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Powerful Choices
by
I just read Tabitha's Motherhood article. Heartless
is definitely right.
I agree that many women have
children because it is expected of them and "proper". I
agree that the phenomenon of women paying for and
undergoing ludicrous medical procedures in order to
"naturally" pro-create instead of adopting the
millions of unwanted children in the world is
maddening. But, the author places "women [who] go to
college, get degrees, become doctors and lawyers and
are successful" as the exact opposite of their aunts
and cousins who "slobber over... brats." So, in order
to be "successful" a woman must shun her biological
ability
to give birth? These are the feminists who give the
rest of us a bad name.
I do not believe every woman
should give birth, or that it is the only thing of
value a woman can do. Aren't we all arguing that
"choice" is what it's all about? I can choose to
bring a child into the world and raise him or her as a
fabulous feminist (my personal plan) or I can choose
not to have children. Both are choices we should
respect women for making. The problem with feminism
is sometimes women's inability to work with each
other, our catiness that won't allow us to play fair
with our other teammates. So, to Tabitha, and the
other Heartless
Bitches that believe having a child is a weak,
destructive thing to do, I disagree. As a future
midwife, I believe in the inherent strength and power
you can see in every woman's face when she gives
birth.
Technology and medicine (male dominated
fields) have encouraged women to be afraid and trust them to
"deliver" their babies but some of us know better.
Birth is empowerment, it is an experience only a woman
can have and something I will fight (like the meanest
bitch you know) for every woman's right to choose, be
it not to become pregnant, to abort a pregnancy, or to
give birth to another human being.
Read Theresa's Response to "Powerful Choices"
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