QuestionQUESTION: Hi Deborah. My question is how do you feel about laws that would criminalize abortion even in cases of rape? I personally am pro-choice and believe that a woman should have the right to choose regardless of the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy, but the idea of forcing a woman to endure a pregnancy that resulted from such a tramatic, violent and dehumanizing crime seems especially cruel. I can not even begin to fathom what it would be like to be in that situation. Some people get upset when I say this, but to me it would feel like being raped all over again. Once again my feelings, my needs and my rights are being ignored. Also, I can't imagine how emotionally and psychologically damaging this would be for the woman, not to mention the child! To your knowledge, have there ever been any studies done on this? Thank you.
Maggie
ANSWER: Hi Maggie :-)
Did you mean to ask a question of another questioner? If so, just let me know ;)
I don't think there are any studies. But yes, for some rape victims, it does feel like being raped again-some say this about the justice system as well. It's cruel in any situation to force a pregnancy on someone, it blows my mind that anyone thinks it's ok, but I guess to each their own. I can check out and see if there are any studies, but some groups of pregnant women don't seem to be studied. It can get hard, because sometimes when you ask a woman about rape, they don't know or aren't sure it was rape because of how our culture portrays it. I think women who surrender children for adoption are also another group not studied. And I've always wondered if a woman has to "prove" she's been raped-I heard she has to make a police report, and forcing a victim to report is yet another form of cruelty.
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QUESTION: Hi there. Sorry about that. That was just a mistake on my part. I DID mean to ask you the question. I hope you don't mind a follow-up. I asked two other people in this same category this same question to get different points of view. One said that she felt that one could be a feminist and still be against abortion and advocate their possition. Now, I'm not sure whether or not you consider yourself a feminist or not? But I'll assume you do. How do you feel about this question? I don't agree with her. How can one be a feminist and not believe a woman should have the right to choose? Can women ever really be equal if they don't have the right to make their own reproductive choices? Thanks.
Maggie
AnswerNo problem-just wanted to double check. And always feel free to follow up! I'm here for that :)
Yes, I definitely identify as a feminist. Well, I think one can be personally against abortion, but acknowledge that not everyone believes that, so everyone else can do their own thing. I do get a little iffy when someone says "well I'd never get an abortion..." because quite a few women may say that, but find themselves in a different situation in the future. But I digress. I feel, that if you are working to restrict abortion and think any woman who has one/many is less than, than you're not a feminist. Yea, you can call yourself one-Sarah Palin called herself one at one point, but it doesn't make you one. I don't see how women are going to be on equal footing if they're always at risk of being forced into motherhood. I'll go with Margaret Sanger on this one-women can't be free until they can control their own bodies.
