This Is My Pissed Off Face

WARNING: This is a rant of MY opinion MY blog on MY website. Any comment that isn't "I 100% agree with you"--which I'd love to hear, btw--is getting deleted because right now, this isn't a place for discussion--it's a place for me to vent.

Also, you're more then welcome to disagree with my politics and dislike me for them. I realize most writers try not to alienate readers (and potential ones) by expressing their views of "touchy" issues.

But I'm not one of those writers. I see no reason for my voice to be silent on something that's important to me, and if you don't like that, then don't be a fan.

And with that out of the way...

The news has made the rounds now about late term abortion provider, Dr. George Tiller, being mudered in church this morning.

Now, I don't cry over stranger's deaths. I don't cry too often over the deaths of people I actually know.

But after the initial shock wore off, I've been sitting here in tears.

I don't know this man. Never met him, never would have. I mean, he was going to church, so I know we had at least one major thing NOT in common.

But this man has been shot in the past, harassed, threatened, had his clinic burned down, and any other number of things. And yet he continued to preform late term abortions--one of the few people in the US, and North America for that matter since there are few providers in Canada as well--for women who needed them.

And yet all I see is people coming out of the woodwork to say, "Well, gosh, you know, I think women should have the right to choose, but abortions are horrible and I can't imagine he just did it because it was about their health."

Um...I'm sorry, you think he was RISKING HIS FUCKING LIFE because he derived some sick pleasure out of aborting fetuses? Or because he couldn't find any other way to make a living?

Once again...SHOT. THREATENED. Had his clinic BURNED DOWN.

But, yeah, he wasn't the least bit interested in a woman's right to control her own body. That's just silly. Why would someone risk their life (and, ultimately, GIVE their life in service of) something like that? It simply MUST be for the money and the thrill of taking tiny lives.

And, you know, women just have abortions all the time. I mean, I've had several now. Usually I wait until about eight and half months into the pregnancy, just so that I can see if it looks like me before they incinerate the corpse. Just the other day, I was really bored so I thought to myself, "Hey self, you should have an abortion."

That, above, is sarcasm, in case you're confused.

There are a lot of grey areas in life. I don't think a woman's right to choose is one of them. It's HER choice to do what's right for HER body, and no one's business but her doctor's. It doesn't matter what my opinion is on abortion. It doesn't matter what my opinion is on the reasons women make these choices. Get it? HER choice. Not yours. Not mine.

I know people make stupid decisions, but the only thing worse than someone having an abortion for the "wrong" reason (whatever that is) is someone not having the right to make that decision.

And I'm sorry, but I'm so fucking sick of hearing about teh menz opinion on the matter. We know what your opinion is. We hear it ALL the fucking time. But it's not your body on the line. It's not your health. It's great that you have an opinion, but using it to silence women when it's directly related to THEIR health and rights isn't okay. What you should be doing is listening (a novel concept for the priviledged, I know).

Disagree with abortion? Great. Let's work to give women more choices.

Let's lower the cost of contraceptives, or have them totally covered by OHIP and the like. (Also, you're aware that OHIP covers the cost of an abortion, but not the birth control pill, right? Sucks to be low income in this country.)

Let's fund for daycare so that single mothers are able to work and provide for their families. Hell, let's just try that equal pay for equal work thing, and remove some of the financial barriers that lead to the choice of abortion.

Let's get kids given up for adoption out of the foster system and into loving homes, and stop fucking barring gay and lesbian couples from adopting. Maybe then more women would feel okay with giving the child up.

Let's all denounce fucking pharmacies who don't carry the morning after pill for "ethical" reasons, or who refuse to dispense it to women even when they have a prescription. You'd think people opposed to abortion would be in favour of something that STOPS pregnancy for even occurring.

So here's what I'm wondering: what if you're ever in the position where your life is in danger, and the only doctor with the knowledge and willingness to help you was FUCKING SHOT by some goddamn lunatic? That is what George TIller's death means. There are women scheduled for a medical procedure this week which now can't be preformed because this man is dead. Women with families and often other children to take care of and lives to lead. This is a goddamn tragedy, and anyone who doesn't understand the ramifications of this needs to think a little harder.

End rant. I'll return you to your regularly scheduled program as soon as I stop feeling like I'm going to be sick.