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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

But it's wisdom born of pain...

Today's blog is different and about an important issue that surrounds us today. The "us" in this are women. When a follower and friend let their fellow bloggers know about this day, in early February, it was daunting almost. How to convey the right message, what to write about?

The basic truth is this post could get ugly. We were taught as children in polite conversation, not to discuss religion or politics. There is no way to keep those discussions out
of this. Maybe some of our blog sisters found a way around that. Also, to be frank, this topic is best left to women alone. Men should not or ever be part of
the discussion, except by invitation directly by the woman affected. All women of who can become pregnant have the right to procure birth control, in all its many forms without the expressed permission or consent of any man in her life. (quite a bold statement coming from a consensual slave -- don't you think?) This cannot and NEVER should be considered a privilege -- it is a right for us all.

Reproductive health and sovernty is as improtant as a country protecting their borders. There is a group of people that wish to push women back in time. They believe it's their right to decide how everyone should live their most personal of lives. They wish to insinuate themselves into our doctor's offices and keenly look over the doctor's shoulders into our intermost private parts. They try to argue semantics. But it comes down directly to ONE issue only...it's what their religious morals dictate therefore they are instantly correct and should NEVER be argued with.

Who do we want in control of our reproductive rights? A competent doctor or health care professional or a chuch? Which doctrine do we want followed?

Do we want to go back into time, when the pill was still new and doctors could impose their own moral judgments on their patients? Or the pharmacist who decides based solely on his/her religious belief, a patient should not be allowed to have their prescription filled? What happens when it comes from a pulpit? It does...Daily and they try to impose their views on all of us. They try to cap funding or cut it all together -- we bare witness to the battles in congress.

If you, personally as a woman, make a moral based decscion to leave your reproductive options to your husband, parent, god or your imaginary friend that is your CHOICE. You are choosing to do that. You have no right to force your sisters to do the same, as they are free to decide for themselves as well. You also should not use polital influence to force the issues based solely on a narrow view of what is moral.

We cannot allow our daughters to be forced back to a time where they are subjugated by short sighted laws, based largely on rhetoric. Our daughters instead should be empowered through honesty, given all their options and allowed to decide for themselves which option best serves their needs NOW. Not base the decision on the next 10, 20, or the rest of their lives -- let alone their 'immortal soul!' Yes, the live-for-today attitude is unpopular, but really when we break it down, all we really amount to is a lifetime of todays.

Organizations like Planned Parenthood provide a needed service to our daughters, and to us when we can't afford a proper doctor. Many of us had our first cancer screening at a planned parenthood clinic. The goal might have been to acquire birth control pills or embarrassment for an STD (which ironically, those two services combined make up more than two thirds of the women who enter the doors, while hot topic abortion is responsible for less than three percent)...but for lots of us it was our first experience in the stirrups...

We are lucky they are there...ready to answer questions, educate and most of all to help.

Many of us remained amazed that the very people who are against any type of organized healthcare are also staunchly against Planned Parenthood.

We cannot afford to remain silent and simply acquiesce to their wishes or mandates. We must stand and be counted!

We stand untied for our mothers, our daughters, our sisters...We must stand untied for ourselves.


Song selection: I am woman; Helen Reddy, Ray Burton

I am woman

I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again

CHORUS
Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

You can bend but never break me
'cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

CHORUS

I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin' arms across the land
But I'm still an embryo
With a long long way to go
Until I make my brother understand

Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

27 comments:

Heather1 said...

Bravo!

dancingbarez said...

Well said Mouse! Good to hear from you and hope you are well.

tori said...

Very well said. Its an issue that effects us all yes obviously women, i am in the UK and have had an ongoing battle with my doctors over my wish to be sterilised since i was 30 (im now 36). I have 2 children and do not want anymore but they wont consider it until i am 40...i am adult of sane mind so why cant my decision be respected.

I could of course go private which is not cheap but that is not the point.


Hope you are both well

respectfully

tori

Anonymous said...

I agree completely with your position and I would like to suggest one modification. I believe that society should very much make men part of this conversation and this reality. Now not for a minute am I saying they should get decide, they only should only decide for themselves what they want and how they will behave. We should as a society though make them part of the situation by giving them real consequences. Actual child support and laws to enforce it, real consequences based on their role after the woman decides.

Imagine how fast men would support real choice if they had a real and life long effect on their lives hanging in the balance.

(since you did not invite me to comment and out of respect for your wishes should you decide to delete this comment I fully respect that choice and will harbor no ill will)

Donna said...

Excellent! It moved me to tears, great Truths have that power!

Hugs and kisses,
Donna

sin said...

I agree. Love the song too!

mouse said...

Omega said something very similar. You're both right, but mouse doesn't really see that happening. Our history is chock full of men doing what they want.

But for now the balance is too far in their favor. Yes, imposing real court type sanctions would help, but EVEN when they do that now, men will take jobs where they're paid under the table to avoid paying for the children they fathered. Too many women NEVER ever see a dime of their court ordered child support.

Now if there was a way that men could become pregnant and have to deliver that child, and be responsible, it probably wouldn't be an issue...Men would stand up and say they had the right to decide.

And finally Sir J, mouse didn't mean men can't comment or chime in with an opinion...but like she wrote in the post. It's best left to woman directly affected if they want to let them in and to take their opinion regarding her personal reproductive choices. Not that men can't speak about the topic in general. A woman shouldn't be forced to carry a child just as a woman shouldn't be forced into having an abortion.

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

Exactly!!! There shouldn't be a rule, or law or opinion that prevents, YOU a healthy adult from deciding when they're finished having children! To force you to burden of added expense to go to a private doctor is ridiculous, and beside the point. Its things like that just infuriate mouse!

Hugs,
mouse

Anonymous said...

Extremely well said without being preachy. And that can be hard with a subject as emotional and important as this.

Thank you!!

Anonymous said...

It astounds me that we are still having these fights--and now about birth control. It is not irrelevant that all these legislators and church officials are men. If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament

It is good to hear your strong voice again i hope you are doing well and will soon be back.

nilla said...

Bravo, this was so very well stated. Clear and concise...even, perhaps...radical...what? Leave men out of our health care choices? *smiling*...i LOVE that you said that. i really do.

Thanks for adding your voice to the chorus. We must stop this madness...for if we are silent, we are part of the problem, aren't we?

Glad to see you back, and continuing to send healing, coping energies your way...

blessed be,

nilla

strivingforpeace said...

oh mouse.

I know you were worried about what to write.

but this is beautiful.

I'm so happy that you wrote it -- and am awed by your and our sisters response to the call to action.

Thank you so very much

sfp

Anonymous said...

yes of course and I agree.

I was not so much suggesting that men should step up solely because of court action and of course they will and do side step that. I rather meant we as a society should get to place where we demand men pull their half of the weight on this very important topic and yes I completely and sadly understand just how far we are from that happening.

aisha said...

This is so beautifully said, Mouse, I about cried too.

I love the song too.

Thank you.

aisha

Lily said...

Dear mouse,

I thought you made a great argument. There is a sense of physical autonomy, sovereignty, that every woman should claim, no matter what her lifestyle or sexual choice. Your post really provided a passionate advocacy of an important topic. (And I have been humming Helen Reddy in my head all day.)

Hugs,
Lily

JediMindTrick said...

I completely agree. However, I also strongly believe that the fact that many women, myself included, have had abortions because they felt they had no other choice. That society has looked down on unwed mothers for so long, that there is such a stigma still against being a single mom... I think society needs to make an overall change in behavior and be accepting of pregnant, single women: and give them healthcare and support when they do choose to have their baby.

I think society needs to help these women get jobs and provide for their kids. No woman should ever feel that she has no options to help her keep her baby. I certainly didn't feel that way at 17, and I have regretted it every day of my life since. That being said: people who are anti-women's rights like Rick Santorum sicken me. Did you see his interview where he said lifestyles or sex practices should be the goverment's job? He also funded part of the studies in the new APA's handbook that would make BDSM a mental disorder....

I think I started ranting, but the point is I love you for writing this Mouse. <3

mouse said...

Thank you!!!!

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

Thank you, we are doing well.

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

Thank you Donna!!! They absolutely have power.

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

That song jumped into mouse's mind the moment she opened SFP's blog in early Feb!

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

Thank you so much!

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

Thank you so much. Yep, honestly, mouse can't even understand why we must debate this with any man. Yet we're forced to.

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

Thank you so much nilla! You have no idea what your comment meant to mouse.

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

oh no sfp, you need to be thanked...you brought us all together for this cause.

Thank you so very much for allowing mouse to be included!

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

Oh...aisha, thank you so much! Your post touched mouse also...

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

Truthfully, mouse has had that song rolling through her head since she found out about it.

Really glad to be rid of it. LOL...

Yes we need to advocate for our daughters and sisters. We need to stand together, push back and say no.

Hugs,
mouse

mouse said...

There does need to be much better support for women. And more ways for women to help themselves because that's real empowerment.

Thank you for your kind words!

Hugs,
mouse