Abortion: still a dirty word

Guardian (U.K.) ^ | 5/25/02 | Julie Burchill

[B Knotts]

It is a little unfair. But not by much. If you look at state-by-state abortion rates, you'll find that D.C. (which is not a state) is the highest by far, but New York and California are near the top.

[Tomalak]

It is a nice thought, but as a Brit I can tell you that the most that will happen is the Guardian will print out your email - show another "ranting yank from the religious right" in distress at her - and she'll get another big laugh out of it all.

Virtually no one in Britain actually *reads* the Guardian. It gets nearly all of its funds from advertising state jobs to the few hundred well qualified liberals who buy it. I never understood why Conservative governments continued to advertise in the Guardian. They effectively keep a nasty, left-wing organ of hate alive entirely voluntarily. The paper writes of Bush losing in 2000 in all seriousness, it is more pro-IRA than Tony Blair, it blames America for September 11th and it contains the meanest, most anti-British political analysts there are. I don't expect the e-mail to have the slightest effect, but I wish you luck.

[DennisR]

Thanks for the enlightenment. Oh well...

[xp38]

Julie Burchill....name rings a bell...rock journalist IIRC who co wrote a book attacking pretentious rock stars and punk rock called the "The boy looked at Johnny". She must be getting up in age now....her abortion days may soon be over.

[AnnaZ]

Words fail.

[SkyPilot]

What a selfish little monster.

[The Thin Man]

This might be the most pathetic article I have ever read.

[SuziQ]

Myself, I'd as soon weep over my taken tonsils or my absent appendix as snivel over those abortions. I had a choice, and I chose life - mine.

Sounds like a SELFISH cow to me! Why in heaven's name was she stupid enough to get pregnant 5 times when she clearly didn't want any children? Sounds like she's using abortion as birth control to me. I hope she never changes her mind and decides she WANTS a baby, her abused uterus just may not cooperate. I wonder how she'll feel then?

[NC_Libertarian]

all I felt was happy

If you're so happy, then why are you struggling to justify it to the world?

This woman is in denial.

[NC_Libertarian]

I don't think she's as devious as that:

"I love babies," I said, surprised at the simplicity of my statement. And then immediately, perfectly naturally, "I'm so glad I had all those abortions."

I think the reality of what she has done hit her, and she's trying to suppress it.

[monkey]

Me-Ism - psychiatry, psychoanalysis, any sort of navel-gazing - has to take part of the blame for the demonisation of abortion. The idea that everything we do or have done to us stays with us for ever is a reactionary and self-defeating reading of modern life. No doubt if you're the sort of lumbering, self-obsessed poltroon who believes that seeing Mommy kissing Santa Claus 30 years ago irrevocably marked your life, you wouldn't get over an abortion, as you wouldn't get over stubbing your toe without professional help. But you choose to be that way, because you are weak and vain, and you think your pain is important. Whereas the rest of us know not only that our pain is not important, but that it probably isn't even pain - just too much time on our hands.

Many years ago, when he was first running for Senate in Maryland, Alan Keyes made an analogy between abortion and slavery. Shortly thereafter, feminists and the media pushed the equivalence of anti-abortion laws and slavery.

Reversing the argument is the Picard of deconstruction. Perhaps "no i'm not, you are" is easy to remember from childhood.

--------------

Though he is a veteran of numerous combats at the water's edge, One-Ear has never been attacked by an enemy who had not first displayed his fighting rage; and he had never before been attacked with a weapon.

One-Ear merely looks up at the raised club until the heavy thigh bone of an antelope brings the darkness down around him.

The Others stare in wonder at Moonwatcher's power.

Moonwatcher surveys the scene. Now he was master of the world, and he was not sure what to do next.

But he would think of something.

- Screenplay, 2001

[Tomalak]

Liberals will tell you all about how much they "care", they want (others people's) money for the poor, and all the rest

But when it comes down to actually behaving like decent human beings, well, that's not required, because being a liberal makes up for it.

Right. The Liberal Left judges your character by your political principles. So if you jump in the sea and save a drowning man it isn't an issue. But if you support sinking an enemy battleship you are sick and immoral. The Left see the sort of person you are based on what yuo believe, not how you live your life. How else can you explain the way they condemn everyone who is personally tolerant as "homophobes" simply because they oppose gay marriage or something?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

The Liberal Left judges your character by your political principles.

An incredibly astute observation. My vote for quote of the day.

[Shermy]

Me-Ism - psychiatry, psychoanalysis, any sort of navel-gazing - has to take part of the blame for the demonisation of abortion.

"Me-ism" is exactly the opposite, as the rest of her article shows. She's froot loops and needs a shrink. Was her use of the term "navel-gazing" a "freudian slip?" Interesting choice of words.

[fortress]

Thanks for informing us on the Guardian.
Somehow because it is British we tend to respect a newspaper more than we ought.

[Castlebar]

"I love babies," I said, surprised at the simplicity of my statement. And then immediately, perfectly naturally, "I'm so glad I had all those abortions."

- Julie Burchill

"I've been a hunter all me life. I love animals. That's why I like to kill 'em."

- Graham Chapman (Monty Python)

[Korth]

This is a woman who said a while ago that she was pleased at how many young people were taking drugs and having abortions because it showed how much fun they are having.

I would like to read that article. Do you have a link, either at Free Republic or at the original site?

[Korth]

I was touched by them but even more deeply affected by those who had been hardened by their experience, as this woman obviously has been.

That is an excellent point. Her statements in this article come after five abortions. But I wonder if she was so hard hearted after just her first one?

[Korth]

My abortions! All five of them.

This is why the west is slowly giving way to the third world. Such women will be particularly unhappy with life in the "New Europe" that will arise when the third world immigrants (who don't get abortions at a high rate) become the majority.

[weegee]

My abortions! All five of them.

Sounds like someone needs to be instructed on the proper use of birth control. She just can't seem to get it right.

Condom on banana? Check.

Birth control pill? Well I din't have time to make it to the pharmacist this week but I'll definitely call in the prescrip refill next week.

Sexual relations in a loving marriage? I'm just not sure that I'm ready to make that kind of a commitment now, am I? Norplant implants? It'd make my tattoo on me arm all "bumpy".