None of Your Beeswax

I want to shed a little "lyte" on choice.  Former governor and presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee appeared on "The Daily Show" last night to discuss abortion rights with host, Jon Stewart.  Huckabee is a former pastor so it is no surprise that he is anti-choice.  Stewart is pro-choice.

I take issue with this debate.  First of all, neither of the debaters have a dog in this fight.  Both being male, an unwanted pregnancy will never be a problem.  Now, I know everyone is entitled to their opinion, but in the debate about choice, I have a hard time listening to two members of the ruling class, safe in their gender, pontificating about an issue they will never have to face.

To his credit, Huckabee gave an impassioned and reasoned argument.  Stewart was concise and witty as always.  But Stewart even backpedaled in his arguments, his position as a father makes him more sympathetic to the anti-choice argument.

Notice I call it anti-choice, not pro-life as they like to be called.  Ever since this side of the argument decided to start killing people to make their point, they lost the right to call themselves pro-life.  According to their own doctrine, even Dr. Tiller's life is sacred.  But I noticed a decided lack of outrage after he was gunned down in his own church.

But I digress.  Last night's debate angered me.  Frankly, I don't think men have any right to an opinion unless it is their partner who is contemplating ending her pregnancy.  I am bewildered by a political party that claims to be against the interference of government in our lives, but has no problem allowing government into my body.

Here's an idea, if Roe v. Wade were to be rolled back, and women everywhere forced to bear any and all children conceived, then let's even out the burden a bit.  Make every male over the age of 18 donate sperm and then receive a vasectomy.  That would solve the problem of unwanted children.  Every conception would be consensual and planned.  Every child would be wanted.

"Whoa," I hear you say, "That's crazy!  Government has no business sterilizing a man!"  Well, government has no business nationalizing my womb.  If you are against abortions, don't have one.  But your choice is not my choice.

And it enrages me when the other side conflates an unwanted pregnancy with an unplanned pregnancy.  One is a surprise, the other is a tragedy.  Unwanted children are more likely to be abused and neglected.  Many unwanted children end up turning to a family that does want them, a gang.  How do we know this?  One theory as to why the crime rate has dropped in recent years is that legal, accessible abortions mean less unwanted children.  Less unwanted children means less potential criminals.  Less criminals means less crime.

Another aspect of the anti-choice argument that angers me is their insistence on abstinence as the only form of birth control.  Keeping young women ignorant on how to prevent pregnancies, and then insisting that they have the child, is a potent form of control.  Nothing ends the nascent dreams of a young woman faster than having a baby to be responsible for.  Funny, I don't see a strong push for young men to take responsibility, no that is left to the woman to sort out.  I have never seen a home for unwed fathers.

So while I applaud the reasonable discourse that took place on "The Daily Show" last night, I think the time has come for the anti-choice supporters to shut up and stay home.  Make and have all the babies you want.  After all, the rabid right is growing increasingly white and old, if you want to be a majority again, you better get busy.