Choice

Clementine Ford in today’s Sunday Mail discloses that she has had 2 abortions.  She says that it wasn’t a hard decision for her to make, in fact is was “really, really easy”, and also that she felt no shame over terminating her pregnancies, just intense relief.  She says she is “pro-life” - pro the life of women who have lived for years as opposed to cells that have lived for weeks.  She says she doesn’t believe a 12 week old clump of cells is a baby.  I think the main point in her article is  that women have got to stop feeling like they owe the world a truckload of guilt simply because they exercised their legal right to govern their own reproduction.

I don’t have a problem with any of this.  I would generally say I’m pro-choice, to a point.  I don’t believe life begins at the moment of conception like many of the “pro-life” advocates do.  But equally, I find the idea of late term abortions wrong.  At what point does the foetus’ right to life outweigh the woman’s choice …. I don’t know to be honest.  Fortunately I’ve never had to be involved in a decision like this, so I’ve never had to take a firm position on it.  So I guess I’m pro-choice to a point, a point which I can’t define.  To be honest I’d also say that I find the idea of women who have serial abortions distasteful …. a sign of carelessness and stupidity.   I understand mistakes happen, but repeated ones do suggest carelessness on the part of the woman and her partner.

What really attracted my attention in this article was the comments.  Clementine Ford summarises her response to the theme of some of these comments, but reading through the couple of hundred comments, there are obviously many pro-life/anti-choice people who cannot argue rationally and immediately resort to personal abuse of those who don’t share their view of the world.  Some examples of this form of intelligent debate include:

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde: To lose one (child) may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose (two) looks like carelessness . The real issue here is not abortion, its carelessness. If women want to take control etc etc etc - then bloody well take the proper precautions and dont get pregnant in the first place. Keeping your legs together would be a good start.

From Jonty of Aldgate.

keep your legs shut …

From Alex of Adelaide

murder! no other word for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From HWD of Port Augusta

In the process of having her numerous abortions and exercising her choice of convenience, we can all hope Ms Ford has rendered herself infertile and will not be able to procreate in the future.

From BJ

I cant believe what I just read…….for a so called ‘educated woman’ have you ever heard of birth control or is abortion your birth control? I am getting tired of you trying to ’shock us’ with your immature columns…… I suggest you grow up and avoid sharing all the details of your STDs next week!!

From Tracy of Adelaide

Oh, you’re such a tough little women aren’t you, and totally unabashed to admit. Pull your head in, why don’t you. Such a good influence for the young promiscuous girls around. How did the father(s) feel about these homicidal decisions? Or, were the fathers unknown? Tracy of Adelaide had a good point, try another form of contraception other than the brutal, immoral act of abortion. It’d be a real shame to be later wanting to have children knowing that you just threw away your last chance. Bloody coward, stop killing poor little innocent babies. As Alex of Adelaide says, “..keep your legs shut..”

From Benjamin of Adelaide

I hope you have a miserable life from now on. Hope you lose your job too. I wish the advertiser had direct competition.

From Jason of North Adelaide

Of course Clementine is entitled to her own opinion about her body. The same as I’m entitled to believe she’s stupid for having unprotected, unsafe sex on at least two (but probably hundreds) of occasions. I can’t wait for the next column on have having AIDS is her choice too…

From Henry Jonkers of St Kilda

At least the visitors know where to go in Hicksville for a good time with no after effects and no obligations and it’s cheaper than a bought one.

From Jack Farmer of Hamilton

The real question is - how could someone so butt ugly have managed to get laid at all - let alone TWICE!

From Jason of Adelaide

murderer. god gives you this great gift and she kills it. maybe she better try keeping her pants on, she now deserves nothing from life as she has killed two.

From Dominic Carbone

Those of us who believe in creation over evolution and that life begins at conception can be comforted that yet another Adelaide serial killer’s victims are already in a far far better place having died without ever having sinned and that this killer will have to answer for two murders when she faces the ultimate judgement.

From Peter Fanelli of USA

So, we have some common themes here … and this is only from the first half of the comments.  First, obviously she must be some sort of slut having rampant sex with dozens if not hundreds of men.  Second, she is a murderer and will burn in hell.  Then we have those lovely people (no doubt calling themselves Christians) who wish all sorts of misfortune on her.

Nothing like rational debate is there.  No wonder there are like-minded idiots in the USA who go around murdering doctors who provide abortions and bombing abortion clinics.