As long as Will Pitt is doing it, I think I'll call myself out

[cali]

I've been posting about abortion here in GD for years. So have a few others. By and large abortion topics are ignored here. I think it's a vital issue.

Yesterday morning before I posted the op which became a catalyst for abortion threads and discussions, I posted 2 important ops about abortion rights news. And one was very good news indeed. Zero responses. That's generally the level of response: Little or no interest in an issue that is foundational to democrats- as in in the party platform foundational.

Here they are:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023975224

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023975239

So I posted this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023975393

and it galvanized discussion of the issue here. I'm glad that it did.

Yes, I know DU isn't the epicenter of the democratic world but it is a microcosm and yes, I think that elected dems IN GENERAL should be fighting back more visibly.

Oh, and for some of you complaining most bitterly about that thread? I never see your names in other threads about it.

[TxDemChem]

1. Thanks for bringing this up.

I missed those top two threads previously (no cell signal at work recently). But you are right.

I have found that threads dealing with abortion tend to be very short, as so few people respond to them. However, I wonder if it as an issue of them not feeling comfortable talking about it. Although I am pro-life, it was difficult for me to discuss until not so long ago. I feel much more at ease now, but I try to keep my responses civil and serious. I wonder if they too are just reluctant to discuss abortion.

[boston bean]

5. You say are pro life. What do you mean by that? Tell me what it means to you.

[TxDemChem]

6. I am pro-life in that

I am for the mothers and children who are already here. I hate the way anti-choicers use the term pro-life because they are simply pro-birth. I am especially for the lives if people who have fallen on hard times, who struggle in poverty, the children who need to fed, housed and educated.

My family and I decided some years ago that anti-choicers are not pro-life.

[boston bean]

9. Why don't you call yourself pro choice? nt

[TxDemChem]

12. I usually do when not speaking to family

But I got up too early and started responding to the thread. Hubby pointed out I had some grammatical errors in my post.

Time change always screws with my sleep patterns.

[boston bean]

24. So for yourself you would not have an abortion

and you would counsel family members and friends against having one? And that you do not wish to limit any womans right to obtain one if she chooses? ie,via laws limiting abortion...

Or are you saying that you don't want your family to know you are pro choice?

[TxDemChem]

29. I'm saying neither.

I posted above that my family uses what we find to be more appropriate labels. Right wingers call themselves pro-life, but the only thing they really are is pro-birth. After the baby is born, they can't be bothered with how that child will be raised or how the family will be affected.

My family has had to deal with abortion and for the sake of my relative and the lives of her already born children, she felt as if she would be putting her other children and the new one in a really bad situation. Since then, we have stopped referring to ourselves as pro-choice. As my relative and her three children and husband were desperately poor, I realized that I needed to look at everyone whose lives would be impacted by this pregnancy, especially as the last child she gave birth to has serious physical and mental disabilities. In the big scheme of things, she had to balance the lives of her family with the hardship of another pregnancy and quite possibly difficult birth and future care of another possibly ill child. Her choice was pro-life and in her honor, we've changed the nomenclature.

She and her husband both died young and the child with the disabilities is now in his mid 20s and being cared for by a sister and home health aide.

[boston bean]

30. I'm confused. I'm not getting it. Sorry.

[TxDemChem]

38. That's okay.

It was just a family experience that made me see abortion as not just about a woman and a fetus, but about a woman and her family. We all gained a broader understanding of why some women choose to terminate their pregnancies. And often, they are not merely thinking if themselves, but of those who already depend on them.

Actually this is the first group I have encountered that hadn't heard of the campaign to call out anti-choicers as pro-birth. It may be just in my small little corner of the world (or more accurately, the small little town my family is from).

Either way, know that I am for a woman's right to choose.

[boston bean]

41. I think many times people can't understand until it

Effects them personally. And I'm not saying that in any judgment. But if people could have a bit more empathy for the living and their lives and problems we would be much better off in society.

Please disregard the posters accusations against me below. I was not interrogating you. The terms people choose to use as identifiers interest me. And the terms mean so many different things to different people, I was just trying yo understand.

I probably wouldn't ever call myself pro life, but I have heard people use it to describe themselves as being anti abortion for themselves, but believe in choice for others, which is a pro choice stance. Also, I have heard it used to describe no abortion for anyone. So, just trying to get an understanding.

Therefore my questions so we could be speaking the same language.

But to be honest you confused me again cause you refer to pro birth now and pro life prior. My questions surrounded your pro life comments. Lol.

[msanthrope]

33. Please don't feel you have to justify yourself further. Your posts are quite understandable. nt

[boston bean]

34. You are way fucking off. Have fun with your trouble making.

[msanthrope]

36. Go complain in AtA. nt

[TxDemChem]

39. Thanks for the understanding.

I just hate misnomers.

[msanthrope]

31. Is there a reason you are interrogating this DUer? She has been unfailingly polite to your rather

abrupt questioning.

[boston bean]

32. No I am not interrogating the poster. Mind your own business and look for drama elsewhere.

[msanthrope]

35. Yes-- you are. And since you have freely chosen to conduct your interrogation on a public board,

as opposed to by PM, or some other method where you have an expectation of privacy, it is my business.

You could always complain about that in ATA, if you want.

[boston bean]

37. This exchange is bizarre and angry. Take care of yourself.

[msanthrope]

45. I'm glad you changed your tone above and posted a far more polite response in the

end.

[boston bean]

47. My tone has been fine and unchanged throughout.

Same tone for you as well.... bizarre to say the least. Weird it is. And so personal. Take care.

[Revanchist]

2. You're right, it is a very important issue that needs more exposure.

While I may have personal feelings that could be labeled along the lines of pro-choice (blame a Catholic background) I understand that those feelings don't give me the right to impose my beliefs on others, even when it was a girlfriend at the time who decided that she did not want to be a mother. I respected her choice because it was her body, not mine.

[fasttense]

3. Yes, Dems don't seem to be fighting as hard for abortion rights as RepubliCONS are fighting

against women's rights in general.

I use to give money to NARAL but I see so little coming out of that organization that I have moved my giving to Planned Parenthood instead.

I don't know why Dems seem so passive on the issue. They are kind of passive anyway, certainly NOT big fighters for liberal causes, but they are particularly passive when it comes to protecting our right to have an abortion. I don't get it.

[cali]

7. uh, so you think only one issue can be focused on?

and it's only a matter of life and fucking death as in women dying the way they used to when abortion was illegal.

fuck.

Life and death. Not important at all.

[xchrom]

8. du rec.

[In_The_Wind]

10. Kicked & Recommended

[ananda]

11. Choice and the right to healthcare for all women are very important.

..

[LisaLynne]

13. Thank you for trying to keep the discussion of this incredibly important issue ...

going. I think your posts brought about a good discussion.

[eilen]

14. Modern prominent national democrats drop the ball

on abortion rights/women's reproductive freedom and worker's rights, labor unions. I think we could safely add that there has been precious little in the way of electional parity when it comes to voting machines in poor neighborhoods and really, anything poverty related.

[ancianita]

15. Far as I'm concerned, we should post pro-choice threads as long as the RW is fighting abortion.

If that means forever, so be it. Abortion rights are settled law across this country, no matter how states try to burden women with restrictions. The relentless legal attacks on women's rights are always cause for high visibility protest, particularly from party leaders.

[LuvNewcastle]

16. The Dem. Party absolutely needs to make abortion rights

a top priority. There's no way that the Dems. could win a single election without large numbers of women voting for our candidates. Abortion rights is critical to gaining the support of women, and if the Dems. don't stand for that right like they should, women might just decide to go elsewhere.

[Gothmog]

28. The gender gap is the key reason why the Democrats are winning in Virginia

I am hopeful that we can generate a gender gap in my home state.

[evemac]

17. k and r!!! eom

[closeupready]

18. Modern human slavery also gets little interest here.

Judging by the threads of which I'm aware of the last few years.

I've tried posting threads about the topic, and bumping others, but I guess if it's not in the headlines or on CNN, people don't care.

[marble falls]

19. Cai, I always get something good from your threads even when I don't agree completely with ...

them. I think you have a point that abortion has fallen in interest as an issue in that the entire issue of women's rights have gotten more interest lately. Abortion isn't the only or even central issue of women's rights even as it is the most uniquely woman's issue.

Please don't ever stop being Cali.

[niyad]

20. k and r

[Dawgs]

21. Like I said yesterday. DU is the last place to get good discussion on policy.

You should know that by now.

[cali]

22. I'm not that ambitious. I just wanted to see a discussion

[Ineeda]

23. Semantics are important, so...

although the phrasing is correct as 'pro-choice' and 'anti-choice', we should never, ever call the latter position "pro-life". In reality, it is "pro-fetus", or "anti-child", or "anti-post-born". Certainly "anti-woman" fits, and especially "anti-family", considering that happy, healthy women and wanted children contribute mightily to a pro-family dynamic.

[redqueen]

25. Thanks for trying.

I really appreciate the efforts you put in to trying to raise awareness here about TRAP laws and other attacks on women's human rights.

As for me I tend to stay out of GD more often than not, for obvious reasons. I find more interest in activism for these causes (those related to women) on other sites.

[cali]

27. thanks redqueen. Right back at you.

[Gothmog]

26. Abortion rights and the war on women will be key issues in Texas for the 2014 races

Due to the inherent nature of her filibuster, Wendy Davis will be making the issue of choice and women rights an issue in Texas in 2014 to an extent that we have not seen in a long time. I had friends who were at the filibuster and the protest march the next week. There is a great deal of excitement in Texas for Davis and the abortion issue is going to be a major issue in the upcoming race.

The GOP war on women is or will be a key issue in the 2014 race with national money coming to Texas to try to take the fight to the GOP. Texas has both a horrible sonogram law and the latest restrictions on abortions. These horrible laws will be part of the campaign designed to motivate the vote of suburban women. The two key voting blocks that the Democrats are going to try to motivate are single women and the Hispanic vote. It is going to take increase participation by both groups for Texas Democrats to have a chance.

The GOP is already responding to these issues with Abbott supporters calling Senator Davis some really nasty names. Hopefully, this conduct will backfire on these idiots. I would love to see a real gender gap in Texas.

As the father of two daughters, this is a very important issue to me. My middle child called me in tears when the sonogram bill was passed and I was sad when the 5th Cir. upheld this law.

To some extent, the Texas 2014 election may well be a test case to see if the Democratic Party can defend the rights of women. I know Greg Abbott and I have a feeling that he will help us in this regard in that he is not a nice person and his tactics are already pissing off women voters.

[quinnox]

40. zeemike's post #4 was a bad hide

I don't like it when opinions are censored like that, and he had a perfectly valid opinion. The alerter and jury were off base.

[cali]

43. I agree and I told him so.

[quinnox]

44. glad to hear

[KoKo]

42. It's just the Way of DU these days. Cover Up, Distract and Obfuscate. n/t

[Sissyk]

46. Hi cali!

I think some of the problem is most democrats believe this is something we won long ago. They are busy focusing on things that need to be won now.

Also, some think that there is nothing they can do (unless they live there) about the things going on in certain states. Hopefully, Virginians are doing their part to see the Tea bagging Religious nut doesn't get a foot in the door.

I, for one, do appreciate you and all others that keep us informed with what is going on with Women's Rights and Abortions. I will try to do better in the future to acknowledge the excellent post on the subject.

One more thing. Until this week, I didn't realize there were posters here (granted, very very few) that did not believe abortions should be safe and legal. You could have knocked me over with a feather.