I have been reflecting this last week on what to make post on. I have been very excited to see what is out there for feminist blogs and the whole community. I have searching all sorts of neat sites that have to do with feminists who are lawyers, pop culture critics, and activists. While doing this I have been discussing my blog with anyone who will listen. One of those people is a dear friend of mine. He also writes a blog and he is an activist for the disability rights movement. He has recently published an article about selective abortions with a well known scholar Alice Dreger .
Now some history with this friend before I continue my story. We have been friends for like ten years or something and as long as I can remember we have disagreed about everything political. We would spend our vacations home from college discussing politics, current events, and anything else we could think of to get the other yelling. There was always a third member to our discussions who is saving the world working for the Peace Corps., but that is another entry. So, this friend and I have come to many understandings about lots of subjects, I think at least over the last few years as we have developed our academic points of view. When reading his article and talking to him I stated, "You know I disagree with somethings that you state in your article, and if I post on it I may write that." He replied brilliantly, "Kris, we have been doing that since like the seventh grade."
One of the main points of contention at various times over the last few years has been the issue of abortion. I am a liberal feminist and have marched for women's rights. My friend is an aspiring bioethicists and philosopher who has often held a different point of view than mine. Some of which are expressed in his article.
I read the article and I had my reactions, but then I had an amazing conversation with my friend about both of our life's passions. Over the past few months as he has taken on his academic endeavors and working with grassroots organizations. I have been working on the front lines with my cause. There is so much common ground between those working for women's rights and those working with disabilities rights.
So tonight instead of using this space to refute points I want to use it to say that there are lots of ways that these two movements are fighting for against a lot of the same oppressions. And I think that if we listen to each other we can work together to make the world a more tolerant place. I think that everyone needs to be heard, but I also think that more listening needs to happen. I listened and discovered things about someone I have known for most of my life and learned all sorts of new and amazing things.
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4 comments:
And if only the women's, gay, black, and any other rights movements had worked together, perhaps change could've been enacted sooner. But the truth seems to be that many of these "identity" groups marginalize as much as the power structures that they march against. I recall the schism between the gay rights and feminist rights groups during the early AIDS years. If minorities stuck together, they would become the majority. In the end I march for human rights regardless of the color of their skin, the genitals between their legs, or the genitals they prefer to be with. It is for this reason that I don't support any individual rights group. I don't march in the parades. I don't wear the pins.
But I studied molecular biology to avoid such issues.
So, I read the article that you discuss here. It made sense to me.
I'm against abortion but I'm pro-choice.
I think it's wrong but I know that I can't tell someone else what to do with thier body and I can't judge her based on her decision b/c I don't know what it's like to be in her shoes.
With that said, the article made total sense to me. If you're planning on having a child and you find out the child may be handicapped, I don't necessarily think it's right to have an aboriton. Like the article said, you really never know how your kid is going to turn out and what you're going to gain/lose from the experience of raising that child.
My cousin has a son who is autistic. She didn't know that he would be before he was born and I'm glad she didn't know. I say that b/c it is very well possible that she would have had an abortion. He's an amazing little boy who has so much to offer and so much love to give and receive. For the most part he's well behaved and so funny. Without him, my life and my whole family's life would be lacking someone incredible.
My other cousin has a daughter who is a little bitch with no mental or physical disabilities. She's uncontrolable and I just can't stand her. My cousin has a really hard time raising her becasue she just doens't listen and gets in trouble all the time.
So disability or not, kids can be assholes or not.
What I'm really saying is that if a woman is in a place where she wants to have a baby and is prepared to have a baby she shouldn't abort the baby b/c it may be handicapped.
It is selective parenting.
I totally agree that human rights are the ultimate goal. I don't wear the pins or use the ribbons. I fucking hate all those ribbons.
Down with ribbons!
I'm personally pro-choice, but I also feel like I have no right to be pro-choice. As a homo, I've sort of taken myself out of the gene pool (though eventually, as a biologist and a man, I would like to raise my own child). But, whatever children I have will be highly planned.
Disabilities are complicated. I am ok with a woman choosing to not have a child because of a disability. However, I feel that in a perfect world every pregnancy would be planned and every couple would first get a gene test to see what the possibilities are.
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