Choice...
There are so many different facets to the word. What I think of when I hear the word choice is women and thier lack of choice with issues pertaining to thier bodies. As we have learned in class and through the readings there are very little choice when it comes to pregnany, birthing, and the raising of a child. Due to the medicalaztion of womens bodies, and the public nature in which pregnancy in general is framed, women have very little choice in matters dealing with thier own bodies.
Our need to police other people's actions and bodies in problematic, and in my opinion, is a systamatic way to take choice away from wome. Why you ask me? When we take reproductive choice away from people, women are disproportionatly affected. Thier bodies are directly involved, yet their bodies are completely removed. When choice is taken away from ways to parent, when we begin to ascribe a value system to parenting, we disproportionalty disadvatage women. Since women are considered in society to be the primary caregivers, removing thier choice from child rearing creates a higherarchy of parents, and allows us to justify the sterilization of women of color and poor women.
A large portion of choice, especialy dealing with the topic specific to our class, is reproductive choice. In my mind that means allowing women, and thier partners, to explore all options when they find out they are pregnant. It is also being able to persue any options without the fear of stigma and issues of ligality. Choice is also being able to reveive affordable health care, including well women exams. Right now we have a war going on agaist women and choice.
http://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/get-involved/2011-congressional-attacks-womens-health-care-1024.htm
Certain conservative groups are fighting to remove federal funding to Planned Parenthood. As of right now Planned Parenthood is able to provide health care to women, men and children at a sliding scale, and often times for free. This is choice. Abortions, while in my opinion are a vital part to womens choice, only make up 3% of the services provided to PP and are not federally funded due to previos legislation passed. The removal of federal funding to PP would do nothing but force PP to stop providing free and low cost health care. This is a war on women and a war on choice.
https://secure.ppaction.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=pp_ppol_ws_I_Stand_with_PP
Brittany W.
I feel that it’s your body and you should be able to do what you want with it. There is no law or amendment stating that we cannot make a choice for ourselves as women. I am not ashamed to say that I have want to Planned Parenthood with a friend and just the atmosphere is just not welcoming not even for people that are that are just going to pick up their birth control or a morning after pill. It made my friend feel embarrassed and like she shouldn’t have made the choice she made. They made her contemplate her decision and that was not right.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we should have the right to make our own choices with our bodies. But in order to make good choices we must be properly educated on the options which stems back to 'sex/abstinence only education'. Without being properly educated couples or women make poor choices for themselves and their bodies that they would not normally do if they were properly educated. Planned Parenthood plays a big part,in my opinion, on educating and offering multiple educated options for women, children and men. The work they do, I feel, often goes unnoticed and unappreciated. If younger or even poorer pregnant women are not able to get the proper services that PP provides for little or no cost then more unhealthy and uneducated decisions are going to be made. Not only are the unhealthy choices going to be made by the mother but also by the child as we have learned that generations tend to repeat themselves. Continuing this cycle is detrimental to our society.
ReplyDeleteKristi H.
The First post at 9:20 is by India Martin
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. If a women is not fully knowledgeable of all of her options prior to giving birth, then she is not given a fair chance in choosing the best possible outcome for both herself,and the baby. By the government contemplating over cutting funding for Planned Parenthood, practically eliminates a majority of those options for women who might need them more than other (poor and lower class women).
ReplyDeleteAlso, I feel that prior to engaging in a sexual relationship one should research all of the different types of risk and consequences that could come from sex, take precaution (contraceptives), and pre-plan/consider the outcome if the contraceptives were to fail. Every decision has a consequence, good and bad. We just have to be responsible and mature enough to handle which ever one comes out of the choices we make.
Portia King
Response to India:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. No woman should feel ashamed or embarrassed about making a decision for her life and future. No woman should be pressured or forced into giving birth, period. The process of giving birth, and being pregnant takes both a physical, emotional, and economical toll on every woman's life. Therefore, she should have the right to choose, and control what happens to her body.
Portia K.
I think everyone has made valid points here but the choice aspect of the equation won't even be available to most who need if the funding to PP and similar organizations is cut. These companies already battle with protestors and hate mail on a daily basis for their 3% activities. It is not the people who can afford children that suffer from these budget cuts. Money=more options. Low income women and families depend on these low cost outlets to continue to have choices. The real question that the government should be asking is not what is done at these type of facilities but who is the average patient? and what are their needs (notice I say needs, not wants).
ReplyDeleteMegan Z