Pro Choice For Every Woman- ASHLEY ROTH POST 4

Ashley Roth

Professor Cacoilo

Media 384

Post 4

               

                According to The Alienable Rights of Women by Roxanne Gay, women in the early 20^th century did not have a say in the “formal structure of political life”.  As time moved forward, women started to become vocal in politics, various professions and sought out education. Even though women were more visible, they were not given equal rights when it came to the same equal rights like men. According to The Alienable Rights of Women by Roxanne Gay states, “Throughout history, whenever governments wanted to achieve some and, often involving population growth, they restricted access to birth control and/or criminalized birth control unless, the population growth concerned the poor in which case, contraception was enthusiastically promoted”.  Gay contends “Society has only wanted the right kind of people to have a right to life”.  She believes that many Conservative Male Politicians continue to bring up issues involving birth control and the right to an abortion instead of focusing on important issues that plague America. It is a sad day in our history that Hillary Clinton was not nominated to be the first female President of the United States.  Hillary Clinton is pro-choice and would not threaten women’s rights regardless of their race or nationality. Women would continue the legal right to control their own reproductive system.  She wanted to continue funding for Planned Parenthood of America and continue to have safe, legal abortions, birth control and provide excellent healthcare for all women regardless of their color, ethnicity or religion. She wanted every woman to have the right to have children through choice through educational incentives, government economic sponsored programs and creating more jobs.  It is shocking that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote but did not receive the electoral votes from the Electoral college.  I think it is time for voting reforms; the Electoral College should not decide the final outcome in Presidential Elections.  It should be based on the popular vote of all Americans.  The Electoral College ensured that the President of the United States would be the sexist, racist, mysoginist pig, Donald Trump.  During the Primary, Trump was asked about the abortion issue and he stated “Women should be punished”.  Then he weaseled his way out by giving lame excuses.  Trump stated the truth when he said, “Women should be punished”.  The threat of losing a woman’s rights for an abortion, receiving birth control and allowing women to make decisions about their own reproductive system should no longer be an issue.  There are many Politicians like Trump who are pro-life.  For example, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal and others. I doubt that Trump would elect to give birth to a baby or elect to take a birth control pill to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.  In truth, it is easy for him to have as many children as he wants by his three wives since he is very wealthy. Gay states in her article, “Men refuse to allow their bodies to become a legislative matter because they have that inalienable right”.   I wholeheartedly agree women should have that inalienable right, too. There are powerful women who are against pro-choice based on their religious convictions or beliefs.  These pro-lifers should focus on their own reproductive system and not interfere with the rights of other women. It must be a gut wrenching decision when any woman decides to abort their unborn baby.  Women are not recklessly becoming pregnant so they can have their jollies when having an abortion.  Our government should not decide the fate of an unborn child.  It is the responsibility of our government to protect the right for women to have a legal and safe abortion, obtain birth control or help women who are poor to have the proper healthcare and resources to raise healthy, happy children.

According to the article Women of Color and the Reproductive Rights Movement by Jennifer Nelson, “Poor women of color lost their ability to bear children through involuntary sterilization, but, in 1973, few mainstream feminists viewed ending sterilization abuse as an important demand in the fight for reproductive freedom”. Of course, it was important to fight for the right to have an abortion but White feminists dismissed the horror of numerous sterilization abuses committed against women of color.  As time moved forward, women of color started to become involved in the feminist movement.  Eventually, “Poor women and women of color, should have the right to bear healthy children and to raise them out of poverty was equally important”.  I have spoken with women who lived through this period in time, and most thought that the fight was for all woman to have an abortion.  Most did not know how women of color were being sterilized against their will or consent. There were groups like the Black and Puerto Rican Nationalists that felt that “Fertility control among women of color equaled genocide”.  I can understand how these groups feared that women of color would be encouraged to receive an abortion. Men and advertising encourage women"To judge their own bodies more harshly than those of others".  Men think they are the rulers over women's bodies, their decisions and should decide the fate of women's reproductive system.  Pro Life Men and Pro Life women should stop influencing our government concerning women's rights over their own bodies. They probably feared that White Supremacists would want to rid the population of these people through the means of abortions and illegal sterilizations.  According to the article The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action by Audre Lorde, "In the course of silence, each of us draws the face of our own fear.....-fear of contempt, of censure or some judgement or recognition, of challenge of annihilation". It must have been quite a challenge for women of color to demand the same equal rights for abortions and birth control just like their white counterparts . It is disgraceful how some White Feminists were focused only on the right for a woman to choose an abortion.  It is horrific to learn how many women of color were sterilized without their consent or knowledge.  Nelson writes about the Second Wave Feminist who took into account poor and women of color to have the right to an abortion but also to have the right to be given proper healthcare, and child care for those who wanted to give birth.  They wanted to stop the abusive action by Physicians to sterilize women of color.  Many women of color and poor women died as a result of illegal abortions, and forced sterilization on their reproductive system which made it impossible to bear children.  The right to abort a child or to keep their baby should remain a right for all women, not just white women.  It is important not to forget how many loving parents of color lost the opportunity to bear children because of sterilization abuse, or because of a botched abortion.  Every woman, no matter of their race, ethnicity or color should ever face the possibility of having to receive an illegal or unsafe abortion. Women should never fear that they will be sterilized against their will, or their knowledge.  There are more important issues that all Americans face today.  The right to an abortion and receive birth control should be sacrosanct and Roe vs. Wade should never be revoked or tinkered with. Our government should fund the poor or any woman of color to also have the right to have as many babies as they choose.  Poor and women of color should be given educational opportunities, jobs, maternity leave with pay, childcare and healthcare to assist them when they become pregnant and want to keep their baby.  Let Pro-Lifers give birth to as many babies as they want.  Their right should be sacrosanct and men should zipper up their pants if they do not believe in Pro-Choice. Men should be held accountable for their own sexual prowess.  Women can’t become pregnant without a man.  Pro-Lifers MAN UP!  Pro-Life WOMEN stick your nose out of other women’s reproductive systems!

The media portrays women as second class citizens in advertising. The media should always create documentaries to reinforce the idea that women should enjoy the same equal rights as men. Women should be the owner and decider for their own reproductive system!

This photo struck me because it does not have to do with the party affiliation in our government. It is a women's right to decide the destiny of her reproductive system.

https://teafly.wordpress.com/2013/12/22/my-body-is-not-a-democracy/

This image is simple but packs an excellent message for all women. Women have the right to decide what to do with their bodies. This is a powerful message to men that women are not second class citizens. Women have the right to decide what is best for themselves. The right for a safe abortion, birth control and healthcare should be a given. All women should have the right to give birth to as many babies as they want.

https://www.tumblr.com/search/my%20body%20%20my%20choice

This image is powerful since it is written on a woman's stomach. Pro life believers, what I do with my body is none of your business!!

http://abortionworldwide.blogspot.com/2014/06/my-body-equals-my-choice.html

The Governments responsibility is to provide Healthcare, birth control and an abortion to any women who seeks it. The Government is responsible also for providing child care services, educational opportunities, economic assistance and healthcare for those who need it and want to raise their children.

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/01/dawn-porters-trapped-on-trials-of-abortion-clinics-in-the-deep-south-premieres-at-sundance-158646/

Works Cited:

Gay, Roxane. Bad Feminist: Essays. New York: Harper Perennial, 2014. Print.
  Lorde, Audre. The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Nelson, Jennifer. Women of Color and the Reproductive Rights Movement. New York: New York UP, 2003. Print.

Wykes, Maggie, and Gunther Barrier. Body Messages and Body Meanings. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.