Abortion Rights are not about Your Feelings

Don't tread on me

They’re about autonomy.

Autonomy for a living, breathing woman to decide–for whatever reason or in whatever circumstances–that she does not want to carry a baby to term.

It doesn’t matter that abortions make you uncomfortable. No one likes abortions. Nor does it matter that it’s against your religion, your personal moral code, or your sense of decency.

If you argue that a woman does not have autonomy over her own body, you are arguing for the oppression of all women by the government–and worse, by your self-righteous moral code. It’s that simple.

And before you start, here are some preemptive reasons why you’re wrong:

  • Life does not begin at conception. An embryo is a collection of cells that is utterly dependent on the mother for its existence.
  • There is no clear line at which life “begins” in the womb. If the fetus is not viable outside the womb, then it is not an individual.
  • If you want to claim that a fetus has the full rights of an individual human, then you must also believe that fetuses should have social security numbers, health insurance, and be included in the tax code as dependents. Let’s go ahead and register them for selective service while we’re at it.
  • If all life is sacred, even in the womb, you would want to support services such as childcare, education, healthcare, and foster care for all of these children you are forcing women to carry to term.
  • A woman is not a vessel for pumping out babies. That is not her duty, responsibility, or privilege in society. Claiming such is misogynistic and oppressive, and the fact that anyone has to explain that to you idiots in 2019 is unconscionable.
  • Your religion does not dictate how others should live their lives. Move to Iran or Saudi Arabia if you believe otherwise.
  • If you honestly want to limit abortions, try providing birth control and female reproductive healthcare for ALL women. You could also stop with the abstinence-only sex ed bullshit.

In conclusion, you’re wrong.

Steve D

Misplaced Missive #174 – Lying From Me

Taking lies at face value.
How you don’t dare to delve deeper,
Into what is manifestly untrue,
Into prayers offered up to you,
Betrays the facade you fake,
A shallow reminder in every
Flippant remark you make.
I remain unsurprised,
Because it’s par for the course,
Your usual, enacted without remorse,
A flawed mask of insincere discourse. Continue reading “Misplaced Missive #174 – Lying From Me”

An Open Letter to George R.R. Martin

Game of Thrones spoilers probably incoming. I’m not doing this ironically. I have already expressed my frustrations with the last two seasons of Game of Thrones, and I legitimately want to see Martin finish out his series the way it deserves. It would be really cool–however unlikely–if he read it.

So, you know… if you know him, pass this along.

Continue reading “An Open Letter to George R.R. Martin”

Midnight Depression Collection Pt. V

Available

One phone call – two calls, three
How long can I ignore the screech?
How long ’til I join it in a scream?
I’m not available.
As I type this
My phone twitches from convulsions –
Even the inanimate
Can be burdened
With illness from the constant
Contact and calling… Continue reading “Midnight Depression Collection Pt. V”

Midnight Depression Collection Pt. IV

Without Meaning

Locked away and
Re-taught to be an adult –
One week at a time
A slow ease into being ‘healthy’.
Normal is a far hike
For one of our kind

Average is a step that
Looks like a leap
That lands you
Over a cliff. Continue reading “Midnight Depression Collection Pt. IV”

“Everything Trump Touches Dies” – Book Review

I listened to Everything Trump Touches Dies by conservative campaign strategist Rick Wilson on Audible. Narrated by Wilson and dripping with snarky disgust, ETTD  is an unflinching and unforgiving evisceration of the Trump campaign and administration through its first year-plus.

Continue reading ““Everything Trump Touches Dies” – Book Review”

Misplaced Missive #117 – Land and Sea

Why doesn’t it feel the same?
The difference between the calm plain,
And the tempestuous sea,
Why must it always be,
Me,
Who prefers sinking and drowning,
Over standing on my own two feet.
My crowning accomplishment:
My self-deprecating defeat. Continue reading “Misplaced Missive #117 – Land and Sea”

Midnight Depression Collection Pt. III

The Novelties of Perspective

 

I’ve been wearing my sheep’s clothing
For so long now, I’ve forgotten what
Lies beneath

Let sleeping dogs lie,
Let sheep-like people hide,
Lest ye discover that they be wolves. Continue reading “Midnight Depression Collection Pt. III”

Game of Thrones Missed an Immense Opportunity by Ignoring Its Characters

I have  expressed my qualms about seasons seven and eight of Game of Thrones in the past. But I’m not here to complain about shoddy battle tactics, “jet-packing” characters, or the abhorrent lack of dire wolves in recent seasons.

No, today my gripe is with a much more fundamental narrative thread, and the show’s utter ignorance of it in Sunday’s episode.

Beware… Here be spoilers!

Continue reading “Game of Thrones Missed an Immense Opportunity by Ignoring Its Characters”