Thursday, August 2, 2007

NARAL Debate 2008 Video

NARAL created this hilarious, if disturbing, video to discuss the 2008 republican presidential candidates' views on abortion. If it wasn't so true, I might laugh.



Meanwhile, in Ohio, legislators have proposed a bill which would make it compulsory for the "father of the fetus" to give permission for a woman's abortion. If he doesn't give permission she can't have an abortion. Check out the feministing.com debate on the issue, where some men weigh in to applaud the legislation.

What do you think? Do men deserve a say in reproductive rights decisions?

5 comments:

a said...

I absolutely believe that the man should have a say in whether or not an abortion should happen, assuming that the child was created by two consenting adults (not rape, incest, etc.). I understand that the woman carries the pregnancy, but that doesn't make the man any less a parent.

JGalH said...

But how do you account for the fact that many women end up single moms? That so many fathers who aren't living at home with the children default on child support payments? Don't you think that society makes children the responsibility of the women who have them, so therefore those women should be empowered with the decision about whether or not to bring them into the world?

Elizabeth Anderson said...

Yes and even men who may be committed to supporting their child will not have the same physical and social experience of having a baby as the mother. For example, the career implications for a woman having a baby can still be pretty grim in many cases. Chances are if maternity/paternity leave is an option, it will be the mother who is taking more of it, etc. This implications for motherhood are so much more overwhelming than fatherhood in our society.

Sure, men are parents too, and it's of course unfortunate when the two partners (if they are, as said above, consenting adults) disagree, but at the end of the day, I think I should be a woman's choice.

Anonymous said...

I dont think you do understand that the woman carries the pregnancy, because that has nothing to do with whether or not the man is a parent. A parent is not someone who controls the body of an individual unrelated to him. A parent is someone who is born with the child. The man should share the right to decide what happens to the fetus (its not just a sperm, its an egg too) but whether he can sustain it without the use of someone else's body is not his choice. just like if I plant a garden...i can water it myself, or i can see if someone will water it for me....i dont have the 'right' to force someone to water my garden. Science may help this situation one day. Until then, we continue to need cooperation, but what we do not need is domination.

stroh said...

A man definitely has no say in abortions, they are not carrying it, so they have no say.
It doesnt affect a man one bit, they just the sperm, thats the end of their purpose or destruction.
if a man had a choice, of cause he would tell us to keep it, it makes him look good and ferile.
But when it comes down to taking resposibilities for their actions, he runs away like a little girl.
most men doesnt mature enough to take on any sort of responsibilities, they dont grow up, they think they are Peter Pan, bunch of losers! Dont give them a vote, they destroy every thing that they can vote for, whithout man there would be no war!