I almost had a rage-induced anuerysm on the way to work today. NPR was interviewing the head of the National Right to Life organization as part of this week’s series on the fallout of the Supreme Court’s decision last week upholding the federal late-term particular type of abortion ban. Yesterday they interviewed someone from the Center of Reproductive Rights. Tomorrow, an ethicist to discuss how medical advances are changing the debate.
Anyway, aside from shrieking at the radio when the interviewee was expressing his dismay that there appears to still be five votes on the court that would require health exceptions on any abortions done past viability (Really? Mr. Johnson, you may be happier with the outcome of this decision than you think based on some of the analyses I’ve seen), I further lost it when the interviewer, as part of a question, said “Now you’ve been personally involved in this issue for a long time . . .” I’m surprised I didn’t wreck the car.
Personally involved? Uh, the interviewee, a MR. Johnson, is a MAN. And presumably always has been. Therefore, unless he’s been in a situation similar to that of DBB’s in this post, this guy has NEVER been and never will EVER be personally involved in this issue.
Yeah, and Mr. Johnson’s comparison of the NRL’s work to the pre-civil war abolitionists was extremely offensive, too.
I have a headache from screaming so loud at my radio.
April 26, 2007 at 11:40 pm
I had a conversation with my cousin when she was pregnant with her fourth child. She confided she wanted to have her tubes tied but that her husband felt it was too final. I about fell out of my chair. One crash c-section, one horrible VBAC and two scheduled (though no less invasive) c-sections and her husband felt having her tubes tied were too final? I didn’t like him much before but now I pretty much thinks he’s scum. When it comes to something as invasive, emotionally difficult and physically demanding as pregnancy men don’t have the right to talk about it as if they “know” nor do they have the right to demand that women submit to their views of what’s right, wrong or final.
April 27, 2007 at 8:47 am
Yes, tonks, absolutely.
I guess it’s not likely that the husband would volunteer to have a vasectomy either, which is far less invasive than tubal ligation.