Follow Up: Responding to Michele

Abortion is a very controversial topic. These readings discuss abortion and the various ways of viewing it and how to deal with it. I agree with Michelle in the sense that I gained a broader perspective on the topic, but it did not necessarily change my stance on it. Hearing true-life examples of women going through abortion and the issues surrounding it helped me understand the various viewpoints. Society, as Michelle writes, is a powerful force on these women and I believe this statement to be true. I also think that all the readings go back to idea that it is up to the mother to make the decision.

I enjoyed reading Arcana’s piece and like Michelle, appreciated her neutral stance on abortion. It was interesting how she tied together the relationship between abortion and mothering. She writes, “Abortion is neither a separate subject, nor a subject in a different category” (225). I think she takes a strong stance in showing how closely connected the two are in a society where “abortion, along with contraception, miscarriage, and adoption…are all usually separated from discussions of mothering, even when those discussions are carried on in the voices and writings of women of consciousness” (225). Why have we routinely separated these terms in society? It is important to see these all as inter-related because as Arcana argues, abortion is “the concern of women who are taking responsibility for the lives of their children” (225). It is the mother who decides what to do so there is no reason not to see the interconnectedness of these two issues. It all goes back to the choice women are making, which is also seen in the other readings for today’s post.

In “Abortion, Vacuum Cleaners and the Power Within” Inga Muscio presents her views on abortion and claims to have had it three times in her life. I agree with Michele that she is a hypocrite by saying “abortion sucks” yet she had it done on her. What kind of message is she sending to her readers? It was interesting that after having an abortion 3 times in her life, she relates it to a vacuum, which cleans up messes. She provided a very thought provoking analogy: “a pile of kitty litter on the floor is treated much the same as an undesired embryo” (112). This made me question: what do we really think of abortion?

Muscio struggles with the notion that she only had one choice once she came to the conclusion that she wanted an abortion. She had to go to a clinical abortion because as she put it, “What other goddamn choice did I have?” (Muscio, 113). Even when she was fully able to exercise her right to terminate a pregnancy, she did not have a choice. This goes back to the limited range of choices that women have in a patriarchal society, which maintains the status of women as second-class citizens. It serves to keep women oppressed in society. What if a woman did not want to submit to a clinical abortion? What other choice did she really have? This serves to decrease a women’s self-worth in a predominantly male-dominated society. How can women find empowerment while being restricted in society?

It was empowering to read how Muscio found liberation by choosing alternative methods for abortion. “I felt like I imagine any oppressed individual feels when they see that they have power, and nobody—not even men and their machines, nobody—can take that away” (Muscio, 117). This is exactly the power that women must realize they have. I think it will be important to step away from patriarchal society and have open discussions of the diversity of options.

In “And So I Chose,” Allison Crews also discusses the idea of reproductive choice as seen in her experience as a teenage mother. The last paragraph really made it clear about what being pro-choice means to her, and I agree with her conclusions. She successfully associated feminism, motherhood, and choice together in a powerful discussion of the issues that mothers and mothers-to-be may face. This is similar to the interconnectedness in Arcana’s piece. Choice, for Crews, is what gives people power in society, just as Muscio revealed in her essay. Without choice, our only option is to submit to the patriarchal system that tells us what we should do with our choices, our bodies, and our lives. This reflects Muscio’s findings on not having a choice in terms of how to get an abortion, as the only plausible way was seen through a clinical abortion. If women do not have a choice in their own lives and bodies, then how are women believed to fight for other rights in the public sphere? How can women rise above the constraints in society? Her essay also made me realize we cannot just focus on reproductive choice but also the other struggles that women face when mothering.

Going back to Muscio’s reading, I agree with her conclusion of the need to create “informal health collectives where we discuss things like our bodies and our selves” (119). This will help women realize their strength and ultimately make a powerful impact in society. As the authors of the readings for today would agree, we need to realize our power from within and understand that we can make decisions and work against the patriarchal system. As Michelle notes, it is the women’s decision and we need to think about where the male comes into play. I think she brings up a very important point and I don’t think there is one correct answer in the debate. What other conclusions can we draw from these authors? How has this idea played out in modern society?