Here’s a fun little exercise. Anyone who is a Democrat or wants Barack Obama to win the 2012 election is free to play!
Imagine, for a minute, that you are a person who considers yourself pro-choice. Imagine that you also support the reelection of Barack Obama, and are either actively campaigning for him, or simply stating your support for his candidacy.
Now imagine that you have a friend who is also pro-choice, and perhaps also voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 election. When you discuss your plans to vote for him in the 2012 election, your friend responds, “I don’t know if I can vote for him again because he’s not a strong enough advocate for reproductive rights. I might look into voting for a third-party candidate.”
After hearing this, how do you respond? Pick from one of these choices:
A. “Fine. Good luck expecting a Republican to nominate justices that will uphold Roe vs. Wade.”
B. “A vote for a third-party candidate is a vote for Romney, Santorum, or Gingrich, and you seriously want one of them to become our next president?”
C. “What do you care? You live in a blue state.”
D. “You want to become one of those single-issue voters? I thought you were smarter than that. You need to look at the big picture.”
E. “That’s a good point. I’ll contact Obama’s office and his campaign to encourage him to be a stronger pro-choice ally, and I’ll also donate to the pro-choice candidates on EMILY’s List.”
If your answer was anything but choice E, I suggest you continue reading. (And if you did pick E, why not continue reading anyway?)
(Before I continue, I will just give this as a disclaimer to anyone who holds anti-choice sentiments and wishes to change my mind: you are wasting your time. I am 100% pro-choice and I’m not going to change my mind. Don’t ask me to “consider an alternative viewpoint.” I did consider an alternative viewpoint when I was in my early teens and fiercely anti-abortion, and that alternative was the pro-choice viewpoint. The only “common ground” I would be interested in discussing is how to increase efforts to prevent unwanted pregnancies so that fewer abortions are necessary in the first place, and even then, I would still want abortion legalized.)
I posted choices A-D because they are the responses I typically hear from pro-Obama people when I express my lack of enthusiasm about our current president’s record on reproductive health. These comments come from people who are ostensibly pro-choice.
I believe that, when these ostensibly pro-choice people make comments along the lines of A-D, they are trying to help me see the “big picture.” They are trying to place an image in my head of a world where we have a Republican in the Oval Office, a leader of a political party that is growing increasingly stubborn, belligerent, and obstructionist. They don’t want that to happen.
I understand. I don’t want Romney, Santorum, or Gingrich in the Oval Office, either. The thought of any one of them as our next president chills me to the bone.
Do you know what else chills me to the bone?
The thought of a country where, if I had an unwanted pregnancy that threatened my life, I would not be able to procure one.
The knowledge that we live in a country where many states are introducing personhood amendments.
The knowledge that we live in a country where many people will look at a woman or trans man who became pregnant from rape with a cold, unsympathetic eye and declare that these rape victims should make the best of a bad situation.
The fear that pregnant women and trans men can be persecuted and prosecuted for having a miscarriage and failing to report it, and the knowledge that this fear is not entirely unfounded.
The fact that states enacted a record number of abortion restrictions in 2011.
The unsettling implication that the anti-choice movement is no longer focusing on Roe vs. Wade at all and instead, chipping at it away on a state level to ultimately make Roe vs. Wade irrelevant.
The unsettling fact that the anti-choice movement has confirmed that this is, in fact, their strategy.
The United States is becoming an increasingly dangerous place for a woman or trans man who becomes pregnant and does not wish to carry the pregnancy to term, even though we currently have an ostensibly pro-choice, Democratic president.
An ostensibly pro-choice president who finds it acceptable to use reproductive rights as a bargaining chip when he wants to accomplish other things on his agenda (the other things being, as far as I can tell, “bipartisanship” and “common ground” instead of actual progressive change that can help people, but whatever).
Anti-choice advocates love to equate fetuses with human beings that are already born, so let me take a moment to use their comparison from a pro-choice point of view. Let’s pretend that female reproductive rights make up a living, human being.
If female reproductive rights were a living, human being, a Republican president would take that human being and shoot it through the brain, where Obama in his second term would simply let that human being starve to death.
I’m sorry, but no, I don’t see a significant difference between those two choices. From the perspective of someone who believes in bodily autonomy for women and trans men, I don’t see how a vote for our current president will be a vote for reproductive rights.
Of course, the issue of reproductive rights is not the only issue I care about. I’m passionate about health care, education, the environment, and above all, the economy, to name a few. And I downright resent the implication that, because a strong pro-choice stance is a priority for me in terms of how I cast my vote (though not THE priority – the economy is #1 on my list), that I’m a “single-issue voter” who can’t see the “big picture.”
A pro-choice stance is not theoretical for me. It’s not an abstract thought or a “what if.” You are talking about my life, and the lives of half of the population of the United States. You are talking about my body and what I am legally allowed to do with my own skin and internal organs. You are talking about whether or not I will be legally allowed to make a decision about my body if (God forbid) I am subjected to further sexual coercion or assault and become pregnant as a result of said assault. You are talking about whether or not a doctor will be able to save my life if I suffer an ectopic pregnancy.
You are talking about the very real lives and bodies and minds of more than half of the people in this country.
When a person expresses dissatisfaction with a candidate because the candidate is not a strong pro-choice ally, and you respond with a comment that resembles choices A-D from my fun little exercise at the beginning of the post, you may think that you are saying, “Look at the picture. Other issues are important, too.”
But that’s not what people are hearing. They’re hearing, “We say that we’re pro-choice because our party wants your votes, but if you dare to say that we’re not pro-choice enough, we’ll dismiss your concerns as not being important enough. We kind of care about reproductive rights in theory, but we’re not going to do anything substantial to stand up for reproductive rights in practice because it’s not politically popular. So, ladies, please kindly STFU while we get to the stuff that’s *actually* important, and we’ll stick up for your rights and your bodies if and when we have the time or if we care enough.”
That’s what we’re hearing, and we’re hearing it because you are, essentially, saying just that.
You have no idea how much it hurts to hear that kind of talk from people who claim to be on our side.
When an anti-choicer makes a stance against abortion, I feel angry. When a person who claims to be pro-choice suddenly becomes wishy-washy on the subject of reproductive rights and then lectures me for not seeing the “big picture,” I feel angry and betrayed.
I would never vote for one of the current crop of Republicans as president, but I will say one thing for them on the subject of reproductive rights: at least they’re honest. They’re not going to pretend to be on my side and then turn around to use my bodily autonomy as a bargaining chip to strike a milquetoast deal about a different issue.
Now, look back at my original challenge/activity presented at the beginning of this post. Do you recognize yourself in choices A-D?
If so, you have two followup options.
You can decide that reproductive rights is only a side issue for you, and you have no intention of talking about it except to pay lip service to it.
OR
You can acknowledge that many pro-choice people are frustrated (with good reason) about the state of reproductive rights in this country and do your part to help the cause – by contacting the president, donating to pro-choice candidates, or sending the president or pro-choice representatives “thank you” emails/phone calls when they stand up for the cause.
The choice is yours.
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Your recommendation for action appeals to me and should to anyone answering A, B, C, D, or E. In fact, you outline the position of those who favor E in just that way.
A: Any republican will be far more inimicable to the pro choice position than Obama. So write Obama and encourage pro choice people to run for office so he’ll have more allies in Congress to help him shape legislation you favor.
B. A vote for Ron Paul, who may start a third-party after he’s mathematically eliminated from any chance of getting the Republican nomination, would NOT help but rather hurt Romney or Gingrich. So express your discontent with Obama and vote for Paul, if the chance is available. Meanwhile, “write Obama and encourage pro choice people to run for office so he’ll have more allies in Congress to help him shape legislation you favor.”
C. Presumably voters from red or purple states are reading this blog, so their votes will count more heavily than the votes of Marylanders or Californians. But if you want to shape the debate on abortion rights, don’t discount the support of voters from blue states. Ask them, along with others, to “write Obama and encourage pro choice people to run for office so he’ll have more allies in Congress to help him shape legislation you favor.”
D. Who said that those who are passionate about something as important as abortion rights are necessarily single issue voters? I’ll bet many of us also advocate (among other important causes) for green energy, a more equitable tax code, and the Dream Act. So all of us should “write Obama and encourage pro choice people to run for office so he’ll have more allies in Congress to help him shape legislation you favor.”
Let’s work together. Division among us helps only you know what party.
Who said that those who are passionate about something as important as abortion rights are necessarily single issue voters?
I’ve had this accusation leveled at me when I expressed doubt that I would be able to vote for someone who wasn’t pro-choice. Several times.
Let’s work together. Division among us helps only you know what party.
That’s well and good in theory, but too many women have heard versions of “let’s work together” that really mean “please stop talking about this now because other things are more important.”
I don’t understand how voting for Ron Paul who is describes himself as “strongly pro-life” and “an unshakable foe of abortion” would be a great idea for someone who is pro-choice. The information I’ve read on Mr. Paul’s stances is that while he’s never stated that abortion should be outlawed federally, that it’s something that should be controlled state-to-state, which already we’ve seen some of the horrific ideas various states have come up with.
However just the idea of voting for a person that thinks I shouldn’t get to call the shots with my own body, that all my female relatives and friends can’t be trusted to make informed decisions about their bodies, that ANY female or trans-male person out there shouldn’t be able to make decisions about their bodies – makes my skin crawl.
I /do/ employ option 2 already. And when Kathleen Sebelius overturned the FDA’s recommendation to make EC available more widely and Obama added to that his asinine comment about bubblegum and batteries, I did indeed express my dismay with his administration.
Even so, my response to anyone who refuses to vote for Obama out of disenchantment will still be response A. It’s not because I’m willing to compromise on reproductive justice, but because I know that with Obama in office, the efforts of pro-choice groups have a chance at succeeding. With any of his alternatives in office, we wouldn’t get the time of day. Obama’s done more than lip service to the pro-choice cause. One of his first acts in office was overturning the global gag rule. This made a huge difference in the lives of women in the developing world who needing family planning. He has a Secretary of State who’ll meaningfully address reproductive health. That’s worth something. He de-emphasized the ABC approach in combating HIV around the world. That’s also an extremely good thing. He’s taken away money from ab-only education programs, which has left the likes of Santorum pretty angry. And just now, he required insurance to cover birth control without co-pay. Yes, religious orgs have a one-year delay, but this is still a step /up/ from the exemption that the religious orgs wanted.
Basically, from where do you want to struggle? From rock bottom or from not-quite-as-high-as-promised? I promise, the latter is a lot less difficult.
I /do/ employ option 2 already. And when Kathleen Sebelius overturned the FDA’s recommendation to make EC available more widely and Obama added to that his asinine comment about bubblegum and batteries, I did indeed express my dismay with his administration.
Then this post isn’t directed at you.
I’m not saying that to be snarky or dismissive. I’m glad and grateful that you already employ option 2. I wrote this post for people who pay lip service to the idea of reproductive rights but haven’t proven that they really care about it.
Thanks for this. The introduction of personhood amendments has become increasingly disturbing to me and I’ve been feeling a bit helpless in addressing it. I didn’t know about Emily’s List and am glad to have that resource.
Yeah, Emily’s List is one of the few beacons of hope in terms of reproductive rights.
So hey, my argument would be that E is hopefully something someone who is pro-choice, is doing no matter who is in office from either party and that I have been using/supporting Emily’s List since before I could vote.
But I will also say that this is not *my* issue, on it’s own (as a subset of universal health care, which I want for all American’s it’s an essential and significant piece of the puzzle).
And I do agree with these points:
>>The fact that states enacted a record number of abortion restrictions in 2011.
The unsettling implication that the anti-choice movement is no longer focusing on Roe vs. Wade at all and instead, chipping at it away on a state level to ultimately make Roe vs. Wade irrelevant.
The unsettling fact that the anti-choice movement has confirmed that this is, in fact, their strategy.<>The knowledge that we live in a country where many states are introducing personhood amendments.
The knowledge that we live in a country where many people will look at a woman or trans man who became pregnant from rape with a cold, unsympathetic eye and declare that these rape victims should make the best of a bad situation.<<
There are initiatives on the table in six states. Six states out of 50 plus DC, PR, and Guam. I can not agree that that is "many", (but of course I can see the argument *one* is one too many). I would also point out that Mississippi, one of the more conservative states in Union, one where they should ostensibly should have had that vote IN THE BAG, they lost. 55% a mandate of super religious super conservative voters said no freaking way. We can't do that, we can't go there, because it's CRAZY and DANGEROUS.
Polling since Roe v. Wade has also consistently reflected that the majority of American voters (75% or more) support a woman's right to choose.
And I really REALLY can't see that "many" people agree with that dipshit Santorum. He is the lunatic fringe, that the MM has allowed for years this lunatic fringe (and all the lunatic fringes such as the tea party) to own a larger piece of the political landscape than they actually statistically occupy is total utter bullshit.
This makes me want to go watch Citizen Ruth again.
Anyway none of this is to say anyone has to vote for Barry, especially if they feel betrayed to their core on an issue they hold most paramount, but I also don't consider myself "wishy washy" because I do not hold it *as* paramount, and that it very much IS, for me, a piece of a larger integrated social democratic puzzle.
*oh, and have you read Cunt? The author has a take on the abortion industry that is fairly surprising and that I ultimately share.
This makes me want to go watch Citizen Ruth again.
I loved that movie! It’s been too long.
But I will also say that this is not *my* issue, on it’s own (as a subset of universal health care, which I want for all American’s it’s an essential and significant piece of the puzzle).
It’s not my only issue, either, and I do appreciate his fight for health care. But (and we’ve talked about this before and I know you largely agree) he’s disappointed me on so many issues – education, the environment, the economy. If he were wishy-washy on this one issue but awesome with the economy I’d forgive it and still eagerly vote for him with some reservations, but he’s way too pro-corporation.
Anyway none of this is to say anyone has to vote for Barry, especially if they feel betrayed to their core on an issue they hold most paramount, but I also don’t consider myself “wishy washy” because I do not hold it *as* paramount, and that it very much IS, for me, a piece of a larger integrated social democratic puzzle.
I don’t consider you or others like you wishy-washy. Maybe I didn’t clarify this in the post so I’ll clarify it here:
If someone says, “Abortion rights are very important to me, but it’s a piece of a larger puzzle, and I think Obama is the best viable candidate we have to make positive change for the larger puzzle. But I have and will continue to take action to fight for reproductive rights,” I consider that person as being on my side and as someone who will listen to me.
If someone IMMEDIATELY leaps to A/B/C/D, though, and this is a person who never brings up abortion rights except to threaten me with it – “You’d BETTER vote for Obama or you can kiss Roe vs. Wade goodbye” – then that tells me that the person doesn’t care about me, or my bodily autonomy, or my rights as a woman or a person, and that they just want to bully me into voting for their candidate.
This post is largely directed at people who fall into the latter category, to remind them that a pro-choice position is not just a theory, and that if they’re as progressive as they think they are, they need to be more vocal in supporting reproductive rights.
I probably will still vote for Obama despite my reservations, especially because he’s made some recent decisions that have made me feel more positive about him, but he still needs to be more vocal about reproductive rights, and so does his campaign.
For the record I love that you posted this and there is never a bad time to inspire political activism!
I just worry why this issue isn’t as important to me, as it is to many women I know, and I fear that’s largely about privilege and I don’t want to not do my part for a cause just because it’s so distant from my experience. Or that I’m not informed enough about how bad things are.
Okay I have no idea how my comment got so jacked up but the most important part got excised! I *meant* to say that because the state by state chip away strategy goal is to circumvent Executive power and Federal law, that with holding a vote from a pro-choice President even one as disappointing as Barack Obama, isn’t germane. At least in my view. And that an active pro choice voter should focus on state and local politics where this fight is really being lost/won.
I don’t disagree, really, but my problem is that Obama doesn’t even talk about the issue. He only mentions abortion rights in terms of “finding common ground” and “listening to both sides.”
First of all, fuck common ground. One side thinks women should have the right to control their own reproductive choices, the other does not. There’s no “listening to both sides” there.
Secondly, he doesn’t put his money where his mouth is. He tosses abortion rights under the bus when he wants to get something else done. And on the issue of the state amendments, he is silent.
Obama is a great orator. He knows how to command an audience. Yet he doesn’t use that power to try to sway public opinion. I want him to talk about what’s happening on the state level even if he doesn’t directly affect it, just to see that he actually cares about this issue and will fight for it.
And that’s a problem that I have with his entire presidency, really: he has a bully pulpit and he doesn’t use it. He’d rather compromise on, oh, everything.
And you know I’m with you on all of that, I can’t understand his passivity, and equivocating, and I totally understand why anyone would feel like supporting him in the election is a struggle.
And there is an argument to be made that having things get worse since catastrophic badness sometimes the only thing people understand and will inspire their active support.
i go back and forth on this issue, only because I am in a purple state. I feel like I will probably vote for Obama, but I am more interested in the state legislature and representatives as far as this issue is concerned. It seems like this is a fight that is being left to the legislature and maybe one day the Courts.
That being all said, I understand the struggle, and I impotently wish there was an easier choice for us.
Lookout! Girl we must be soul mates because I swear I have agreed with u on every post. Thanks!
I am learning, more and more, that our votes on the state and local level are WAY more important than the executive level.
We took a nap after Pres. Obama was elected and when we woke up, clowns were driving the circus bus.
What did we do to express our displeasure? One of my sons, his girlfriend and I, along with 10 or so friends joined the 1000-1500 people at the Speak Loud With Silence protest in Richmond on Feb 20. We will get on a bus to go to DC on April 28 for the Women’s march and again in Sept… and we are attempting to organize voter registration events in our state. By the way, in Va, Gov McWannabeVP is sitting on a voter ID bill that could make it extremely hard for some in the lower income levels to vote.
Write (snail mail, which seems to carry more weight with these folks), email, call and schedule appointments with them. Tell them what you want – we hired them …whether actively or passively… and we can give them their pink slip
Everyday another asinine statement such as, “maybe women don’t really understand what rape is” or “women should be made to watch abortions” is being made from the House and Senate floors of states across the country. We have to restore common sense to this country. It can’t start at the top and work down…it HAS to work from the bottom up, where we TRULy have more say-so.
We have spoken and made it clear we are planning to fire those who aren’t working on our behalf.