questionable, considering that the school a child attends is not as serious as whether or not the child lives, the underlying point of such a comparison is that choosing to abort a child is a decision that should be left to the mother. However, like any other decision, there comes a certain responsibility with choosing to abort a child, and becoming pregnant in the first place. What Arcana does not mention is the decisions we as women take to prepare ourselves for situations like pregnancy. Arcana states that every woman who chooses to abort is justified in her decision, yet is a young girl having casual and unprotected sex who gets pregnant and has an abortion justified? I think this scenario is much different than a woman who was having safe sex and still got pregnant, or a woman who became pregnant as a consequence of rape. Thus, my point here is that while the choice to abort a child should be left up to the mother, I think there needs to be more of a focus on the decisions the woman makes prior to facing the choice of abortion and the responsibility attached to her decisions.
ReplyDeleteHowever once a woman becomes pregnant, then it is a different story. As both Arcana and Muscio point out, in some cases, abortion is the best choice for the well-being of the mother and the child in the sense that the mother may not be fit to give the child a safe and suitable life -- although I do think giving the child up for adoption is a better and more self-less choice than abortion but that's a whole other story. Based on Muscio's own personal experience, she was not ready to be a mother and through self-exploration and a personal discovery she was able to find a power within to "heal" her own situation. Thus once a woman does become pregnant, then they must make the proper decision for themselves and their baby as to whether or not abort the child. However, with the responsibilities that come along with pro-choice and the freedom to make one's own decisions, I think there also should be a focus on the decisions a woman makes before finding herself in a situation where abortion may be her only option.
I think both articles in LU were very raw and real because they were true stories involving two very different situations regarding pro-choice. However their different outcomes are still very stereotypical of the atmosphere they are in. Muscio is very much alone, despite having a boyfriend, reading the story you can see she has little funds, and no evident family or support system in place. With Crews, she was raised in the atmosphere that was pro-chioce, and although she describes the pressure she was under, the fact is she was expected to have the baby.
ReplyDeleteI have to say, i particularly liked Crews closing paragrapgh about what pro-choice means. What rights we have as women.... but I also think some of her examples would really put a bee in some peoples bonnets, like brownmiller and steinhem. The idea of staying home, putting our career on hold etc almost contradict what the second wave feminists have always declared as degrading and bad.
I have to agree with lisa that Pro-choice is not just talking about using in brief flashes of our lives, its about living and believing in your choices, and following what you feel is right. To me, that is feminism, following what makes you happy, healthy and loving what keeps you true to you.
I definitely agree with Jessi on her point about a woman’s decisions prior to having an abortion. I liked her point about different situations regarding justifying abortions. Personally, I think that abortion should solely be used in circumstances where the mother cannot provide for her child- whether she is too young to provide a stable environment, not financially stable to provide for her child, or in unfortunate circumstances, if the woman was raped and does not, and understandably, cannot give birth to that child. I guess my opinions on abortions affected my perception of Musico’s article in Listen Up. I had some difficulty understanding how a woman who had three abortions could be against them. More so, I had difficulty getting past her use of abortions. Although she describes her experiences with abortion with great honesty, I thought that she was very casual in her decisions to get an abortion.
ReplyDeleteI liked Crews’ article and one of her points resonated with me. I liked her ideas about pro-choice and definitely agree with her idea that women should have the right to make a decision about abortion “without being harassed and intimidated.” Once a woman makes the decision to have an abortion she shouldn’t have the pressure of protesters and the like harassing her outside of a clinic. I realize my opinions might sounds a bit contradictory, but I suppose its because the issue of abortion is so complicated. It all comes down to the fact that, like Arcana stated, “abortion is a motherhood issue.” Deciding on whether or not to have an abortion is a woman’s first decision as a mother because her decision ultimately involves two people.