Why Vote Pro-Choice? (con subtitulous)

[ABoy877]

I agree but wuz up wit the 24 week law? n sumtimez it seems to me dat alot of the more passionate pro choicers look at children like they sum kinda parasite, i hav heard ppl say dat many timez. pro choice yes, pro assholez hell naw!

[JaygeAlmaron]

It is right to understand that politics is not a religion, and our government is not in a position to pass laws which difine our morality.

The question is:

Would you have an abortion?

I understand if you feel I am violating your right to a private opinion then don't feel obligated to respond

[gymverb]

Awesome! I am a prochoicer. And you rock!

[semiliteratedgod]

ur on the right side

[teton99]

Some people try to justify abortion by claiming that the result of conception, at least up to a certain number of days, cannot yet be considered a personal human life. But in fact, "from the time that the ovum is fertilized, a life is begun which is neither that of the father nor the mother; it is rather the life of a new human being with his own growth. It would never be made human if it were not human already.

John Paul II - Evangelium vitae

[sueezee]

teton:Some people try to justify abortion by claiming that the result of conception cannot yet be considered a personal human life.

NO they do NOT.A woman abortng dosen't care if its a refrigerator.she DOSEN'T want it! She needs NO justification but that.You cant comprehend that,because you dont comprehend abortion.How can you comment with a clear conscience, when you dont know thet facts? Never mind..I KNOW how.

[teton99]

"He who saves a single soul , saves the world entire"

The Jewish Inscription on Schindler's ring given to him by the Jews at Brunnlitz.

[metalvitae]

good argument! I agree that we need social policy to keep the abortion rate low, more than restrictive law. But does this make me pro-choice? I am actually pro-life, because I believe the child in the womb ought to have a right to life. Too many pro-lifers, though, do not seem to see the difficulty of this issue, and that a cooperative and common solution will only come about if both sides work together. You do not need, however, to vote pro-choice to support these policies.

[katiedivina]

thanks for the comment, metalvitae. Many pro-life folks are politically/socially progressive, but object to abortion. I respect this, but I'm curious about how they choose to vote--do they vote with pro-life conservatives who express outrage over abortion but support none of the policies (head start, sex ed, etc) that decrease abortion rates? or pro-choice progressives who support legal abortion and also the social/economic policies that decrease abortion rates? Our limited choices... :)

[sushilmishul]

hola conoces pucon.....

[renamouskouri]

I agree with you

[kristopaivinen]

If the world would have been pro-choice before you were born, your mother would have probably made the choice to abort you.

[katiedivina]

the US was pro-choice when I was born, and I'm here. Are you trying to say that all babies are unwanted and would be aborted if the choice were available? or do you just want to say that about me? :p

[kristopaivinen]

The majority of the US, not the world, was pro-choice when you were born.

[katiedivina]

how would this change my mother's decision?

or the answers to the questions I asked you?

[dbporter]

I didn't know where else to put this. You mentioned that you lived with your boyfriend... And you're pro choice. It made me wonder about your values. Not that mine are any different. But to live with a man that won't marry you. He's getting the milk for free. (IF and until he does) How does that make you feel?

[katiedivina]

Who says that *he's* the one who is holding out? We're waiting on marriage because it's what *I* want, and the "milk for free" thing goes both ways.

You crack me up! :D

[mitchcumstein23]

what law school are you going to this fall?

[katiedivina]

hi mitch--it's a secret, but I'm very happy about where I'm headed. :)

[mitchcumstein23]

ok - good luck

you seem like a great person and i am sure will be a great lawyer

[Liquidsound]

Good video.

[Starlightsixty]

Do you work with children? I love kids, they're such unpretentious little people!

[nascareer]

Well said and not too preachy.

[sushilmishul]

hey conoces pucon? como? y hablas español?

[Andriuan]

Katie, ya me gustaría a mí hablar ingles tan bien como tu hablas y escribes español.

Katie, I would like speak english as well as you speak and write spanish.

[Andriuan]

Sigo pensando que es necesario regular los supuestos legales en los cuales es posible abortar, dejar el aborto en manos de las mujeres sin límite legal alguno no me parece lo más apropiado, su decisión atañe a un bien tan preciado como la vida y eso debe estar regulado. Por otro lado, la educación, la sanidad y un entorno social normal es bueno para todo, y se puede reivindicar independientemente del derecho a elegir el aborto.

[rockaxisarica]

yo confío en el criterio de las personas para asumir los costos de una relación sexual ANTES DE TENERLA, Creo firmemente en lo que digo, pues amparados en los indices de que en los países donde el aborto es legal son más bajos caeriamos tambien a pensar de que deberiamos legalizar el consumo de drogas para que los indices tambien sean menores. Espero que estes bien un gran abrazo y nos vemos.

[Itsaprilbitch]

Why should it be safe for a woman to kill her child? If a woman can't take care of her child she can give it up. Millions of families wait.

[DictatorOfEngland]

Pregnancy itself is a huge deal. Sometimes pro-lifers make it sound so easy. It's not.

[DuttyGyal718]

Thats the mistake of pro lifers. They assume that every pro choicer is looking for the easy way out. Thats why we should talk about the issue more cuz obviously there are misconceptions (no pun intended) To force a person to carry to term and then take the baby from her thats cruel.

[ogier1]

interesting to read this american discussion.

I don´t rack my brain about it, but according to my live experience, to have a child is so abolutely central in womens live`s, that the ones who did abort must have had serious reasons. thus I would leave the decision to the women.

[Castaa]

Well spoken Katie.

[thealphacrow]

I'm convinced that the greatest epidemic of our time is the thousands of women who are bullied into getting an abortion by their boyfriends, husbands, and parents because abortion is legal and is the "responsible" thing to do to an unwanted baby. There were thousands of these women in DC at the march for life. Check out the testimonies on silent no more.

[katiedivina]

alphacrow--thanks for commenting. My sister was born when I was 14. I remember how amazing my mom's pregnancy and Julia's birth was. I don't take this topic lightly. I don't pretend to know what drives individual women's decisions to have abortions. What I know is that education, health care and better options for families decrease both unwanted pregnancies and the financial situations that make child rearing so difficult. To make abortion illegal is to treat the symptom rather than the disease.

[thealphacrow]

That exact phrase came up when I was talking with my wife's OBGYN. "treat the symptom rather than the disease". Only it pertained to the use chemical contraception to treat the symptoms of a troublesome menstrual period. Dr. Flemming finds out what is wrong with the women he treats and too often the pill is perscribed to treat the symptoms and not finding out what is really going on medically.

[thealphacrow]

Now abortion is a medical action and a law is something that regulates actions. It's not a case of symptoms it is a case of integrity of human persons. The debate is that women have rights and babies have rights. Where do the woman's rights begin and end and where do the babe's rights begin and end. Our point of departure is that I believe a woman has rights until they dictate the death of another human being.

[knightswrath000]

I think your mistaken. Education has not decreased unwanted pregnancies.. Where do you base your opinion? And the disease is human irresponcibility, how does legal abortion treat this again?

[DClaudeKatz]

I appreciate in principle the idea that the unborn should have rights, but I think it's arbitrary and wrong to presume that their right is to life. It has always seemed to me that forcing life on someone without their permission is in principle a violation of their right. Obviously it's unavoidable if life is to continue at all, but it seems to me that the presumption, when analyzing the rights of not-yet-self-conscious beings, should be against life rather than for it.

[DuttyGyal718]

I agree your right.

[thealphacrow]

You are asking for the right to kill baby girls just because they are baby girls. The leading reason for having an abortion is because the couple would rather have a boy. Watch the ultrasound video of my baby girl at 11 weeks. Her name is Moira and she deserves rights and yes rights that stop my wife and I from killing her because we don't want her.

[DClaudeKatz]

Sex-selection abortions are a problem, and I personally think it's morally wrong to use abortion for that purpose. But as a public policy matter, I think the solution is to institute policies that make having girls more attractive relative to having boys. The simplest example (which I'm not specifically advocating) would be a tax on boys and a subsidy for girls. Regarding the rights of the fetus, see my reply (assuming Katie approves it) to your other comment.

[LAly99]

Katie, I'm glad to see something of substance on youtube, though I'm not surprised it was you that posted it.

It makes sense to me. Always has.

[katiedivina]

LAly99--Thank you! I try not to be a waste of space... :p

[katiedivina]

Buen punto, desnaturalizado. Chile es uno de los 6 paises en el mundo con leyes más restrictivas con respeto al aborto y tiene una de las tasas más altas del aborto en América Latina--creo que los chilenos saben que una conversación acerca del aborto es necesaria, pero no hablan. Es un país muy católico, será por eso?

[BabyBubbaT]

Well said! Thanks

[katiedivina]

por la ley federal, todos los estados permiten el aborto en el primer trimestre. Pero algunos estados tienen leyes que acerca del aborto: una mujer tiene que esperar 24 horas antes de obtener un aborto, para menores de edad hay que advisar los padres, una mujer tiene que recibir consejo especial antes del aborto...

[TuttiOfruti]

im pro choise 2 but ppl should have more school like damn im from latin america and ive seen 18 year old ppl who didnt knew were babies come from.... like a women that worked at home she had a kid when she was 17 and she didnt knew were kids came from at 22....straigh forward as i am.... i was like "kids come from fucking" and she was like OMG the she told everyone she knew

[paul20072007]

I'm pro abortion. I disagree with those who are anti-abortion, but respect their point of view if it is based on values and beliefs. Politicians who oppose abortion however, do so in order to oppress women and keep the poor downtrodden. If Bush made it illegal and his daughter needed one, you can bet she'd be on a plane to somewhere legal to get it done! Abortion laws don't affect the rich, they inconvenience the middle class, but really hurt the poor.

[katiedivina]

paul--Like you say, it's politically advantageous for politicians like Bush to take extreme anti-choice positions. It makes them look righteous and wholesome and they can paint their opposition as soulless baby-killers. It's a very shrewd way to hide an anti-family, pro-corporate agenda.

[21woman]

Such important points in such an short video. Well done.

[katiedivina]

Thank you, 21woman. I'm trying to present the case for choice in a way we often forget to talk about...it was difficult to keep it short as reproductive rights are immensely important to me (and you too, I see!) but I hope that my little video will get people thinking in new ways...

[RPozoA]

This is a very hard subject, I'm always drifting between pro-choice or pro-life... I think it depends, I think it's different for every single case. Great video!

-Rodrigo from Chile.

[katiedivina]

thanks for the comment, Rodrigo. You're right, I think it's different for every case too, but I'm pro-choice because I think that ultimately, the woman must decide her case--not anyone else.

I was wondering...is there a specific word for "pro-choice" or "pro-life" in Spanish? Or is it just "a favor del derecho del aborto" and "contra el aborto"?

[RPozoA]

No, I think there isn't a specific word; just "a favor" or "en contra"...

[TOMKNN]

I'm right there with you. I think a women has the right to decide what is best. i am surprised this is still such a big issue.

[katiedivina]

TOMKNN-the *bigness* of the abortion issue surprises me too, but given that it's a powerful way for politicians to manipulate the masses, it's no wonder that they keep bringing it up.

And at the risk of exposing myself as a raging feminist, our society doesn't trust women--the myth of "abortion as birth control" and all that, it's more about "irresponsible" and "slutty" women who can't be trusted than it is about unborn children--that's my beef with the pro-life movement...

[UnhealthySalad]

Beside, which is worse: exposing children (I'm speaking 12 years old & up) to these realities of teen pregancies and/or abortions but at the same time preventing them, or letting the problem continue and get worse? I say the latter. And it's not like your child must be taught sex-ed at school; parents can decide if they want their children to or not with the signing of a note. Anyway, those are my opinions on the mattter. Great video

[katiedivina]

Thanks for your response, Unhealthy Salad--I love that you've taken the time to think through and write out your position on the issue. :)

[UnhealthySalad]

I really don't think abortions should ever be done in those cases. However, with all that said, I know it's not as easy to say "a person should be more responsible." We have too look at what causes these lifestyles, and it's there where we can change them. Ergo, I do think that education is an important part of it. It should be the parents who instill such values in their children (such as abstinence, or safe sex, good choices etc.), but obviously some have failed.

[UnhealthySalad]

Why is it that society must pay for your mistake when it could have been avoided either by having safe sex or not having sex at all? I don't think that's fair. It's not like it's hard to have the foresight to know whether you're actually able to afford a child or not. Also, if your partner left you, you should make better choices as how you choose your partners--there are still other partners (and it doesn't even have to be a spouse) who can lend a helping hand.

[katiedivina]

Foresight and responsibility are definitely important when it comes to sex--but why only for women? Certainly a woman is left with the consequences if she and her partner get pregnant--but shouldn't men also consider whether they could be there for a child or pay child support before having unprotected sex? Also, 54% of women who obtain abortions were using birth control the month they got pregnant--sometimes contraception fails.

[UnhealthySalad]

I'm a guy. I vote pro-choice but I wouldn't mind so much voting for someone who is anti-choice/pro-life. It's not a big issue to me in the grand scheme of things (unlike foreign policy, the economy etc.). I think you make a good economic argument for being pro-choice. Though I dislike the idea of abortions, I don't feel I'm one to tell women how to deal with such an issue. I just wish the women who do have abortions were more responsible.

[everything4every1]

Great video.

[patoaparato2006]

Estoy en contra del aborto, porque para mi significa asesinar a una personita que no se puede defender, pero mirando desde tu punto de vista tal vez tengas razón, habría que legalizarlo, por lo menos acá en Chile ya puedes tomar las pastilla del día después.

Pero como dijiste quizás todo tenga que ver con las familias de bajo poder económico.

A todo esto en Chile desde este año a todas las mujeres que tengas hijos el estado les pagará una suma de dinero por cada uno de ellos.

[katiedivina]

Me parece muy bien que hay la pastilla del día después en Chile ahora. Noté que en Chile los anticonceptivos estan bastante disponible lo que ayuda mucho para evitar el aborto. Eso del pago para las madres me parece interestante--especialmente pq muchas madres no tienen seguro social por estar en casa con los niños en ves de trabajar.

Por un país sin aborto legal, Chile ha hecho bastante para dar mejores opciones a las mujeres...

[poppopbeat]

great job!

[Andriuan]

Enhorabuena por el video, plantea un tema muy interesante. Nadie, en su sano juicio, puede estár a favor del aborto, la vida es un bien para los humanos. Quienes dicen estar a favor del aborto sólo lo están en la medida que con un mal, el aborto, se evita un mal mucho mayor. Una vez dicho que el aborto es un mal que se emplea para evitar un mal mucho mayor, el debate se centra en determinar los supuestos en los cuales es admisible abortar.

[katiedivina]

1. Gracias por el comentario! Estoy de acuerdo--nadie quiere más abortos. Al mínimo, es caro, doloroso y moralmente difícil. Pero no me gusta el debate acerca de los supuestos en los cuales es admisible abortar...

[katiedivina]

2...primero porque no creo que disminuya el magnitud del aborto. más importante, creo que una mujer puede determinar para si misma cuando el aborto evita un mal mucho mayor. Pero una sociedad que confía en las mujeres e invierte en familias, salud y la educación es una sociedad donde criar un hijo inesperado es mucho más posible- y las mujeres saben eso.

[jennaow]

Great video with great points! Very well spoken! Thanks for posting it!

[katiedivina]

I look forward to seeing your Blog for Choice video!

[jennaow]

I prob won't have one up for at least a month --- but I will put one up.. one day!!

[davevt04]

Using that logic about the Netherlands, we should also make drug use legal and remove the legal drinking and smoking age as well. I am pro-life because I believe in the sanctity of human life. The unborn are unable to protect their right to life, so the responsibility falls on those who are able to do this.

[katiedivina]

It would be interesting to see if the Netherlands has lower overall drug use compared to the US and other countries where drug use is illegal, but I don't know about that, and I generally doubt it...I can only make the point that countries with legal abortion, good state-subsidized health care and education have the lowest abortion rates...

Do you believe in contraception?

[davevt04]

Of course I believe in contraception. You may be surprised but not all pro-lifers are super religious or against safe sex. However, if pregnancy occurs, I think it is barbaric to abort the unborn child because the baby becomes an inconvenience. The courts interpret the murder of a pregnant woman as 2 counts of capital murder. Yet, we dont blink an eye to ending an unborn's life to abortion. See the double standard that we propogate? Something doesn't add up.

[katiedivina]

davevt04-I only asked about birth control because I have a hunch that many pro-lifers are like you--they believe abortion is wrong but support realistic measures to decrease unwanted pregnancy--like birth control and sex ed (not just abstinence ed). Most pro-choice and pro-life people have a lot more in common than the religious zealots on TV make it look like.

I'm also uncomfortable with our double standard about pregnant murder victims-but that's a whole other can of worms!

[davevt04]

From your comments, it seems you are pro-choice because you want to further women's standing in today's society. It's sad that we would use the unborn as a vehicle to propogate the women rights movement.  Most pro-lifers, like myself, agree in equal rights. We just dont want to use unborn children as a way to push that message.

[katiedivina]

If pro-life politics looked more like Dennis Kucinich I might trust the movement's intentions, but considering how deeply "pro-life" is tied up with abstinence-only ed, anti-birth control measures, anti-funding for public schools, health care and day care...These measures hurt the vast majority of women and children and absolutely contribute to unplanned pregnancies and the financial issues that make raising a child so difficult. To me the "pro-life agenda" as a whole is hardly compassionate.

[katiedivina]

I'm not pro-choice to further anyone's standing--I'm pro-choice because I honestly believe that full reproductive rights (along with sex-ed and birth control) help keep women from having to make the abortion choice. We know that making abortion illegal does not make it uncommon--safe, legal and rare is the only practical way. I really appreciate your thoughtful comments, dave.

[jabazzy]

I'm all about pro-choice :)

[katiedivina]

I had a feeling you would be. :)