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misscamWe've had fantastic weather in Norway this extended weekend, and I've been enjoying it fully. Got bitten by various bugs and got some slight colour on me. Bring more of this weather on for summer, and I will be a happy, happy gal.
Meanwhile, the news about the murder of Dr. Tiller reached us here in Norway. My mother flat-out called the murderer a terrorist when I was talking to her about it, and that about sums up the general opinion in Norway.
See, we don't have a debate about the right to choose an abortion in Norway. We just have it as a fact. It's not because most here don't find abortion troubling. I think pretty much all would agree it's a damn hard choice to make - the vast majority would simply not presume to make it for someone else. That's what it boils down to here.
(It also helps that Norway has a lot of women in power, I suspect, and and we just don't have anything like a religious right. Even conservatives in Norway are fairly... Not so much.)
One of the issues with abortion is of course when you consider life to begin. I don't consider conception to be it. It's the first step, but given how many miscarriages occur in early pregnancy, drawing the line there would make the body a mass murderer on its own. To me personally, sometime after ten weeks and before nine months, independent life develops in there. It is very hard to draw any exact line. I won't. It is, as said, a troubling issue.
But harassing women who might be making the hardest choice of their life, murdering health professionals, attempting to bomb clinics - what the fuck is that? It's no care for life I'd ascribe to. That's using terror and hijacking the issue.
In fact, if you really find abortion so troubling and wish to reduce the number of it, there is a very proven and peaceful way about it.
Birth control birth control birth control. Assure ready and safe access to it. Educate people about it. No unwanted pregnancy, no heartbreaking choice to have to make. That's helping the women too, not just your own unease about the issue.
(Of course, this doesn't help those who discover something wrong during the pregnancy and choose abortion due to that. But even a lot of pro-lifers seem more inclined to at least tolerate abortions for medical reasons.)
Heck, after I was raped and went to the emergency room, a very kind nurse offered me two little pills. Emergency contraception. I took them. Because if I had gotten pregnant, I am 99.9% sure I would've had an abortion. It would have been heartbreaking and given me extra shit, but still. (That anyone would consider murdering a doctor who was simply doing what I, the patient, decided was best for my health, is just staggering to me.)
However, I wasn't forced to be in that position and I'm grateful for it. The less people who find themselves in the position of an unwanted pregnancy, the better. At least that's my position.
I have American friends who consider themselves pro-life. I do understand that if you consider life to begin at conception, abortion is deeply troubling to you. Most pro-choice people would also wish to keep the number of abortions down. Perhaps some common ground can be found there.
I don't know. We just don't have this public debate in Norway and I'm used to thinking of it as a private thing.
In more fandom stuff:
- Some alleged spoilers for the last Tennant special that if true, will cause so much wank. Hooo yes.
- The UK version of the 4.5 season of BSG have been released, with some deleted scenes.cutemaggie have linked YouTube uploads of some additional Adama and Roslin stuff here. I hope US version (coming on July 28th) has a lot more. Am greedy. Want more snogging too.
- Remember the LotR tinhats? I think I've found the next generation - shippers of Jared and Jensen (the Supernatural actors) who are convinced the guys are really together and just kept in the closet by evil PR. This is like deja vu all over again... Painfully so!
Meanwhile, the news about the murder of Dr. Tiller reached us here in Norway. My mother flat-out called the murderer a terrorist when I was talking to her about it, and that about sums up the general opinion in Norway.
See, we don't have a debate about the right to choose an abortion in Norway. We just have it as a fact. It's not because most here don't find abortion troubling. I think pretty much all would agree it's a damn hard choice to make - the vast majority would simply not presume to make it for someone else. That's what it boils down to here.
(It also helps that Norway has a lot of women in power, I suspect, and and we just don't have anything like a religious right. Even conservatives in Norway are fairly... Not so much.)
One of the issues with abortion is of course when you consider life to begin. I don't consider conception to be it. It's the first step, but given how many miscarriages occur in early pregnancy, drawing the line there would make the body a mass murderer on its own. To me personally, sometime after ten weeks and before nine months, independent life develops in there. It is very hard to draw any exact line. I won't. It is, as said, a troubling issue.
But harassing women who might be making the hardest choice of their life, murdering health professionals, attempting to bomb clinics - what the fuck is that? It's no care for life I'd ascribe to. That's using terror and hijacking the issue.
In fact, if you really find abortion so troubling and wish to reduce the number of it, there is a very proven and peaceful way about it.
Birth control birth control birth control. Assure ready and safe access to it. Educate people about it. No unwanted pregnancy, no heartbreaking choice to have to make. That's helping the women too, not just your own unease about the issue.
(Of course, this doesn't help those who discover something wrong during the pregnancy and choose abortion due to that. But even a lot of pro-lifers seem more inclined to at least tolerate abortions for medical reasons.)
Heck, after I was raped and went to the emergency room, a very kind nurse offered me two little pills. Emergency contraception. I took them. Because if I had gotten pregnant, I am 99.9% sure I would've had an abortion. It would have been heartbreaking and given me extra shit, but still. (That anyone would consider murdering a doctor who was simply doing what I, the patient, decided was best for my health, is just staggering to me.)
However, I wasn't forced to be in that position and I'm grateful for it. The less people who find themselves in the position of an unwanted pregnancy, the better. At least that's my position.
I have American friends who consider themselves pro-life. I do understand that if you consider life to begin at conception, abortion is deeply troubling to you. Most pro-choice people would also wish to keep the number of abortions down. Perhaps some common ground can be found there.
I don't know. We just don't have this public debate in Norway and I'm used to thinking of it as a private thing.
In more fandom stuff:
- Some alleged spoilers for the last Tennant special that if true, will cause so much wank. Hooo yes.
- The UK version of the 4.5 season of BSG have been released, with some deleted scenes.
cutemaggie have linked YouTube uploads of some additional Adama and Roslin stuff here. I hope US version (coming on July 28th) has a lot more. Am greedy. Want more snogging too.- Remember the LotR tinhats? I think I've found the next generation - shippers of Jared and Jensen (the Supernatural actors) who are convinced the guys are really together and just kept in the closet by evil PR. This is like deja vu all over again... Painfully so!
