Real Feminism
July 28th 2007 21:27
Hello Orble Readers:
Consistent with this blog's focus on freedom, I have decided to start a regular feature celebrating what I refer to as "Real" Feminism. Last year, I wrote a feature on an incredibly brave woman and author, Nonie Darwish. I am posting that here, along with my response to Ms. Magazine's repulsive "I Had An Abortion" campaign.
Let's start with the Ms. article, for a little background:
Hey Ms. Magazine, I Wasn't Aborted Either
In a recent Wall Street Journal editorial entitled, “How About I Wasn’t Aborted?” Julia Gorin, blogger and contributing editor of JewishWorldReview.com, penned a dramatic, heart-felt response to Ms. magazine’s “We had abortions” campaign. The so-called women’s rights champions are urging readers to sign an online petition declaring their personal experience with abortion in order to “save lives and spare other women the pain of socially imposed guilt…and to repeal archaic and inhuman anti-abortion laws.”
I wonder if anyone at Ms. magazine has done any research on the well-documented and devastating effects abortion has wrought upon the sex they so vehemently claim to represent.
According to a 2002 report by the Southern Medical Journal, “compared to women who give
birth, women who abort have an elevated risk of death from all causes, which persists for at least 8 years.” In 2004, a study completed by The Medical Science Monitor comparing American and Russian women who had undergone abortions found that 65% of American women experienced multiple symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which they attributed to their abortions. Slightly over 14% reported all symptoms necessary for a clinical diagnosis of abortion-induced PTSD, and 25% said they did not receive adequate counseling. In this same study, 64% of American women reported they felt pressured by others to abort.
Some choice.
While the list of horrific side-effects goes on to include everything from a 65% higher risk of clinical depression (Medical Science Monitor, 2003) to a 30% higher risk of generalized anxiety disorder (Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2005), too many Americans have been hoodwinked by the pro-abortion lobby’s slick marketing campaigns, characterized by the misleading “freedom of choice” euphemism thrust upon us to keep the multi-billion dollar abortion industry humming along.
The unrestricted abortion crowd would have us believe that killing your unborn child is as simple and safe as having a tooth extraction performed by a reputable dentist, conveniently downplaying the tremendous psychological, physical, and sometimes fatal risks involved. In one heart-breaking testimonial posted on afterabortion.org, a bereaved mother decries willful deception on the part of a medical social worker which ultimately led to her 18 year-old daughter’s (and her unborn baby’s) gruesome demise. Deliberately excluded by the MSW in all matters pertaining to her daughter’s care, including consultations with the doctors, this mother recounts the medical staff’s deliberate manipulation and intimidation:
“Mary never saw the words on the sonogram report that would have changed everything: ‘No abnormalities detected.’ Had she been told this, she never would have had the abortion. She would have been freed from the guilt and fear that her handicapped child would be unadoptable or an unbearable burden on her parents and son. This abortion counselor only wanted Mary to see one choice: abortion. They took advantage of a depressed 18 year old, leading her to make a major life and health decision based on incomplete and misleading statements. Never once did they mention the guilt and pain she would have endured even if she had survived her ‘safe and legal’ abortion. So much for ‘freedom of choice.’”
In her Wall Street Journal piece, Julia Gorin recalls the self-imposed abortion practices of her native Russia and her mother’s last minute change of heart:
“Like most Soviet-era fetuses conceived in Russia by couples who were already parents, I was scheduled for abortion as a matter of course. In a society where abortion was the only form of birth control, it wasn’t uncommon to meet women who had double-digit abortion counts. Often a couple would schedule the appointment before they even stopped to remember that they wanted a second child.
My husband, also a second-born, and I were lucky to have been two such afterthoughts, each brought into the world thanks to one of two parents’ change of heart. (Actually it was Anya Isaakovna, my mother’s usual at the public clinic, who sensed a tinge of reservation and kicked her out.) Coincidentally, both my husband and I were to be the third abortions, each of us having had two siblings who weren’t so lucky, which unfortunately was lucky for us.”
While my story isn’t nearly as dramatic (I was NEVER in danger of losing my life at an abortion clinic), like Ms. Gorin, I was also an “unplanned pregnancy,” conceived at the absolute worst time for my parents, financially speaking. My father had just completed his Medical residency and was about to embark on his general surgery practice. He and my mom already had four kids (the second of whom had been born with Down’s Syndrome), and were not looking to expand their family when I came along. They were facing tremendous debt, having “begged, borrowed, and stolen” simply to put a roof in the safety of the suburbs over their young children’s heads. Many rooms in their two-story colonial were devoid of furniture, so dire was their financial situation.
Understandably, they were less than thrilled with the news that a 5th child was on the way. In fact, my Mom recently confessed that I “owed my life” to her dear friend Lauretta, who comforted her in the wake of the news and assured her that everything would work out just fine.
Granted it was 1966, and abortion hadn’t yet been given the outrageous status of a “Constitutional Right” instead of an issue best left decided by voters at the state-level. Still, if my parents had held the view that I was simply a “blob of tissue” at best and a grave inconvenience at worst, they would have found a way to snuff out my life.
Like Julia, I am sickened by the cavalier attitude of supposed “women’s organizations” like Ms. magazine who aren’t really “pro-choice” (just ask them how they feel about adoption counseling or even abstinence programs for students), but pro-abortion. They have no regard for the emotional trauma and health complications suffered by countless women as a result of this life-terminating procedure. Abortion is nothing more than a political agenda, with no consideration for the sanctity of life — either the baby’s or the mother’s.
For Ms. magazine to create such a tasteless campaign belies their stunning hypocrisy. On one hand, they argue for a woman’s privacy and freedom to “choose” (while denying any rights to the biological father), and, on the other, they urge them to brag openly about having undergone an abortion. They cannot have it both ways.
I’ve yet to see Ms. (or any popular women’s magazine for that matter) give equal time to women who either don’t support abortion, or worse, have been traumatized by one. Most of these publications are under the false impression that all women share their liberal outlook, which is why I stopped purchasing them years ago. When a conservative point of view is presented, it is most likely done so in the most unflattering manner (e.g. obsessive coverage of an abortion-clinic bomber in an effort to paint all who oppose abortion as murdering, hypocritical fanatics).
Happily, my family did survive the birth of an unexpected child quite well. My dad ran a successful, well-respected surgical practice for over 30 years, and, though he’s now retired from Surgery, he still works as a staff physician and an expert witness for medical cases. My mom and dad welcomed me with the same amount of love and devotion they’d demonstrated toward their other children, and I was very blessed to grow up in a stable, secure home. Never once did I ever feel like a “mistake.” My guess is that once they laid their eyes upon their newborn daughter, all thoughts of impending hardship dissolved.
To this day, I am thankful for the gift of a close family, and, though I didn’t grow up to be a master violinist like Julia Gorin’s nearly-aborted father, I like to think I contribute well to my little corner of the world. In the meantime, I’m eternally grateful for the gift of life, and the parents who gave it to me.
Consistent with this blog's focus on freedom, I have decided to start a regular feature celebrating what I refer to as "Real" Feminism. Last year, I wrote a feature on an incredibly brave woman and author, Nonie Darwish. I am posting that here, along with my response to Ms. Magazine's repulsive "I Had An Abortion" campaign.
Let's start with the Ms. article, for a little background:
Hey Ms. Magazine, I Wasn't Aborted Either
In a recent Wall Street Journal editorial entitled, “How About I Wasn’t Aborted?” Julia Gorin, blogger and contributing editor of JewishWorldReview.com, penned a dramatic, heart-felt response to Ms. magazine’s “We had abortions” campaign. The so-called women’s rights champions are urging readers to sign an online petition declaring their personal experience with abortion in order to “save lives and spare other women the pain of socially imposed guilt…and to repeal archaic and inhuman anti-abortion laws.”
I wonder if anyone at Ms. magazine has done any research on the well-documented and devastating effects abortion has wrought upon the sex they so vehemently claim to represent.
According to a 2002 report by the Southern Medical Journal, “compared to women who give
birth, women who abort have an elevated risk of death from all causes, which persists for at least 8 years.” In 2004, a study completed by The Medical Science Monitor comparing American and Russian women who had undergone abortions found that 65% of American women experienced multiple symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which they attributed to their abortions. Slightly over 14% reported all symptoms necessary for a clinical diagnosis of abortion-induced PTSD, and 25% said they did not receive adequate counseling. In this same study, 64% of American women reported they felt pressured by others to abort.
Some choice.
While the list of horrific side-effects goes on to include everything from a 65% higher risk of clinical depression (Medical Science Monitor, 2003) to a 30% higher risk of generalized anxiety disorder (Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2005), too many Americans have been hoodwinked by the pro-abortion lobby’s slick marketing campaigns, characterized by the misleading “freedom of choice” euphemism thrust upon us to keep the multi-billion dollar abortion industry humming along.
The unrestricted abortion crowd would have us believe that killing your unborn child is as simple and safe as having a tooth extraction performed by a reputable dentist, conveniently downplaying the tremendous psychological, physical, and sometimes fatal risks involved. In one heart-breaking testimonial posted on afterabortion.org, a bereaved mother decries willful deception on the part of a medical social worker which ultimately led to her 18 year-old daughter’s (and her unborn baby’s) gruesome demise. Deliberately excluded by the MSW in all matters pertaining to her daughter’s care, including consultations with the doctors, this mother recounts the medical staff’s deliberate manipulation and intimidation:
“Mary never saw the words on the sonogram report that would have changed everything: ‘No abnormalities detected.’ Had she been told this, she never would have had the abortion. She would have been freed from the guilt and fear that her handicapped child would be unadoptable or an unbearable burden on her parents and son. This abortion counselor only wanted Mary to see one choice: abortion. They took advantage of a depressed 18 year old, leading her to make a major life and health decision based on incomplete and misleading statements. Never once did they mention the guilt and pain she would have endured even if she had survived her ‘safe and legal’ abortion. So much for ‘freedom of choice.’”
In her Wall Street Journal piece, Julia Gorin recalls the self-imposed abortion practices of her native Russia and her mother’s last minute change of heart:
“Like most Soviet-era fetuses conceived in Russia by couples who were already parents, I was scheduled for abortion as a matter of course. In a society where abortion was the only form of birth control, it wasn’t uncommon to meet women who had double-digit abortion counts. Often a couple would schedule the appointment before they even stopped to remember that they wanted a second child.
My husband, also a second-born, and I were lucky to have been two such afterthoughts, each brought into the world thanks to one of two parents’ change of heart. (Actually it was Anya Isaakovna, my mother’s usual at the public clinic, who sensed a tinge of reservation and kicked her out.) Coincidentally, both my husband and I were to be the third abortions, each of us having had two siblings who weren’t so lucky, which unfortunately was lucky for us.”
While my story isn’t nearly as dramatic (I was NEVER in danger of losing my life at an abortion clinic), like Ms. Gorin, I was also an “unplanned pregnancy,” conceived at the absolute worst time for my parents, financially speaking. My father had just completed his Medical residency and was about to embark on his general surgery practice. He and my mom already had four kids (the second of whom had been born with Down’s Syndrome), and were not looking to expand their family when I came along. They were facing tremendous debt, having “begged, borrowed, and stolen” simply to put a roof in the safety of the suburbs over their young children’s heads. Many rooms in their two-story colonial were devoid of furniture, so dire was their financial situation.
Understandably, they were less than thrilled with the news that a 5th child was on the way. In fact, my Mom recently confessed that I “owed my life” to her dear friend Lauretta, who comforted her in the wake of the news and assured her that everything would work out just fine.
Granted it was 1966, and abortion hadn’t yet been given the outrageous status of a “Constitutional Right” instead of an issue best left decided by voters at the state-level. Still, if my parents had held the view that I was simply a “blob of tissue” at best and a grave inconvenience at worst, they would have found a way to snuff out my life.
Like Julia, I am sickened by the cavalier attitude of supposed “women’s organizations” like Ms. magazine who aren’t really “pro-choice” (just ask them how they feel about adoption counseling or even abstinence programs for students), but pro-abortion. They have no regard for the emotional trauma and health complications suffered by countless women as a result of this life-terminating procedure. Abortion is nothing more than a political agenda, with no consideration for the sanctity of life — either the baby’s or the mother’s.
For Ms. magazine to create such a tasteless campaign belies their stunning hypocrisy. On one hand, they argue for a woman’s privacy and freedom to “choose” (while denying any rights to the biological father), and, on the other, they urge them to brag openly about having undergone an abortion. They cannot have it both ways.
I’ve yet to see Ms. (or any popular women’s magazine for that matter) give equal time to women who either don’t support abortion, or worse, have been traumatized by one. Most of these publications are under the false impression that all women share their liberal outlook, which is why I stopped purchasing them years ago. When a conservative point of view is presented, it is most likely done so in the most unflattering manner (e.g. obsessive coverage of an abortion-clinic bomber in an effort to paint all who oppose abortion as murdering, hypocritical fanatics).
Happily, my family did survive the birth of an unexpected child quite well. My dad ran a successful, well-respected surgical practice for over 30 years, and, though he’s now retired from Surgery, he still works as a staff physician and an expert witness for medical cases. My mom and dad welcomed me with the same amount of love and devotion they’d demonstrated toward their other children, and I was very blessed to grow up in a stable, secure home. Never once did I ever feel like a “mistake.” My guess is that once they laid their eyes upon their newborn daughter, all thoughts of impending hardship dissolved.
To this day, I am thankful for the gift of a close family, and, though I didn’t grow up to be a master violinist like Julia Gorin’s nearly-aborted father, I like to think I contribute well to my little corner of the world. In the meantime, I’m eternally grateful for the gift of life, and the parents who gave it to me.
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