Yes, It Is True - I Admit It

I do not have a uterus. But, as long as reproduction involves both sexes, men and women will both have a right to express their views on reproductive rights and as long as reproductive rights are a matter of public policy the support of men for the Pro-Choice Movement will be essential.

It is fun to go to war against the other side, but we are never going to win over the “pro-life” activists. The struggle is not won by preaching to the converted, but by reaching out to moderate Canadians, many of whom the other side is also targeting but failing to reach because of the type of tactics and rhetoric that marginalizes them in the minds of moderate Canadians. Many of these people would never consider an abortion for themselves because they consider it to be morally wrong, but they have been convinced by reason that it is wrong to impose their personal views on other women.

Reason is our most effective weapon and it is only weakened by the use of inflammatory rhetoric, no matter how much fun it is to use it.

I have been involved in “the movements”, as well as electoral politics since I was in university. At that time I was heavily involved in student as well as NDP politics. When I moved to Kanata the focus changed to NDP and municipal politics. Then I concentrated heavily on environmental issues, particularly the EMF struggle. After that I took a break from it all and now I am back as an independent progressive commentator.

I intend to continue to call things as I see them and to continue my support for the Pro-Choice movement.

The Ugly Side of Pro-Choice

In yesterdays Fifth Column I made my Pro-Choice position clear. I also made it clear that I deplored the disgusting negative tactics and rhetoric of the so-called “Pro-Life” movement. I believe these tactics have helped marginalize them.

I believe that similar rhetoric, that attempts to trivialize pregnancy and the decision facing women considering an abortion, from those that support the Pro-Choice movement, is just as deplorable and does not help the movement in maintaining credibility and broad public support. What I find to be particularly disgusting is the use of the terms “fetus fetishists” and “fetus fetishizers” and I wish to disassociate myself completely from the use of such terms.

Why I Am Pro-Choice

As a male, whether to have an abortion is a decision that I will never be faced with. It is also a decision that I would hope no one would be faced with.

We do have to recognize that a pregnancy is not trivial. A pregnancy that is not terminated will lead to the birth of a human being. There are indeed moral issues involved in deciding whether to have an abortion. However, a fetus is entirely dependant on the woman carrying it and is virtually a part of her body. I do not believe that I, or society, have a right to take control of a woman’s body and force her to continue a pregnancy that she does not wish to.

That is sufficient enough reason for me to be Pro-Choice, but that is not the only reason I am Pro-Choice. As I said, I hope no one would be faced with the decision as to whether to have an abortion. The so-called “Pro-Life” movement way of dealing with it would eliminate women’s need to make that decision by making it for them. I would prefer to deal with it by supporting measures that prevent the need for the decision to be made, measures such as sex education and birth control that the so-called “Pro-Life” movement opposes. If one wants to reduce the number of abortions it only makes sense to support a movement that supports measures that will do that rather than to support a movement that opposes them.

The other reason I oppose the so-called “Pro-Life” movement is because of it’s horrible tactics, negativity and heartlessness. There is nothing more disgusting to me than to put up signs beside a medical clinic run by a holocaust survivor calling it “Canada’s Auschwitz”. Just as disgusting are the tactics of trying to pass off photographs and videos of late term abortions as being typical of the procedure and screaming “please don’t kill your baby” at women who are facing the most difficult decision of their life and calling it “counseling”. How could any caring person be on the same side as these people.

What women facing this decision need is speedy access to counseling and medical help so the decision can be made early in the pregnancy. They need access to information on all the options from carrying and raising a child, to adoption, as well as abortion. We need to provide real counseling options to help women make the right decision for themselves. Screaming at them and trying to take their right to decide away from them is simply unacceptable in a civilized society