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How to be Pro-Choice in 8 (and a half) Simple Steps

August 15, 2011 By 13 Comments

I recently read an interesting discussion on Jezebel about how individuals could support the pro-choice movement. There were some great ideas, but as several commentors mentioned, they wished they could think of more things.  So – with apologies to Fellini – here are 8 ½ ideas:

1. Ask your gynecologist if she or he performs abortions.  As one awesome provider put it, “How would men react if they found out that their primary care doctors didn’t do prostate exams … and you gotta go and have somebody shove their finger up your ass who they’ve never met before? You think men would go along with it?”

 2. Look beyond Planned Parenthood.  This isn’t a knock on the incredible work that Planned Parenthood clinics do.  It’s just a reminder that while they’re often the best-funded game in town, they’re not the only one. Independent clinics can use volunteers and clinic escorts, too!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Activism Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Is BirthorNot.com a Hoax? And What About the Voice of the Would-Be Mother?

November 29, 2010 By 3 Comments

I begin with a caveat, from everything I have seen and read, BirthorNot.com seems like a ridiculous pro-life hoax, right down to the last day to vote being December 7th, you know, as in D-day.  If you are unfamiliar with the latest 15 minutes of fame couple Alisha and Pete, they allegedly were on the fence about having a child and when Alisha unexpectedly got pregnant they decided to put the issue to a vote.  An internet vote.

To me what is more interesting than the debate as to if their premise to have an abortion or not is a hoax, is Alisha, and her voice.  The majority of evidence that I have read about that ‘proves’ the site a hoax are quotes from blogs and comments that husband Pete has made on the internet. It has been reported that Alisha is a fan of Glenn Beck on Facebook, and this implies conservative leaning, but in no way confirms that Alisha holds all of the same political views as Beck. (There is a pretty good article on Blog of the Moderate Left detailing all of the evidence that has been collected ‘proving’ the site to be an “Anti-Choice Trolling Fail”.)

Alisha claims in her latest blog entry on Birth or Not, from November 24th, that her opinion was left out of a recent CNN article, wherein Pete stated that terminating the pregnancy was never on the table, with no reported rebuttal from Alisha. Alisha claims that she told the reporter that this was not true, and that it was their disagreement on terminating the pregnancy that brought about the whole internet voting thing in the first place.  Alisha of course could just be trying to keep up the hoax, but the article comes across as truly genuine.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Abortion Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Falsely Underestimating the Power of the Youth Vote

November 1, 2010 By 3 Comments

It’s pretty commonplace these days to hear someone complaining about youth apathy. Either they’re making the fallacious claim that we’re all privileged and dislocated from the world around us, or they’re making false assumptions about our willingness to participate in the political process. Either way, they couldn’t be further from the truth.

Underestimating the growing power of young people is quite frankly one of the most catastrophic mistakes any person, politician, or institution can make. In my personal experience engaging with students on campus, I’ve come to understand exactly how engaged young people really are. Many of them are simply looking for ways to exercise their electoral power. The real problem isn’t apathetic young people. The real problem is that young people have been ignored, undervalued, and left behind time and time again. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Election Watch Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tomorrow is Election Day! Vote Choice!

November 1, 2010 By 4 Comments

Nothing is more painful to watch than the week of television before an election day. Your favorite shows keep getting interrupted by politicians, PACs, and every other person in the world trying to get your vote.

This is something similar to that-  without the flag waving and fear mongering. Tomorrow, go vote for candidates that you support based on the issues. Don’t let ads and smoke-blowing distract you from what really matters: the issues.

As a pro-choice voter, you have to consider your candidates views on more than just abortion. Do they support abstinence-only sex education? Do they support the requirement of medical insurers to provide access to birth control?

How do they feel about women’s issues overall? Have they been accused of sexual harassment by staffers? What do they think about gay marriage? All of these issues (and others that are important to you) are essential to finding a good pro-choice candidate. Visit NARAL’s voting guide to get a bigger picture of your candidate’s vote on choice. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Election Watch Tagged With: , , ,