A TMI Tweet About Work, Wisconsin & A Woman’s Right To Choose
Posted by: Jessica Goldberg
Filed in:
news, video
2:00PM, Thursday October 1st 2009
Have you been keeping up with how the media’s all atwitter over a tweet sent by blogger and entrepreneur Penelope Trunk? She wrote a very strange message on her Twitter, essentially telling the world that she was in a board meeting and was having a miscarriage. The response to this 140-character blurb has been extreme, even in the lady blogosphere:
“We as a culture applaud men who come up with choice quotes to describe death, courage, and war, but if a woman employs brevity to express relief at a miscarriage, suddenly there’s an outcry against the dangers of getting to the point.”—Amanda Marcotte [Double X]
“Now that this has gone national, the context and way in which Trunk framed this confirms the worst and most fantastical ideas of the anti-choice movement: that women (especially career women!) who have abortions all do so casually and callously on their lunch breaks, the way one might get a manicure. If Trunk thinks she’s done anything to help women in Wisconsin get better access to abortions (her defensive post asks readers to donate to Planned Parenthood), she obviously doesn’t know anything about how the anti-choice movement works.”—Lindsay Robertson, Jezebel]
On one hand, her tweet, in which Trunk thanked “goodness” that she was miscarrying because of the hoops women have to jump through to get an abortion in Wisconsin, has unwittingly born a new and tough yet vulnerable feminist icon. Trunk, a lovely, slightly worried-eyed Veronica Cartwright doppelganger, is frank in her acknowledgment that she has Asperger’s Syndrome. Trunk’s blog references a systematic memorization of social rules that people with sensory integration disorder may not pick up instinctively. Even in the face of public scrutiny (and, man, this physically and emotionally tender woman is under a microscope with tweezers right now), Trunk is determinedly engaging in respectful and even relevant conversation with those requesting it. She even gamely tries to address what seem to be clear admonishments, rather than invitations for constructive debate.
Interviewed by CNN (video above), Ms. Trunk answered all questions levelly, including Rick Sanchez’s opener, when he asked her if she had no shame. Trunk pointed out that even the pope prefers a miscarriage over an abortion. She also educated Sanchez about the realistic miscarriage timeline of around three weeks, during which it’s hardly realistic to expect or want any woman to suffer silently. Then, finally, Trunk congratulated Sanchez for providing a platform to discuss the obstacles Wisconsin women face when they try to exercise their legal right to abortion services.
Take a look at the interview, and then tell us what you think. [CNN]
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JenniferRly
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 01:17 pm: [report]
Uncomfortable, but an excellent means of starting a discussion. I would never consider sharing something like that, but she makes great points about de-shaming the female experience and helping women exercise their rights, whether you agree with those rights or not.
bumbler
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 01:24 pm: [report]
It’s not how I would feel while undergoing a miscarriage but not every woman has to feel the same way about pregnancy. I would imagine that many women who have unwanted pregnancies end in miscarriage before they are scheduled to have an abortion are relieved. Any type of surgery can be scary.
I don’t agree that all women should feel conflicted or ashamed about ending a pregnancy which seems to be the unspoken “politesse” rule. Pregnancy and termination is different for everyone and I think it’s about time we acknowledge the variety of emotions women can feel without shaming anyone.
Timeguy55
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 01:25 pm: [report]
JenniferRly I completely agree with you.
But I’ll go one step further; If she wanted an abortion, she should be able to have it. Where ever, when ever. that’s HER RIGHT. How dare anyone tell her she has no choice.
I do wish she would have been a little more careful though. (if thats what the reason for the initial problem was)
emflow
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 01:49 pm: [report]
I don’t see any problem with her tweet. Actually I really like it, because she’s discussing things (abortion, miscarriage, and feeling happy about losing a pregnancy) that are close to unspeakable in our culture. She and other women shouldn’t have to hide these things because of the anti-choice movement.
Also, I’m grateful for her portrayal of miscarriage as something something casual and positive. I know that for many women having a miscarriage or abortion is a difficult experience - a horrible experience if the pregnancy is wanted and miscarries or is aborted due to health reasons. But for some women spontaneous or medical abortion is a positive experience, not something earth-shattering. That perspective deserves a voice too.
VannaMarie
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 01:53 pm: [report]
Ms. Robertson’s response from Jezebel surprises me, being that much of the anti-abortion group has spent so much time focusing on how damaging the effects of abortion can be to their target market, which I feel is stereotyped as delicate, uneducated, unstable women(as they try to play ‘mother’). But, that is just my perception of their propaganda.
The strong, opinionated board-meeting-attending business woman is often less seen, in my opinion.
Interesting that this single tweet caught so much attention though. Abrupt? Yes. Newsworthy? Debatable.
VannaMarie
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 01:55 pm: [report]
But yes, I do think that this statement as a news story deserves coverage too! It is important for for people to see the positive side too…
Kat
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 01:58 pm: [report]
I had a miscarriage last month…. I was damn relieved! I already had one abortion 2 years ago after a birth control failure(2 kinds!)
I wasn’t exactly psyched to have another abortion! They’re no walk in the park, that’s for sure. And yet, that’s EXACTLY what I would have done if I hadn’t had a miscarriage. Walked right back in for abortion #2.
I think there was not a damn thing wrong with what she said. Since when do women have to be HAPPY about pregnancies? Birth control/abortions exist because many women don’t WANT to be pregnant or have kids.
taylorruth
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:07 pm: [report]
I agree with her points about being open regarding this because women shouldn’t have to suffer alone. In watching the CNN video, however, I was appalled at the interviewer’s behavior. I understand he is a Catholic and entitled to his own views regarding abortions and emotions one should feel when miscarrying a child, but the way he expressed them many times seemed inappropriate for the interview. He seemed to attack her for not having similar religious and social views. And his comment about how he knew what her mother and her boyfriends mother would say to her about keeping the child disgusted me. His mom might say that, but he has no room to seemingly try to guilt her into feeling bad for her statements. I didn’t know the interviewer in order to have respect for him in the first place, but if I had, he would have lost all my respect then and there. Poor journalism, but at the end of the day, at least we’re all talking about it.
emflow
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:09 pm: [report]
Oh wow - just listened to the interview and she has some fantastic insights.
If you read the article without watching the CNN clip, go watch it now!
GudrunBrangwen
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:10 pm: [report]
I’d never post anything so personal to Facebook, Twitter, etc. It would make me feel uncomfortable. But that’s as far as I’m willing to go; I don’t think there’s anything wrong with someone else sharing what’s usually kept private. The more women talked frankly about their abortions & other reproductive issues, the more acceptable it would be.
Furthermore, a Twitter account is kinda like a blog—people read it because they’re interested in your thoughts (in fact, they have to sign up to read it, unlike with a blog post). Trunk wasn’t forcing her thoughts on anyone.
I didn’t realize until I started following this debate (1) how common miscarriages are, (2) that they can last ~3 weeks. Presumably that’s because women who miscarry don’t tell very many people about it. So this whole scandal has already done some good, as far as I’m concerned.
OKSUNI
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:19 pm: [report]
I think its her Twitter account and if you dont like it dont follow her tweets. She can say whatever she wants and if she’s happy about having a miscarriage then good for her.
Being born does not guarantee a life!
Goldfinch86
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:23 pm: [report]
I don’t want to talk about stupidity of her talking about it on twitter. Can we talk about how a catholic ass wipe should not be the one interviewing/attacking her. I can’t get over him, he’s so rude and attacking her rights. He’s got the emotional range of a #&@$% bottle of water. She handled it well, but because she was being attacked so much I don’t think she was able to express her self well. I would rather her be interviewed by a more tolerant and not so overly religous jack-ass. She doesn’t want any more children, she didn’t want to have to go through the hoops and crap to get something that is her right. This is really about her rights, and getting to exorcise them, the tweeted about it, because she wanted to be open about it. She’s makes great points about being able to talk about womens health and sexuality openly.
Christinaval
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:29 pm: [report]
I think it’s kind of disgusting that this woman is being praised from women or anyone. To say “thank God I’m having a miscarriage”, you know, it’s just sick. It’s like saying, “thank God there was no traffic on the way home”. Just completely disregarding the human life. How selfish. Women should feel bad for getting abortions. It’s ending a life because it’s too inconveinient for you or you made a mistake. Please. Where have morals gone in this country.
bumbler
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:31 pm: [report]
@Christianaval Morals haven’t gone anywhere. It’s just that your morals aren’t my morals or Trunk’s morals. You’re entitled to feel anyway you choose about a fetus just as we are entitled to not feel that it is a life.
JenniferRly
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:36 pm: [report]
Also @Christianaval: I’m super sorry this isn’t a good christian country, but then again it’s not a christian country. All that freedom must be hard to swallow.
I Go To 11
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:39 pm: [report]
When I first read about this, I was a little appalled, mainly because her comment seemed to take something so personal in such a cavalier manner. But after watching the interview, it’s easier to see her perspective. I think she handled herself with great poise and didn’t let any potentially leading questions get to her. She makes a number of good points, most of which I’d never really thought of before. I’m glad that she’s coming out and speaking about this in the manner that she is, versus shoving opinions down people’s throats and being obnoxious about it…which is what her opponents seem to be doing.
I think overall, this can be a good thing. She makes a good point that talking about things does seem to make them easier to handle. I’m thinking back to when Brooke Shields wrote her memoir of dealing with postpartum depression; correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel that before she wrote the book, it wasn’t something really acknowledged or spoken of in the general population. Thousands of women have gone through it, and they shouldn’t be shamed for it, so I can see how Penelope Trunk feels the same way about a miscarriage or abortion.
Christinaval
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:45 pm: [report]
No I accept freedom, I also don’t feel that everyone has to have “Christian” beliefs. Aborting a fetus, ceasing a life that would have otherwise existed, to me is universally immoral. Not just biblically immoral. I feel that people in this country are so damn selfish that they’re brainwashed to think that it’s okay to “choose” to kill a life. I just think it’s all ridiculous. I just don’t think abortion should be legal in the first place, or there should be severe restrictions on it. A lot of women use it as a form of birth control. I am also not saying that in some instances, it makes more sense. Rape, incest, etc. But to me, it’s not just about Christian values, it’s about morals, period. And how can we say that everyone can just go by thier own morals? You can’t lie under oath, steal, murder…these are all univeral morals which also happen to be laws. You can’t just say, “I don’t believe that murder is immoral”. Because it is, so where do you draw the line? If aborting babies isn’t immoral, then what you are indirectly saying is that human life has no value, and if human life has no value, then a lot of things don’t matter.
Kat
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 02:55 pm: [report]
@Christianaval It’s sick to YOU.
Not every woman is “OH YAY, I’M GOING TO HAVE A 9 MONTH PREGNANCY AND A BABY, I AM SO HAPPY AND ALSO BELIEVE IN THE JUDEO CHRISTIAN GOD AND BELIEVE LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION, YAY A BABY!!!!1”
Many women use birth control because they DO NOT WANT A PREGNANCY. I am in a monogamous relationship with my fiancé with a sterilization appoin or tment because I do not want kids. I do not believe in your specific deity, nor do I believe an embryo/fetus has any awareness or inherent value. Many women aren’t going to get all weepy over losing a pregnancy they ACTIVELY did not want in the first place.
Besides, Wisconsin MADE the hoops to be A HASSLE for women. They were hoping it would make women decide it was TOO MUCH hassle, so they’d “skip” having an abortion and have the kid by default. Why is it now SUCH a shock that a woman would COMPLAIN about these hoops and prefer having a miscarriage? You can’t have it both ways, my friends.
“It’s ending a life because it’s too inconveinient(sic) for you or you made a mistake.”
Would you donate your kidney to me?
No? Too “inconvenient”?(as if MAJOR surgery is a minor inconvenience) Fine. That’s up to you, and REALLY UNDERSTANDABLE.
Yes? You want to “give life”? Great. That’s very sweet of you, but NOT ENFORCED.
It’s a choice. It’s not UP TO YOU to decide what a “good enough reason” is. Personally, for me, pregnancy was not “an inconvenience”. It was 4 weeks of HELL. Aches, constant vomiting, dizziness, time off of work, revulsion, stress… I can’t imagine 9 months!!!! Plus, I do not want kids. EVER. I do not want childbirth. Thanks. If you ever find a way to take my embryo and house it in YOUR OWN uterus, then good on you.
My own mother is pro-choice, as is my aunt, who now HAS 2 children.
P.S. What is this “mistake” you speak of? Sex? Not a mistake. Unprotected sex? A poor choice if one doesn’t want to be pregnant, but LUCKILY, there’s the morning after pill, and if that fails(like it did with me) ABORTIONS. Available and legal. Fancy that. ^_^
bumbler
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 03:00 pm: [report]
Laws are in place to stop people from harming other people. Not because of morality. Lying can be considered immoral as can infidelity but because they don’t have a measurable effect on an individual or society as a whole they are not illegal. We don’t legislate morality, everyone has freedom which ends at the tip of their nose. When their freedom impacts another person then it becomes illegal. According to the law a person is someone capable of surviving outside of the womb which fetuses are not.
You see a fetus as a life. Many people see it as a potential life equitable to a sperm or an egg. Not a person or life until it is capable of surviving outside of the womb.
I also will never understand the pro-life argument that abortion is ok in the cases of rape or incest. If all life 1s valuable why are these fetuses, who cannot be blamed for their parent’s actions, disposable? It’s either always murder or never.
reebsdc
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 03:02 pm: [report]
i’m not a huge fan of abortion, but i don’t think it could be made illegal. women would still have abortions and they would just be much more unsafe. @christinaval, if you really believe that abortion is killing a baby, you should believe in no exceptions, otherwise it doesn’t fit with your “universally immoral” theory. also, most people don’t feel they abort “babies” they feel they abort cells, or tissue. i really see your point but it’s important to realize it’s not as black and white as you might feel.
Christinaval
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 03:09 pm: [report]
You didn’t say anything whatsoever about morals, which was the topic of my post. You don’t have to believe in the Judeo Christian God to believe that abortion is wrong. It’s common SENSE. You are ceasing a LIFE from EXISTING. And you’re right, not all women are happy about being pregnant, does every woman have to be JOYFUL about being pregnant to have the child? Or does every woman who has doubts or insecurities about being pregnant need to go ahead and just abort? That’s ridiculous. I love how you said, LUCKILY, there is the morning after pill. Right. People need to take responsibility and accountability for their actions. I’m sick of people copping out of life. To me, just, “I don’t want kids” isn’t an excuse to not have one. True, I don’t believe every woman should or want to have children, but if it happens to you, deal with it. So you make yourself believe that the fetus has no value or no anything, so all of a sudden when the baby first breathes oxygen, that’s when it “starts” having value? Makes no sense.
Christinaval
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 03:11 pm: [report]
@reebsdc
Honestly I feel that the baby should be had regardless of the situation. Give it up for adoption. But you come out with that thought and people immediately write you off. It seems like the idea that you are responsible for your own actions is an archaic idea. Thanks for the feedback.
secretstevie
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 03:12 pm: [report]
wow, penelope is awesome. if only more women had such a pronounced sense of self.
Kat
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 03:23 pm: [report]
It’s NOT common sense.
And that must be PERPLEXING to you, that not everyone shares your values, hahaha.
To vegetarians, it’s “common sense” that meat is murder. To radical islam, it’s “common sense” that a woman who talks with a man unchaperoned must be whipped. To a buddhist, it’s “common sense” that not even a FLY must be killed. Heck, 100 years ago, the church stated that abortion was TOTALLY OKAY as long as it was before “quickening” ie. when the woman first feels movement. So…. to them it wasn’t “common sense”. Kind of #&@$% up your argument, peaches.
You say “ceasing a life from existing”, but the embryo/fetus(depending on WHEN you get the abortion or have the miscarriage) is INCAPABLE of existing outside the womb. You can remove it with all due care, not breaking the amniotic sac or causing any trauma, and it will STILL DIE. It is NOT it’s own lifeform, it is entirely dependent on the womb harbouring it.
“To me, just, “I don’t want kids” isn’t an excuse to not have one.”
Exactly. To you. TO YOU.
I DO NOT WANT KIDS. That seems like the BEST reason to not have them. “If it happens to you, deal with it”? I did. As do many women. Abortion is ONE WAY of taking responsibility as you put it. I love that you wish misery on every woman who has a birth control failure.
The fact you believe in exceptions for rape/incest/lifethreatening pregnancies just hammers home the fact that you ACTUALLY want to PUNISH women who have sex.
Is your comment on morning after pill facetious? For instance, I had a torn condom with my fiancé. We then rushed to get the morning after pill. Then, a few weeks later, I found out it didn’t work. Condom failed, Plan B failed. Plan C was abortion. Not something I’d hoped for, but I have no moral qualms with it.
I am on birth control(which my doctor advises I need to get off of) and use condoms as well. I have a tubal ligation scheduled. Guess what I will do if despite all of this RESPONSIBILITY I become pregnant again?
Bingo. Abortion.
Christinaval
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 03:34 pm: [report]
I never in even one of my comments mentioned that I was a CHRISTIAN. I am not even talking religious beliefs here! I’m talking responsibility. How is having a baby punishing? I understand if you don’t want children, and I’m not saying, DON’T HAVE SEX…I’m simply stating that pregnancy is not equivalent with taking out your trash. I also understand that you don’t want children, and you took all of the precautions to NOT have them! I applaud you for getting this procedure done! I wish all women who didn’t want children would get this done! So, your argument that you’re not ceasing a life to exist is that the embryo can’t live outside the womb? That is a ludicrous argument! You can twist anything around to make it seem okay to you. And yeah, no #&@$%, the fetus can’t live outside the womb…I DID NOT KNOW THAT!!! The point is, regardless of what I believe about abortion, is that there’s one thing I know, and that’s that it shouldn’t be praised. It shouldn’t be admired. I hope your mother feels like she was being punished when she had you, ever think of that, PEACHES?
Kat
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 04:00 pm: [report]
Hahaha, well if one is FORCED to do something one doesn’t want to do, I consider that a punishment.
If I do not want a baby, and someone tells me “No, you are NOT ALLOWED this abortion because: YOU CHOSE TO HAVE SEX, so TAKE RESPONSIBILITY”, that is a punishment.
Especially if you say to another woman, “Okay, you were raped, you shouldn’t have to have that baby.”
Why do women who were raped get the “out” of abortion from you? What’s the difference? A fetus is a fetus. Why is it okay to abort a fetus conceived of rape? Why does that woman get a “moral” abortion in your eyes?
“You hope my mother feels punished with me”. Ooohhh, very loving. LOL What does this even mean? And did I ever think of what? You’re lashing out for unknown reasons. Many women DO feel punished with kids. Many women REGRET having kids. Why would you WISH that on someone? Especially someone who KNOWS they’d dislike it? Why would you wish that on the CHILD, for goodness sakes?
If you think me and my mother aren’t close, or that we haven’t discussed the issue of abortion, you live in a fantasy world. She supported my choice wholeheartedly. She said “If you actively don’t want kids, or if you simply feel indifferent, then you won’t be happy if you just go ahead and have them anyway.”
Heck, my aunt has two kids. She also had an abortion when she was younger than I am. IF SOMEONE HAD PREVENTED HER from getting that abortion, that child wouldn’t have been wanted or loved in the way her 2 boys are now. To FORCE her to have it then IS A punishment.
fallonthecity
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 09:03 pm: [report]
I love how Trunk is so frank about how she feels and what she did, and why. Especially love the points she makes about not keeping women’s experiences under wraps. Good interview—but the interviewer was kind of a douche when he started talking about what somebody’s mothers he doesn’t even know would say… I expected him to start shaking his finger at that point.
indiemamacita
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 09:17 pm: [report]
One thing no one seems to be commenting on, which plays a HUGE part of her nonchalant Twitter comment, is that Ms. Trunk has Asperger’s. To someone with Asperger’s, that is a perfectly normal response. Before people start going nuts and casting here as an icon or a pariah, it might help if they read up on the condition that is deeply intertwined with who she is and especially with how she communicates.
missann
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 11:01 pm: [report]
to me abortion is not a question of when life begins. my thoughts on abortion have nothing to do with the life of the baby. it all comes down to accepting responsibilty. any woman out of high school that gets pregnant by accident should just deal with it. only in recent history have people developed this self-centeredness about wanting to be free to live their life and have children later. if you’re #&@$% engaged and have an abortion because you are “not ready” you are ignoring the whole purpose of getting married in the first place. marriage was not invented to travel and chill out with your spouse. it was made for 2 people to procreate so the man would have an heir. but anyways, it is selfish and immature of a woman to end a pregnancy because she feels she is not ready to be a mother. well guess what, no one is ever #&@$% ready! #&@$% happens and you deal with it. that’s life! it’s really sad that women nowdays look at pregnancies as an incovience. to mate and have babies, that is our whole biological purpose of being women. like it or not that’s just the way it is.
now i do not know why this woman was happy she had a miscarriage but she does have a right to feel relieved if she did not want it and it was naturally ended. real women choose to accept responsibility and the cause of their actions. whining, selfish, and immature bitches choose to have abortions because a child doesn’t fit in their schedule.
Embalmerbee
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 11:31 pm: [report]
Everyone has the right to their opinion, right?
But here’s the deal- if you want to be free to have your own opinion, you must allow everyone else to have their opinion. And, big shocker here, not everyone is going to agree with you. Suck it up and accept that there is not one person here on this earth that has all the answers.
Penelope Trunk defended herself well, and makes good points- in my opinion. You are welcome to think otherwise.
And on another note: Rick Sanchez really made himself look like an uneducated ass by trying to ask “poignant” and “thought provoking” questions which were clearly angled to make her feel guilty for her opinion. Way to go, CNN man.
Kat
wrote on October 1 2009 @ 11:36 pm: [report]
ROFL
“You’re not getting married for the reasons *I* decide are good!” Hahahah, really? REALLY? I’ll get married for any reason I please, thanks. The law allows me to bind myself legally to the one I love, so I shall.
Wow. And heck, why “any woman out of high school”? Why not “any woman”? Why not “any woman who is not developmentally disabled”? Why not “any woman who will not adjust her diet/habits during a pregnancy”? Where’s the criteria? Why do teens get a “get out of prego free card”?
If it’s all about “accepting responsibility”, then are rape victims exempt? Or is it only women who choose to have sex for pleasure? Why do the teens not have to “accept responsibility” in your eyes?
“only in recent history have people developed this self-centeredness about wanting to be free to live their life and have children later.”
Patently FALSE.
Abortion dates back to ANCIENT times. “Witches” AKA herbalists and midwives, as well as physicians have been recommending ways to terminate unwanted pregnancies for millenia. Surgical abortion, not so commonly, but women have been relying on natural abortifacients for hundreds of YEARS. Soranus wrote of recommended and practiced abortion methods in the 2nd century.
Hell, the Ebers Papyrus lists accepted measures for abortion. It dates from ~1552 BC. A pretty large number of harem members had abortions as well in ancient China, from about 500 BC.
Heck, Tertullian was a CHRISTIAN during 2 AD and he wrote of abortion methods. Every culture has practiced SOME method of terminating a pregnancy, because it was UNWANTED by the woman.
You may want to amend your thinking. Only in recent times has it been thought of as “immoral” to abort before quickening.
And I had an abortion not because “a child didn’t fit in my schedule.” I love how anti-abortion people try to use words like “inconvenience” or “fitting in schedules”, like a pregnancy is this lunch date you had.
A pregnancy is a 9-month health issue, requiring hospital stays, bedrest, pain, time off work, possible health complications, an agonizing birth that has the potential to cause MORE health problems, permanent bodily changes(inside AND outside) and that’s not even getting into adoption procedures or raising the child. We’re looking at $7k-10k alone, not counting missed work, or emotional/physical trauma. This is something that MOTHERS, loving, good, and HAPPY mothers… admit is a very HARD THING to do, even with how badly they wanted it.
As I have a great aversion to babies, children, pregnancy, as well as a host of health issues at the best of times, not to mention medications I cannot stop taking, I’m on birth control. IF THAT FAILS, I am going to take my butt down to the nearest abortion clinic. Not because I’m “not ready”, but because I will never BE ready, since it’s not something I want. I feel a deep revulsion towards a pregnancy. I do not want something inside my body. Say what you will… but that’s my prerogative.
Looks like some women have been looking at pregnancy as “an inconvenience” since the dawn of time. I’ll gladly join their ranks.
ChocoBoo
wrote on October 2 2009 @ 07:36 am: [report]
While I wouldn’t feel the need to Twitter or post something like that on a network site> I’m actually glad she brought this topic to light the way she did. For those who truly wanta child and miscarry= a sad event. For those of us who don’t and end up with a failed birth-control situation=BLESSING! Not all females welcome the idea of pregnancy as their ‘true calling’. Unplanned pregnancy is a true nightmare for some, and that end of the spectrum should be addressed> without making females feel like we’re the wicked witch of the west for not wanting children.
wild-ting
wrote on October 3 2009 @ 01:30 am: [report]
Woot! Penelope Trunk for opening dialogue, a great tweet—although I consider it highly personal, and being refreshingly HONEST!
Fyndy
wrote on October 6 2009 @ 02:19 am: [report]
@Christianaval
I understand your point of view, as I understand the others as well. You are entitled to your beliefs; the same respect is to be given to others as well, no matter if they agree with you or not. It’s called human nature. Not everyone is going to have the same beliefs as you. I have a firm Christian belief system, and still even I think that it is a women’s right, no matter the situation.
I have a heart condition, and do NOT want children. I have felt this way for a very long time, and I’m only 24. My cardiologist told me that if I become with child, now (and especially when I’m older) I have a very high risk of dying giving birth. Now, I am taking birth control to prevent this, but I will be brutely honest with you: I WOULD NOT let the embryo live. I’m sorry, but I will NOT die on the birthing table and leave behind a husband and family, and leave a baby with no mother. Not happening. I don’t believe this is selfish or irresponsible of me.
You say christianaval “Honestly I feel that the baby should be had regardless of the situation.”
So in other words you would gladly welcome my death in favor of having the child. You would rather a mother die to have her child against the advice of the medical team and her family/husband, and leave tragedy in wake of this, than to terminate the pregnancy as soon as possible.
That says a lot about a person, I believe.