sm62704's Journal: Oh, mcgrew, you've done it again...

Last week a fellow named Paul Gesterling (I don't know the fellow personally) wrote a letter to the Illinois Times about abortion (do an in-page search of the link for DELIVERING A DOUBLE OUCH for the letter). He wrote:

Illinois Times has made a concerted effort to sadden me over the past few weeks. First, in its recent cover story, it suggests that the reason I will not vote for Barack Obama is not because, despite his nonpartisan rhetoric, he is unwaveringly pro-choice but because I am a racist [Jeannette Cooperman, "Demonizing Obama," April 3]. Ouch. If the Christian right is guilty of demonizing Obama, is Illinois Times guilty of divinizing the man?

Then, as if that were not a direct-enough indictment of my character, they suggest in a recent lead commentary that I am actually increasing abortions in my efforts to promote life and chastity [Cristina Page, "Results matter," April 10]. Ouch again. However counterintuitive, the charge still hurts.

Thus, Illinois Times has inspired me to ask a few of my many questions:

If abortion is in fact morally acceptable, why is limiting its occurrence important to a pro-choicer? Or is there some part of this medical practice that is abhorrent to him or her as well?

How are my pro-life aspirations "guided by ideology" when I support the very unideological material life of a fellow human being? A living human is not an idea but a substantial empirical fact indeed, right?

How is it that we tell students that they can be anything they want to be or that they can achieve whatever their hearts desire but then say that they are incapable of living chastely? Do we not believe they have the ability to see each other as subjects rather than as objects? When we teach gravity, we do not give them parachutes. Why, then, if we are able to teach them fully and appropriately about their sexuality, should we give them contraceptives?

Isn't it better to reason, simply and with logic, than [to rely on] irregular, convoluted, and ambiguous statistics? Do any supposed statistical results justify immoral means?

I forgot that I fired off another letter to the editor. They printed it.

If this keeps up I'm going to start thinking that I don't suck at writing!

At any rate, lest the cartoon characters here in Springfield get to see it while my fellow nerds do not, here is the letter, and unlike most of my stuff at slashdot a real live editor, presumably who has a degree in journalism, actually edited it. I think; they've edited letters I've written before, and sometimes improved them immeasurably. I didn't keep a copy of what I sent the IT editor.

At any rate, I just copied and pasted it from the online version of their letters to the editor page.

As someone who truly is pro-choice, I think I can answer Paul Gesterling's questions ["Letters," April 24]. You see, unlike the "pro-life" people, I am actually anti-abortion. I don't like the idea of it. If one of my daughters wanted one, I would discourage it as much as I could. If anyone else asked my opinion, I would discourage them as well.

However, your abortion is none of my business. The abortion should concern only three people: the fetus' father, its mother, and their doctor. I should have no say in the matter unless I'm the daddy, Mr. Gesterling should have no say in the matter unless he is the father, and my government should have no say in the matter, either.

Life doesn't begin at conception, as the Catholics and some fundamentalist Christian religions claim. It doesn't begin at all. It only started once on this planet (and perhaps nowhere else) and has just continued afterward. Your sperm are alive, a woman's eggs are alive, your skin cells and red blood cells are alive. The abortion of a blastocyst destroys less life than when you cut yourself shaving. I cannot consider a blastocyst a human.

Unlike most others who fraudulently call themselves pro-choice, I support a woman's right to inject herself with heroin, cocaine, nicotine, or fast-food grease and otherwise screw up her life in any way she chooses. Like abortion, it's none of my business and should be none of my government's business. If you support the war on drugs or the anti-smoking laws or anti-prostitution laws or anti-gambling laws, you cannot truthfully call yourself pro-choice.

Likewise, if you support the war in Iraq or the war in Afghanistan or the death penalty, you cannot truthfully call yourself pro-life.

Both sides of the abortion issue are disingenuous.

Writing

[JDWTopGuy]

Actually, your writing style is what made me a fan. You're very good at telling a story in text, and although I often disagree with your views, I think you express them well and usually in an intelligent manner (which I respect). It helps that you are outspoken and have a very interesting (but not "unrealistic") life. I enjoy real life stories.

And as far as your letter to the editor, you make some interesting points. Especially the one about life not "beginning" per se. I've never seen that postulated that

re abortions...

[canistel]

As previous comments have mentioned already too, I enjoy your writing style, but I can't help but speak up here (this is not a troll) I think with all the labels and publicity around these issues, one can lose sight of the real issue very fast... God said "You shall not murder"; that commandment isn't meant for skin tissue, bacteria, plant life etc., although we are called to treat all that responsibly and be good stewards of His creation; the primary focus of that commandment is that you cannot murder hum

Re:

[sm62704]

A human life doesn't begin outside the mother's body, it starts from conception

But I don't know that. The Bible doesn't say. I have enough trouble avoiding my own sins, I can't stop everyone else's sins, espoecially when I can't know that the actions I'm judging are, in fact, sins. Besides, "judge not, lest you be judged yourslef".

Speaking of sins, I'm having trouble with one of the commandments: "thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife". I can control my actions (usually), but how does one control ones FE

Re:

[canistel]

I think the bible is fairly clear on the issue of "unborn life"... think of Jeremiah 1:5; "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;" (KJV) (in reference to the calling of Jeremiah the prophet) There are many other places in the bible where it speaks about unborn life; I think the issue is more "Do we accept the Bible as the true word of God", or "is it just a story book".

If the Bible is a story, then we can look at life like "What do I want to do, and what is best

Re:

[sm62704]

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart

Before you build a building you have blueprints. God knew you before there was light. God knew you before your parents were born. God knew you before Jesus was born. God knew all your anscestors and all your descendants. God knows everything that ever happened and everything that ever will happen.

Do we accept the Bible as the true word of God

"We" is not applicable. I do, but my interpretation is likely not the same as others. Al

Re:

[todopoderosita]

Your god said that you shall not murder and you believe that life begins at conception. That's wonderful for you, but what about people like me who don't buy into your christian god? America is not a christian nation as much as asswipes like Jerry Fallwell want to pretend. Many people think that the first amendment just keeps the government from endorsing a specific religion, but it also protects my freedom *from* religion. I don't have to follow the 10 commandments as I do not believe in Yahweh. I am free

Re:

[canistel]

I'm not American, and I don't know who Jerry Fallwell is, but I will agree that there is much wrong being done under the "banner" of Christianity. I'd first like to mention that Christianity is _not_ the "Roman Catholic Church"; many people confuse this and call the Pope Christian.

I am curious though; what do you believe western civilization is based on, some sort of moral enlightenment that we / mankind has achieved, or principals that are based quite often from the Bible?

Re:

[sm62704]

You must not have had your coffee, or there is some other reason for your dyslexia today. I do NOT believe that life begins at conception. That was a central part of the letter itself, that life doesn't begin AT ALL.

America is not a christian nation as much as asswipes like Jerry Fallwell want to pretend.

You ARE new here; by "here" I mean to the mcgrew journals and comments. Anerica is NOT a Christian nation at all. There are a few Christians and a few athiests and a few Muslims and a few Jews and a few Bhu