I hate to use a column to respond to an attack, but David Rivas
left me no choice in his Dispatch letter of Wednesday, July 27. Mr.
Rivas basically accused me (and the newspaper) of character
assassination because I wrote about two recently prolific letter
writers.
I hate to use a column to respond to an attack, but David Rivas left me no choice in his Dispatch letter of Wednesday, July 27. Mr. Rivas basically accused me (and the newspaper) of character assassination because I wrote about two recently prolific letter writers. I don’t know where he read an attack on Wayne Scott. Not only do I not attack him, I applaud him and his students for sharing their views with Dispatch readers.
I did attack David Kaeini; I plead guilty to that charge. Frankly, as a woman and as a feminist, I am sick of reading letters written by men which attempt to dictate a woman’s contraceptive choices. Men have the right to opinions on birth control, but biology dictates that women must have the final say in their pregnancy planning. No man will ever experience the despair over an unplanned pregnancy. No man will ever experience the despair of a tubal pregnancy, the toll it takes on a woman’s body and spirit. No man will ever be faced with the agony and the ecstasy of childbirth. Until a child is actually born, men may be supportive and compassionate, but they are ultimately spectators. Only when a child is born can men become full partners in the responsibilities of caring for their child. For those of you who still don’t know the difference, this column is my opinion, not the opinion of the Gilroy Dispatch.
I won’t argue over religious opposition to abortion or various methods of birth control. I agree and disagree with my own denomination when it comes to these issues.
The truth is that all religious organizations are patriarchies, and the men in charge of various religious groups have grown quite comfortable with dictating what women may do with their bodies. In my world, women are not merely vessels who were put on this earth to bear as many children as possible. We are not yet living in a Margaret Atwood novel. Women are thinking human beings, as capable as making choices as men are accustomed to making them for us. I have been blessed with two daughters who must as women be the final arbiters in matters of their sexuality, birth control and pregnancies. Anything less is unacceptable.
I have no problem with “natural family planning” as a birth control method. It should remain one of many choices. The problem with “natural family planning” is that it does not take into account the reality of sex. While it may be wonderful for a monogamous married couple, it is not nearly as reliable at preventing pregnancy as the most popular artificial birth control methods.
I oppose abortion in almost all cases. I believe that abortion may sometimes be necessary to save the life or health of a mother. I don’t think abortion is murder, but I do think it is tragic. Most of all, I don’t think it is any of my business. I do believe in numerous safe choices being available to women.
The most popular method of birth control right now is sterilization, probably because it is completely effective at preventing pregnancy. Next most popular is the birth control pill. Most women who use the pill do so because it is highly effective at preventing an unwanted pregnancy. Both sterilization and the pill are effectively reducing the potential number of abortions. If the pill is now being called an abortifacient, are the millions of women who use the pill mass murderers? I wonder how far Mr. Kaeini and Mr. Rivas will go with their convoluted arguments.
In these recent letters, neither of these men addresses one of the most pressing issues which affect women regarding birth control. More than 700 women in this country are the victims of a sexual assault every day. Simply put, natural family planning will never work for a rape victim.
Rape victims must have access to morning-after pills or some other effective pregnancy prevention. I find it hard to believe that people who are proclaiming to speak for God can possibly think that insuring that these victims do not have an unwanted and unplanned pregnancy is part of His plan. We have differing beliefs. I hope you can respect that I choose to believe in a God who never intends that any woman will be the victim of a rape.
