Obama doesn’t mentally stress about abortion
Strang: Based on emails we received, another issue of deep importance to our readers is a candidate’s stance on abortion. We largely know your platform, but there seems to be some real confusion about your position on third-trimester and partial-birth abortions. Can you clarify your stance for us?
Obama: I absolutely can, so please don’t believe the emails. I have repeatedly said that I think it’s entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I don’t think that “mental distress” qualifies as the health of the mother. (Link)
Sigh. This is disappointing. My reaction to the liberal blogosphere’s decries over Obama’s slide to the center has been shrugging. I never believed Obama was as “radical left” as many assumed he was, frankly through no fault of his own. And I have been irritated by the media’s nonsensical hyperventilation over “flip-flops” and “move to the center.” I don’t have any problems with Obama being a “politician”. He obviously is. And a great one. Which only makes me happy. It’s nice to see brilliant strategizing and nuance in politics, as opposed to steadfast, ideological idiocy. But.
To hear Obama state that “mental distress does not qualify as the health of the mother” is a splash of cold water.
Via Feministe
In reality, third-trimester abortions count for about one-half of one percent of all abortions. It’s already nearly impossible to obtain a late-term abortion in much of the country, and it is actually impossible to obtain one for purely elective purposes. Women who terminate pregnancies in the third trimester aren’t doing it for kicks; they’re doing it because they have some sort of serious health problem that requires it, or there’s a fetal abnormality.
Obama did say he supports late-term abortion rights in the case of a physical medical problem, but he took out mental health as a legitimate concern. That’s a talking point that you hear a lot from anti-choicers: That mental health is a “loophole” through which any undeserving baby-carrier could legitimately terminate her pregnancy.
But mental health underlies many of actual reasons women have late-term abortions.
Do read the full post, it argues many of my own thoughts on this issue. Here’s a link that has good information on who gets abortions and when.
I am generally wary of women’s mental health being dismissed as illegitimate. Particularly when it comes to trusting women to make their own choices about our bodies. I don’t fully understand why Obama felt it necessary to finesse this point. If I was a pro-life Christian who worries about Obama’s stance on abortion, this caveat on mental health isn’t going to assuage any of my fears. His record speaks for itself. He has already made it clear that he is against banning partial-birth abortions. So why make a statement that has little political impact, and even less legislative influence?
THE BIRTHDAY
It’s May 9, 2005. Yesterday was Mother’s Day. My birthday is going to be today. I just know it is. Mama took me to the doctor’s office the other day and I heard the doctor say he’d do the procedure on Monday, May 9th. I didn’t hear him say his name, sometimes it’s kind of muffled here in the womb. I did hear Mama say that the name of the place we were was called the “Women’s Clinic.” It must be a nice place because they take care of women and their babies. I wonder why the doctor called it “the procedure,” though. I thought it was called “being born.”
My angel came and visited me yesterday. He said that it wouldn’t be long before I would be leaving here. He said that after the procedure, I would be going to the most beautiful place that anybody could ever imagine. He said that I would be surrounded by total love and indescribable happiness. I didn’t know that the world was really that beautiful. I’ve been able to hear and understand things for awhile now and some of the things I’ve heard make me think the world is not all that nice of a place.
I sure will be glad to get out of here. Mama takes drugs and drinks something called alcohol. It makes me feel sick. When I get big enough to talk, I’m gonna tell her that Jesus doesn’t like it when she takes drugs. She must not know that he died on the cross for her and he gets very sad when she does things like that. It makes me sad too. At night, when Mama is “partying” I hear a lot of men’s voices. I wonder if one of them is my Daddy. They’re not very nice. They do things to Mama that I don’t understand.
I’m skinny. I think I should be fatter. Mama doesn’t eat much. She says that when she’s high, she just doesn’t have any appetite. When I get out of here, I’m going to eat at my Father’s Table. I’m going to eat so much that I’ll be full for a week! I don’t know who he is, but my angel does. He’s the one that told me that. My angel holds my hand. Sometimes, like yesterday, his eyes are sad. Why? How can he be sad? I’m about to start on a wonderful adventure! I want to grow up and help people. Someday, maybe I’ll be a doctor too!
Mama’s getting in the car now. I guess we’re going to the Women’s Clinic so I can be born. I’m so excited! I wonder what she looks like. Can she possibly love me as much as I love her? I can’t wait to put my arms around you Mama, and lay my head on your shoulder. I’m looking forward so much to having you teach me to brush my hair. To read the Bible, bake cookies and cherry pies. I’m gonna get you to show me how to put on make up and we can both wear yellow dresses with big brightly colored bows. I bet I’m gonna look like you, Mama. Maybe people will think I’m your sister instead of your daughter. Won’t that be funny?
Be careful driving Mama! Are you wearing your seat belt? I don’t want anything to happen to you, especially on my birthday. I love you, Mama! I’ll be coming out to meet you soon! I’m gonna take such good care of you Mama. I won’t let anybody hurt you like I hear them doing from here inside you. Me and my angel will protect you. I’ve got so much to tell you! When I can talk, I’m gonna tell you about Jesus! He loves you, Mama! He loves you so much! He loves you even more than I do. That’s hard for me to understand, but that’s what my angel tells me.
Well, we’re here. Mama’s parking the car. Why don’t we get out, Mama? You’re just sitting there behind the wheel feeling kind of low. It’s my birthday, Mama! What are you going to name me? Did you bring my car seat? Where’s our relatives? Where’s Ma-maw and Pa-paw? Where’s daddy? Who is daddy? Does he love me too?
Here we go! We’re out of the car, and we’re walking up the steps to the Women’s Clinic.
Wait a minute, Mama! All of a sudden, I’m scared. I don’t know why, but I’m scared! Get back in the car, Mama! Get back in the car! We’ve got to get out of here! I feel angels! Bad angels. Not like my angel. These are demon angels, Mama. I think they want to hurt us. Please Mama! Get back in the car. Quick! We can go someplace else. Take us to a church. Jesus will be there. He lives there. He’ll help us Mama. He loves us.
Mama, No! Don’t let them take you into the procedure room! Let’s leave, let’s go home. I love you, Mama. Why are we lying on this table? Where are your clothes? What’s that man doing? Why is he putting on gloves? Is he the doctor? He’s supposed to take care of us. I can see his soul. I’m scared of it, Mama! It’s laughing at us and he smells like fire and burning flesh. He doesn’t love us, Mama. Please help me.
What’s that noise? What’s that metal thing he has in his hand? Make him go away, Mama, Make him leave us alone! Where’s my angel? Help! Mama! Help! Oh Mama, he jabbed me with that metal thing, it hurts, help me, Mama, help———————–
“I’m skinny. I think I should be fatter. Mama doesn’t eat much. She says that when she’s high, she just doesn’t have any appetite.”
Seriously? these are the arguments of the pro-choice bloc? Get help.
No Mam. This is an “argument” or rather prose from the mind of a person who is pro-life, not pro-choice. The baby sure doesn’t have any choice. The content is sad, don’t you think? Don’t need any help, but thanks for caring.
oops. That’s what I meant. pro-LIFE.
Yes, I do think the content is sad. Very sad.
Someone’s been cribbing from Lil’ Markie, methinks…
As for Obama, my guess is that he’s saying what he thinks, but in an unfortunate manner. I don’t think that someone ought to have a late term abortion either, at least not in cases where its some lady who’s just stressed-out about becoming a mom. I’m sure that if the onus of figuring out abortion law fell in MY lap, I’d be trying to get rid of the option for those folks too. But for someone with actual mental issues? Real depression? Just plain nuts? Let ‘em! I’m not Obama, so I don’t know how you’d say this without seeming callous or backward. Too bad he doesn’t have the answer either!
I LOLed at this: “When I can talk, I’m gonna tell you about Jesus!”
I’d imagine that poor mental health is the only motivator for late term abortion.
Startling Moniker: Do click on the article I link to about who gets late-term abortions. These are already extremely difficult to get, and are only done in two clinics in the whole country. There are already restrictions in place for them. They make up less than 1% of all abortions and when they do occur, happen because of physical danger to the mother. If we excluded mental health, that would mean for example, children who get pregnant, cannot obtain abortions, who for whatever reason did not obtain them before. There are many such scenerios. But trusting women to make their own choices is what we are going for.
Donna: My favorite was when the pregnant woman gets high. Because only drug-induced women get unwanted pregnancies.
thebigtooth: Um? The exact opposite. Physical danger to the mother is usually the reason to get late-term abortions.
Perhaps one of you all could answer this as I have never understood it. Why is it necessary to make an incision, insert a vacuum tube and suction out the skull contents as opposed to delivering a live baby? Why would they not deliver it as only the head(which is more narrow than the shoulders) is left in the birth canal?
Do liberal OB-GYN drs. despise children that much?
Mr. Davis: I have no interest in defending pro-choice to you. Especially since you insist on talking in sensationalist, evocative soap-operatic speak instead of engaging in any real discussion. You are one of those people who will shamelessly stand in front of schools with gory pictures of aborted fetuses in the name of “saving children.” I find people whose demands include rights over my body to be more than a little scary.
Donna: I did too. I used to write sledgehammer stuff just like this in the eighth grade and it made me so proud! There hasn’t been a decent Christian writer around since Tolkien and Lewis died.
When all children are wanted and cared for (can you say universal health care?), abortion will become unnecessary.
So, I guess that means, you can’t or won’t explain why a live child is murdered before being extracted from the birth canal?
Sonia,
I happened upon your blog from the excerpts on WordPress.com. I’m always glad to see someone else who comes across as supportive but not uncritical of Mr. Obama.
And as a boy, I don’t usually weigh in on abortion, but the Feministe article you linked to puts it perfectly: “we should allow individual circumstances to be best evaluated by the people living those circumstances and the doctors treating them.” It seems to me with all the doctor-patient privacy laws, case-by-case needs to be the only requirement, and it’s nobody else’s business. But that’s for another day, I do believe your point was to discuss Obama’s statements contrasted with your data and opinions. And in that, well done. Keep up the good work. I’ve a mind to read more of your stuff later.
P.s. There seems to be a bit of spam in your comments section. I got the text of that “Birthday” garbage in an email a few years ago and promptly deleted it. Maybe you’d best do the same. =)
kevinofnine,
Thanks!
Yes, I have never understood how politicians and/or the government can ever justify interfering with a woman’s health.
And yeah, I should probably erase The Birthday. hehe lol. But this davis person seems like an actual human, as opposed to robot, so i’m gonna leave it:)
Well Kevin. You’re a liar. I wrote that. And, unless you’re someone who I know, or someone that one of my friends knows and sent it to you, it is not a spammed recreation that’s been hanging around for a long time. (Since May of 2005)
Thanks, Sonia. I am a real person. The fact of the matter is, you could have (and may still) “abort me.”
Hey Kev. Do you know 3 of 5? His name was changed to Hugh and he was on a couple of Star Trek, The Next Generation episodes. Just Kidding.
Davis,
I didn’t think that you were not a person. I did receive an email from a co-worker in 2006 (honestly!) that contained something very similar, if not identical, to your above story. And I did delete this email after reading it. So I was not lying there.
I called your use of the story as a comment “spam” because I think that it is unexplained, unsolicited, and slightly off-topic. I did a Google search for “Mama took me to the doctor’s office” and I see that it is something of a hobby of yours to paste this into blog comments. Even when it’s not relevant at all (e.g. “Why Liberals don’t Believe in GOD”). That pretty much fits my definition of spam.
I did similar searches, Kevin, and I only turned up one instance (beside his own blog) that Davis placed this comment on someone’s blog.
It IS however, a total Lil’ Markie ripoff!
http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/KF/0510/markie/02_-_Lil_Markie_-_Diary_Of_An_Unborn_Child.mp3