loved this. esp the part about not loving what you can't see. i wrote about that a bit here; some of the stark-ness was lost in edits, but so much of the musing about how many children, whether children, whether contraception operates as if these decisions can be made in the abstract. there are only particular people to love, to grieve, to lose, to parcel out energy for. its all irreducibly particular. https://www.plough.com/articles/in-the-shoes-of-the-woman-considering-abortion
Oh wow, Kirsten, I loved and needed this. Big time! We share more of a history than just WCS. “Let there be” is such a beautiful way to frame the pattern of creation and life-gift-giving. Thanks for linking it (and all you write and do).
So good! I love all that you write and this strikes a particularly deep chord for me as the mother of a disabled child (Moy Moy died as a young woman) and a person who has long believed that all abortions are selective.
Here in India, selective abortion mainly means aborting girls. girls. Feminists, rightly, have done everything possible to oppose it . As a result of their efforts, pregnant women can no longer find out the sex of their child. It's assumed that if the baby is known to be the "wrong" gender, abortion is, if not inevitable, at least far more likely.
For over 30 years, I have been arguing that the argument against sex-selective abortion applies to ability-selective abortion too, but it's a hard sell, especially with my feminist friends. I wrote this article in 2010 (I can't find the one I wrote for Newsweek in 1989!).
Thanks so much, Jo. I didn't realize the law had changed! I'll look for a good history of that advocacy/policy process, though if you have recommended readings on it for my students, I'd be grateful. And thank you for your piece — much to think about here on strategy vs consistency, how to build logical cases and such. Always good to connect with you here, and thank you most of all for your work in our shared commitments.
I wrote a piece on the idea of children as a project, and how that falls apart in the lives of very poor women, but they still have children. Not sure there is any space in influencer culture for relationship that isn't "forward moving project" so I'm not surprised that particular incident of selective abortion created a kind of collision. Like you, the long journey of accompanying children who most of the world think should have been aborted has made my thoughts on life issues, unplanned trajectories and accepting the given as gift much more nuanced Are Children a Good Idea? - Comment Magazine https://share.google/4ElAodoyZO7nwttv5
loved this. esp the part about not loving what you can't see. i wrote about that a bit here; some of the stark-ness was lost in edits, but so much of the musing about how many children, whether children, whether contraception operates as if these decisions can be made in the abstract. there are only particular people to love, to grieve, to lose, to parcel out energy for. its all irreducibly particular. https://www.plough.com/articles/in-the-shoes-of-the-woman-considering-abortion
Oh wow, Kirsten, I loved and needed this. Big time! We share more of a history than just WCS. “Let there be” is such a beautiful way to frame the pattern of creation and life-gift-giving. Thanks for linking it (and all you write and do).
the only theological story worth telling is the one about offerings.
preach.
Hi Sara.
So good! I love all that you write and this strikes a particularly deep chord for me as the mother of a disabled child (Moy Moy died as a young woman) and a person who has long believed that all abortions are selective.
Here in India, selective abortion mainly means aborting girls. girls. Feminists, rightly, have done everything possible to oppose it . As a result of their efforts, pregnant women can no longer find out the sex of their child. It's assumed that if the baby is known to be the "wrong" gender, abortion is, if not inevitable, at least far more likely.
For over 30 years, I have been arguing that the argument against sex-selective abortion applies to ability-selective abortion too, but it's a hard sell, especially with my feminist friends. I wrote this article in 2010 (I can't find the one I wrote for Newsweek in 1989!).
https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/unwanted#:~:text=I've%20changed%20my%20mind%20about,the%20outcry%20against%20sex%2Dselective%20abortion.&text=Jo%20McGowan%2C%20a%20longtime%20contributor,Commonweal%2C%20writes%20from%20Dehradun%2C%20India.
Thanks so much, Jo. I didn't realize the law had changed! I'll look for a good history of that advocacy/policy process, though if you have recommended readings on it for my students, I'd be grateful. And thank you for your piece — much to think about here on strategy vs consistency, how to build logical cases and such. Always good to connect with you here, and thank you most of all for your work in our shared commitments.
Thank you for your considered and deep analysis from a place of action. I have forwarded this piece to several friends and family.
Thanks so much for seeing the disposition of these thoughts, Jocelyn!
I wrote a piece on the idea of children as a project, and how that falls apart in the lives of very poor women, but they still have children. Not sure there is any space in influencer culture for relationship that isn't "forward moving project" so I'm not surprised that particular incident of selective abortion created a kind of collision. Like you, the long journey of accompanying children who most of the world think should have been aborted has made my thoughts on life issues, unplanned trajectories and accepting the given as gift much more nuanced Are Children a Good Idea? - Comment Magazine https://share.google/4ElAodoyZO7nwttv5
I loved this, Mary Ellen — and your latest post about looking for the ordinary builders everywhere. So glad to know of the work you do!