Comments on: John McCain: Openly Scoffing at Your Health

By: Reason #16: Health Care is a Right « Hockey Moms for Obama

Reason #16: Health Care is a Right « Hockey Moms for Obama — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:28:29 +0000

[...] Yes, women. We’re talking to you, John McCain. In the last debate, we were aghast at McCain’s snarling dismissal of “women’s health” (his air quotes, not ours). What? Are you serious? Just one more reason why Obama clearly won [...]

By: McCain: Don’t Give Me That “Health of the Mother” Crap « wavesandsea

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:19:19 +0000

[...] totally forgot about this – or you know, mentally repressed it, whatever – until I saw a posts on Feministe and Feministing about [...]

By: Lynn

Lynn — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:27:41 +0000

Shar, I had a very similar experience. At about 15 weeks, my second child was labelled by several doctors as “incompatible with life” — a jarring term for a pregnant woman to hear about her unborn baby, to say the very least. My husband and I were in agony at the possibility that our baby might live a short while and feel only pain and suffering, maybe for days and days, before ultimately dying anyway, so we researched options for termination. Our state offers no legal options at all past the first trimester, and limited access even before, but we did find a clinic several states away that would induce labor early, thereby reducing the baby’s chances for suffering. I ended up keeping the baby for a lot of complicated reasons. He made it almost to term; luckily, he only lived a few hours and didn’t suffer at all. I spent a lot of sleepless nights during my pregnancy, though, not only mourning my baby and feeling my family’s grief, but also worrying that my decision to keep him might result in suffering for my baby. It is a backwards way to think about abortion — for us, considering an abortion was an attempt at mercy for our child. What makes my husband and me so mad about so many pro-”life” folks (and I’d put McCain and his smugness at the top of my list) is the narrow way they think about abortion. The idea that it is only used as birth control is just not true, and that perspective betrays a lack of considered thought on the topic. Not many policy-makers and law-makers have considered the issue from my point of view, I’d guess. I think that’s it, though: it’s exactly because we cannot imagine everyone’s experience and perspective that we need to let everyone decide for themselves. Like you, Shar, I’m grateful to have had a CHOICE of how to care for my own baby.

By: Koren

Koren — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:05:41 +0000

Thanks for this post. As soon as John McCain ridiculed the possiblity of a woman’s health being a rationale in support of an abortion I was pissed. But then mostly I was sad. There we are again, marginalized in favor of our baby making ability.

I am thankful for the feminists that came before me – what I have, what Sarah Palin has, what we all have is more of a choice than our mothers and grandmothers ever did. If Cindy McCain wants to stand by her man like a trophy, that’s her choice. On the other hand, why punish a woman with an unplanned pregnancy. I don’t think that’s good for anyone. There are many reasons women choose to have an abortions. As a Christian, i am not in any position to judge.

Sad times for women. Sad times for America.

By: SnowdropExplodes

SnowdropExplodes — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:33:19 +0000

I don’t want to be told how hard this is as if I don’t already know, only to have it explained that for that reason, the decision has been made for me.

Seems to me, back in the 19th Century we British had a term for that. Wait a minute, it’ll come to me…

Oh yes.

“Colonialism”.

As I recall from history lessons, the “Darkies” and the “Fuzzie-wuzzies” showed us their appreciation for our “courage” and “compassion” by revolting every few years, and eventually kicking us out of their countries and setting up self-government.

So, yeah, Senator McCain, it’s not really a popular approach, what you’re describing, with the people you claim to be helping. It really isn’t.

By: DaisyDeadhead

DaisyDeadhead — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:31:29 +0000

Excellent post, Cara. I included it in my link round-up: Odds and Sods - last debate edition

By: Cat

Cat — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:26:54 +0000

Shar, I am sorry for your loss.

I chose another avenue. We decided not to bring our baby into the world. It brings me sadness every day but I do not (nor does my husband) for one second regret our choice. CHOICE. Damned inconvenient word for anti-choice asshats (nice one, Jasmine) like McCain. Just like always, the mother does not matter — she is but a vessel for the baby and that is ALL that matters for these people. Oh yeah, and nary an iota of support for mother OR child after birth…

That Mr McCain, Sarah Palin, or any of the rest of them see it appropriate to tell ME that I HAVE TO carry my sick baby to term all while decrying the goverment to get out of people’s lives is the ultimate in hypocracy.

I felt sick to my stomach last night. I am glad my child-bearing years are over. But I fear for my daughter’s.

By: Leah

Leah — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:22:32 +0000

What a nasty, bitter, disgusting old man. To actually sit up there in the national spotlight and imply that the government should get involved in making the medical determination of whether a woman’s life should be saved (Mr. Smaller Government, where have you gone?) because the alternative is that women will FAKE medical distress because they WANT to have a late term abortion? Is he out of his fricking skull? Does he honestly believe that there are women out there who just haven’t BOTHERED to get an abortion before they get to the third trimester? That they’re just lying in wait until the baby gets old enough in order to abort it?

All I can say is, if he really believes vile, filthy things like that about women (I’m sorry, only LIBERAL women… as we all know the health of CONSERVATIVE women would never be endangered by pregnancy), we are all in deep shit if he actually makes it into the white house. God help us that such a throw-back could find any supporters in this country, much less enough to get him into the presidency.

By: Cactus Wren

Cactus Wren — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:05:30 +0000

Oh, but don’t you see? If we allow a “health” exception to abortion laws, then every week of the year, somewhere in America a woman seven months pregnant — happily pregnant, eagerly looking forward to having a baby — will come home from a day of shopping for nursery furniture and layette sets, find an invitation in the mail, and gasp, “Oh, no! This party is for next week! How will I ever fit into a sexy dress? I’d better tell my doctor I’m getting … ohh, headaches, or bad fingernails, or something. He’ll give me one of those partial-birth thingies, and everything will be fine.”

[/irony]

Gad. McCain might as well have been wearing a t-shirt that said “WHY YES, I DO DESPISE WOMEN.”

By: Shar

Shar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:00:16 +0000

16 years ago, my husband and I were told that our unborn daughter had a fatal genetic defect called Edwards Syndrome. We chose to carry our daughter even though she was failing to thrive within the womb. Every sonogram showed the cysts taking over both ventricals of the brain, I never felt her move. Every day I cried from the moment I got up til I went to bed. I suffered panic attacks on an hourly basis. If my mental health along with my physical health would have been at risk, I’m not sure what I would have done. Many other women have been in my situation and have chosen other avenues, I could never judge them or think any less of them. Our daughter passed away within minutes after birth, and we never regretted our decision. The point is, I had a choice, and I’m thankful that I did. I would never want my state, Sarah Palin, or John McCain telling me or any other woman how to handle such a personal and painful experience.