Were you surprised, even shocked, to see Catholics and other pro-lifers joining in at the Women’s March — the march that was funded and organized by pro-choicers, and which backed out of partnering with pro-life groups?
Numerous Catholics told me it was a scandal that they were there.
Well, get used to it. The pro-life establishment abandoned women and children when they threw in their lot with Trump. Get used to seeing pro-lifers strike out on their own, welcome or not.
When you in the Republican establishment helped Trump win, you told the world, “This is what a pro-life leader looks like like.” You told the world:
–A pro-lifer is a serial adulterer who proudly thinks with his penis.
–A pro-lifer responds to an unplanned pregnancy by saying, “Oh, great” and asking the mother what she’s going to “do about it.”
–A pro-lifer tells the world that a woman isn’t qualified to lead if we don’t enjoy looking at her face.
–A pro-lifer, when asked about his baby daughter, speculates on how big her tits will be some day.
–A pro-lifer mentions several times in several ways that, if he weren’t Ivanka’s father, he’d be dating her because of her gorgeous body.
–A pro-lifer will appoint ludicrously unqualified cabinet members whose only asset is their promises to cut funding for food and housing, programs which disproportionately support women and children.
–A pro-lifer is enthusiastic about torture, and is proud to turn his back on refugees.
–A pro-lifer thinks that life-saving vaccines cause autism, and is reportedly considering appointing a vaccine skeptic to investigate vaccine safety.
–A pro-lifer has promised repeatedly to repeal the law that has given millions of women (including me) basic healthcare for the first time.
–A pro-lifer appoints an education head who thinks that special needs kids don’t have a right to an education, and that the states should (like Texas did) be free to just stop making it possible for special needs kids to go to school.
–And of course a pro-lifer, as a newlywed, brags about kissing women without consent and then grabbing women by the pussy. And pro-lifers say that talking about “fucking” married “bitches” is “locker room banter” and can be excused as long as we also talk about ISIS.
You elected Trump and told the world that we had to vote for him, because he is pro-life. You even said that it was a mortal sin not to vote for him. And then you told women that they weren’t real Catholics because they marched against him.
Tell me again that women are shameful and disgraceful for telling the world that this man does not represent us. They’re the disgrace. Not him. Tell me again.
Tell me again that Catholic women who marched on Saturday aren’t real Catholics. Tell me again that they are the ones who should be cast out, because they are in the street at the same time as women with silly hats. Tell me that they are the scandal, and not the party who betrayed women and elected Trump.
Tell me again how the true disgrace is when young pro-lifers march in the streets with signs shouting “ABORTION BETRAYS WOMEN,” and the Huffington Post reports it, with numerous photos and ample quotes from pro-lifers. Also Slate, The Atlantic, and numerous other left-leaning websites.
Tell me what a scandal it is that “pro-life feminist” is now a thing.
God bless you, Destiny Herndon De La Rosa, Abby Johnson, Aimee Murphy, Students for Life, and all the strong, smart women who had the courage to face not only the abuse of pro-choicers but the abuse of your fellow Catholics. God bless you for telling the world that abortion hurts women, that pro-life is pro-women. God bless you for turning over your lives to the pro-life cause, when even other pro-lifers refused to help.
And God bless you for being physically there, for putting yourself right next to women who have been told all their lives that pro-lifers are rigid, angry, fanatical misogynists. God bless you for talking to them, showing them that we are human, showing them that there is another way of seeing the world.
You are the ones who are changing hearts; and that is how abortion is defeated. Not by signing bills, not by babbling catchphrases when it’s politically expedient and shrugging them off when it’s not. Not by yanking help away from the needy.
Abortion is defeated when pro-lifers have the courage to go where they are not invited. The election of Donald Trump made it very clear that respect for women is not important to the republican party. So be it. Pro-lifers who do respect women will go elsewhere.
The old categories do not hold. If Trump is the leader of the republican party, then the republican party is no longer the home for people who value family, who cherish children, who respect women. Pro-life American are now politically homeless; and so, like so many of the homeless, they took to the streets.
Expect to see more of this kind of thing. The old categories do not hold.
***
Image: Screenshot from Fox News interview with Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa of New Wave Feminists
Okay, sorry for not including in my previous post, but I just don’t get your logic at all. So , by your logic, if you in anyway supported Trump over Hillary, then you are guilty of saying this is what the prolife movement is all about concerning his objectionable behavior? But some how that same logic doesn’t apply to “feminists” who supported a March with a group that insists that killing children is a fundamental right? You’re not saying to the world, “see this is what feminism is”? How by your logic, does it not make you guilty of the same type of thing?
Wow, this is not rational. I get that you don’t have hearts and unicorns feelings for the new president; understandable. But you do not need to imagine that this means prolife people in some way support all of the objectionable things you mention if they voted for the guy. There were only so many choices, and the other choices weren’t too awesome, I have to say. Get a grip lady.
I am prolife and I voted third party. That said, I made a conscious decision not to march, because it had been made so very clear that prolife voices were not welcome. The marchers in my town can be absolutely hateful about prolife people, even if we agree about everything else in the platform. If I could have felt safe holding a sign that said something like “I’m Marching for Unborn Women,” I would have done it, but I did not feel safe and some anecdotal reports reinforce that. I don’t judge Catholics who chose to march, but I do think that they create some confusion, particularly if they marched in a habit or otherwise identified themselves as part of a group that should be prolife, without carry signs that made it abundantly clear.
I was braced for unpleasantness when I started to read these comments, but I have been so impressed by the respect commenters have shown here, and the focus on arguments instead of insult, even when expressing a passionate opinion. (Except for the cat–all I’ve read are meows.) It is very interesting to read the different views and experiences of people who have thought seriously about abortion and activism. I dislike conflict of almost any kind, and my response to most things in life is to withdraw into my own head (a strategy which served me well in situations like middle school but otherwise has some severe drawbacks). Civil discussions like these help me to gather my courage to speak up.
Brilliant, Simcha! You said it so much more eloquently, than I ever could. I’m linking to this on my blog.
Simcha, thank you for this – you are my hero.
Thinking pro-life Catholics have had to grow up a lot this year. Feeling strength in an echo chamber was never going to satisfy the nagging questions that a rational person inevitably has to confront. One of those nagging doubts is that there has been something *fundamentally* wrong with the pro-life movement all along.
I’m grateful that Trump came along to shake us completely off of the trusted moorings. The truth is supremely better than comfortable blinders. Seeing Catholics trusting in an idol that so blatantly spews hate, xenophobia, misogyny etc. in the service of nationalism (and at it’s core MONEY) reveals how petty and weak American Catholics always were. Trump didn’t change them, they were like that all along. They thought they could be racists, judgemental and pro-life at the same time.
The New Wave feminists have made it clear that outlawing abortion is not what they are after.
This is a big deal and extremely threatening to those that always operated under a “protesting” type of “pro-life” m.o.
And the elephant in the living room?
Short of some cataclysmic world wide God-event, abortion. is. never. going. to. go. away. We will never most likely never see this in our lifetimes! Even if all women had healthcare, money, education, a roof, childcare, support, friendship etc. (helping to promote a culture of all of the above is a wonderful dream worthy of laboring for) –at the end of the day we need to come face to face with the fact that we can’t *force* people to make good moral choices, even in the most pristine of conditions. God doesn’t even do this! Like in the past, we can’t outlaw adultery, gay sex/civil union, fornication, masturbation either. Should we aspire to this? Would this be pleasing to God? Is creating something more akin to an Islamic state what “the pro-life movement” is about?
Some people say, “okay, but abortion is in a class all by itself, because it murders another human being.” By my faith, I know this to be true. But even if we’re not arguing about zygotes I know that people continue to murder their toddlers. Why do humans do that? –Collective failure–communal failure, personal failure. The remedy for this is obvious, and it’s not just a jail cell.
So I’ve had to adjust my way of thinking over the years. Pope Benedict threw conservative Catholics everywhere into a tizzy when he stated that it could be said that gay, male prostitutes could be at the beginning of a moral journey when they decide to use condoms to protect themselves and others. Wow. The implications are dizzying. –People with free will, on journeys hopefully toward love.–hopefully choosing life even if learning how to choose life is a slow process. I do believe that’s how God set things up in this often vicious world
Do I hope that Trump outlaws abortion (of course he won’t!) –but for the sake of argument, do I even bother to hope in such a thing? No! I refuse to think in unrealistic terms. I would rather turn my focus *entirely* toward humanitarian outreach for those that suffer. I’ll leave that useless argument to the guys and gals that think that holding protest signs instead of babies, and praying rosaries (and electing a sex predator) is the right pro-life recipe.
Ms. Lemos – We cannot force people to make moral choices, that’s true.
I can tell you personally, that praying the rosary in front of abortion clinics and privately is a strong statement to God, and does in fact make a difference. It is a very effective “pro-life recipe”, in spite of what you have written. I have prayed at abortion clinics often, and privately, daily. I have never screamed at anyone or held graphic signs. But when a fellow Franciscan and I were quietly praying the Rosary on the sidewalk in front of an abortion clinic last spring, we were approached by an clinic escort and a guard. We were expecting unpleasantness and braced ourselves. But the escort told us that while she may never see things as we do, she appreciates our quiet prayer support and so do their clients, who are extremely stressed, fearful, and unhappy. We told her that is why we were there, and that we included her and the guard in our prayers as well. While not in agreement, we spoke to each other respectfully and parted in peace. Either you have the Faith that prayer helps, or you don’t. Apparently you do not.
We do not have to fund immoral choices with our tax money, and we do not have to line the pockets of immoral organizations like Planned Parenthood, which has been proven to sell human body parts for profit, with out tax money.
We do not have to back candidates who impose “same sex marriage” on our country, along with everything else that mandate imposes by extension (gender neutral bathrooms for children and adults, private businesses being forced to work for clients they find morally objectionable, etc.) As Catholics, we are called to treat everyone with respect, but we are not called to affirm them in immoral behavior.
We do not have to vote for politicians and parties which have stopped listening to our concerns about the economy, jobs, war, and moral social issues.
Maybe abortion will not be outlawed tomorrow, but by electing a candidate who is pro-life and supports moral view on other issues, even if he is a horrible person, is a start. It is not easy to fight immoral, unjust policies and organizations, but giving up is not an option.
Peace and all good to you, Ms. Lemos, and Simcha, and all here – Susan, ofs
This is one of the most disgusting and insulting comments I have ever read! We can’t end abortion altogether so we shouldn’t even hope for it? We have to give up the fight on gender ideology? On traditional marriage? You might want to square that up with a lot of comments made by Pope Francis.
I don’t know you and I wouldn’t deign to judge anybody as “petty and weak” but I can judge actions and comments and your comment was as petty, vile and weak as I have ever seen. If you’re painting yourself as some sort of Catholic realist who has found compromise than I might encourage you to some thoughtful,reflection on the notion that we are in but not of the world.
And loathe as I am to use fallacious tu quoque logic, I would be very mindful of promoting that the only other candidate who could have won the election, Secretary Clinton, enabled and smears tons of women who crossed paths were President Clinton.
Well it’s good of you to think of us rosary pray-ers. Thanks so much. I’ll never give up praying my rosary, even if lots of very, very “practical” people think “it’s a waste of time”. Little do they know. It’s the most awesome way to join in with the Blessed Mother in her powerful intercessions. She is Mediatrix of all graces, my mother, and more powerful than Esther before the throne of Ahasuerus. You go your way, I’ll follow her.
“The election of Donald Trump made it very clear that respect for women is not important to the republican party.”
That’s just not true. I don’t know who you are railing against, but nearly every pro-life person I know plugged their nose and voted for Trump not because they don’t care about women, but because they view the abortion industry as being a greater evil than Trump’s disgusting character.
Thank you Simcha Fisher, you are not alone! I voted for Evan McMullin and I am vigilant about the new administration. We cannot cow-down to the power hungry GOP. They are doing a great disservice to the USA and to the world. Lets pray that more and more people wake up from their slumber!
I’m not sure exactly who you’re aiming these accusations and all this vitriol at, but if (as your words seem to indicate) it’s directed at anyone who voted for Trump, you’re being quite unjust. The way this democracy works, voters get to vote for one of the candidates on offer. When both choices stink, they figure out which outcome they think is least bad (which is, by the way, not the same question as which human being is more odious) and if need be hold their noses while voting.
Anybody I know who voted for Trump did so quite unhappily, because they believed that bad as he is, at least he would not continue the agenda so aggressively pursued by the Obama administration on issues like conscience rights and gender, as a Hillary administration clearly would. (Not to mention the fact that the current incarnation of Hillary and her party have made clear that they never heard of an abortion they wouldn’t cheer for, quite literally.)
Evidently, you came to a different conclusion, but can’t you at least acknowledge that in this election, both choices were so hellishly bad that well-informed people of good will could end up with a different judgment as to which was less bad? The vitriol is simply not called for here.
Amen!
Thank you, Simcha Fisher, for hitting the nail on the head. I cannot add anything useful to what you said about the march and about the pro-life establishment’s support of Trump. For those who are interested, there is an alternative political home, the American Solidarity Party. I ‘threw away” my vote on their candidate in this election. Check it out!
“When you in the Republican establishment helped Trump win, you told the world, ‘This is what a pro-life leader looks like like.’ . . .”
How do you arrive at that conclusion? Many pro-life folks fought tooth and nail to support better candidates in the primaries but were still stuck with Hillary and Trump on the final ballot. Where was the viable authentic pro-life candidate? I voted for Trump and I have never claimed he was pro-life. I simply believe he is less pro-death than his rival.
What the pro-life organizations could have said is the following:
“This year, neither candidate is satisfactorily pro-life, and both suffer from major character flaws. Because of that, we cannot endorse either of them, and we encourage our pro-life friends to carefully and thoughtfully pray over whether they could vote for either of them.”
This, to me, seems like it would have been in with a stance derived from integrity. But that’s not what happened, is it?
I was at the women’s march on Saturday and I am Pro-life!
Thank you for being there!
Well said, Simcha!!
My husband is a public school teacher in Texas, and he said a pretty healthy percentage of his students are special education in one way or another — more than what the article linked to cited as the ‘limit’, and the school gets funding to help. It’s also a small school in a low income rural area. Not sure that his experience is universal access the state, and it might be different at bigger schools, but wanted to share our experience…
To clarify, the school does get funding to help with the students. Some is federal.
I loved reading this and fully agree with you. I would have marched if I wasn’t having a baby this week.
Congratulations! Blessings to you and your family!
Thank you, Simcha. I had a bruising week arguing against both pro-choicers and pro-Trumpers, and I’m glad to see I’m not alone in this crazy idea of being a pro-life feminist.
If one more freelancer lauds finally having healthcare I am going to giggle myself millenial. I agree with some of your sentiments and its rough on big families, but there is security in steady work and yes, it is out there. Even for parents of big families.
So…you think that a flexible and resilient workforce is a bad thing? New and small businesses should be discouraged and laughed at?
Not even going to touch the assumption that there’s enough “steady work” for large, benefit-supplying companies for all Americans. There’s just too much privilege involved in that to even start untangling, except to note that if there really already were jobs for everybody, Trump wouldn’t have gotten elected in traditionally blue-collar states on a “more jobs for everybody” platform. OBVIOUSLY there are a lot of people who would be very happy to work hard for large corporations who cannot actually find that “steady work” you speak of.
Thank you, Kate. Perfectly said.
I LOVE that there are Pro-Life Feminists, and I do not view it as an oxymoron. There are feminist positions regarding the pro-life message — and these all come from a place about how we treat single women, how we provide care for them during pregnancy and beyond. Putting a message out there that acknowledges that many women who do have abortions do so because of societal issues — and fixing those issues…. education, support, assistance … can actually help reduce abortions. To them, it IS a feminist movement….making it so that abortions are not something that women feel they must get because they don’t feel they have any other choice.
I am adamantly pro-choice, but when I read one woman’s pro-life stance against abortion — and how it was a women’s issue for her, that one resonated. It was not about condemning and sentencing a woman to motherhood — it was about addressing all of the issues that made abortion seem like the best option in the first place. And you know what? I can absolutely get behind that.
Condemning and sentencing a women to motherhood?
Way to go. I am profoundly pro choice, but I can at least respect a person who is truly pro LIFE instead of only pro BIRTH, like what I generally see in the movement.
Leigh could not have said it better! So Done!!
I think this is a gross oversimplification of a very complex situation.
The most glaring problem I see with this analysis is that it fails to consider the fact that the election took place in a two party system where both candidates had major flaws and presented serious risks to the country.
From a practical ethics standpoint, I can’t see how it can be logically claimed that pro-lifers voting for Trump were actually endorsing all of those other things you claim that they endorse – in fact, a lot of that seems quite slanderous.
I think that unless evidence can be provided showing those pro-lifers actually endorsing those things, then the truth is NOT that the majority or pro-lifers were endorsing Trumps personal flaws (and there are many!), but instead they were willing to ignore those personal failings in order to vote for, or against, what they considered to be far more serious policy problems, risks, etc.
So in that scenario, the question actually becomes: ‘is it right for someone to ignore a candidates personal moral failings, and leadership weaknesses in order to vote for or against something more serious and far reaching than that?
And in a two party election where both candidates are majorly flawed I’m not sure the answer is as straight forward or easy to come by as some are trying to suggest.
Either way, good on those pro-lifers who marched on the weekend, and good on the establishment pro-lifers who have been caring for women and marching for the unborn for many decades now as well.
The last thing we need is deliberate and futile division between those two groups – so let’s all keep working together and no get hung up on futile bickering over presidential voting preferences.
If that happens, women and babies lose.
Well said, Brendan.
As I have said before on this site, I do not like Mr. Trump. But I voted for him in spite of his personal flaws, because the Democratic agenda absolutely does not represent me.
Both presidential candidates were personally and publicly flawed, When it came down to it, I and many like me felt we had no choice but to vote for Trump, mainly because of the abortion issue, public healthcare issues, economy issues, and because the Democrats simply stopped listening to anyone who did not agree with them. Not only that, high-ranking officers in the Clinton campaign felt they could dictate change in my Catholic Church. Mrs. Clinton issued no apologies on this, leaving me to conclude that she agrees with them. I find all this disrespectful, condescending, and morally objectionable.
Hillary Clinton in no way represented any issue I held dear. Her backing of abortion, same sex “marriage”, the flawed healthcare system, economic and jobs issues, and her condescending attitude toward those who do not agree with her and the Catholic Church is just as offensive to me as the obnoxious remarks by Donald Trump you have cited, Simcha.
President Trump may not be my ideal president. I would much prefer to see Paul Ryan, John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, or Jeb Bush in the White House today.
The day the Democrats produce an intelligent, pro-life, defense of traditional marriage candidate who respects and represents me and others in the Midwest and other areas where we have not had issues that matter to us addressed, I will consider voting Democrat. But it has not happened, and I do not see any sign it will change. So I remain a Republican, warts and all. And if the election was held again tomorrow between the same candidates, I would again vote for Trump.
I understand your point. However, think of how we have responded when Catholics have said, “I disagree with this candidate’s position on abortion, but am willing to ignore that in favor of the good things they will do for the poor, for healthcare, for the environment, and for other things I believe in.” Did we respect their point of view? No. we have always said that was not a position they could take in good conscience because voting for a pro-abortion candidate constituted material cooperation with the son of abortion.
Now Simcha has pointed out that Trump’s supporters must be judged by the same standard.
There are two options. Either
A) Trump supporters are guilty of material cooperation with the violence and against women and minorities that Trump has enabled and incited,
or
B) Those who were opposed to abortion but voted for pro-choice candidates based on the good they hoped would come of it are NOT guilty of material cooperation with abortion.
You cannot have it both ways.
(And I have a Masters in philosophy so I do not take this at all lightly. Nor am I just spouting anger. I voted for neither Hillary nor Trump because I did not want to be complicit with the actions if either of them.)
Anne, I don’t think those things are even remotely relatable. Pro-choice candidates are loudly and proudly shouting for all-access abortion on demand. The Democratic party platform even removed the qualifier that abortion should be ‘rare’ from their platform this year. They are not even pretending that they think abortions should be limited. Donald Trump is an obnoxious, crass, blowhard, but he isn’t out there advocating for violence against women and racism. He isn’t out there saying that blacks, women, Hispanics, etc, should be second-class citizens. You may interpret his policies as having that effect, but that is not even close to the same thing. You’re blaming Trump for things he has ‘enabled’ and ‘incited’, not policies and platforms he actually holds.
Also: Saying there were no options other than Hillary and Trump is the fallacy of false choice. We don’t have a two-party system; we have a “first past the post” voting system, which generally produces two dominant parties. However, there are other options.
For example:
1. Abstaining from casting a ballot in the Presidential race (with or without voting on other ballot items)
2. Voting third party
3. Writing in an alternate candidate (as long as it was done properly so that the ballot isn’t invalidated)
Better to lose the election and keep fighting on the ground than to compromise so dearly.
I think that’s a terrible idea. Imagine if Hillary had won! We would have been dug into a real long term ditch then.
You are right that pro-choice candidates loudly proclaim their desire for abortion on demand. My argument is about how *voters* assess candidates. The argument has always been that you cannot “hold your nose” and vote for a pro-choice candidate even if you like all their other policies because you would be complicit in abortion. When you apply the same reasoning to Trump, you must conclude that voting for him would make you complicit in the KKK (who endorsed him), in creating a registry of Muslims, etc.
You are right that those things aren’t as bad as abortion. But they are still Really, Really bad. And there were other options. No one had to vote for him.
And regarding your second point, that “he isn’t out there advocating for violence against women and racism. He isn’t out there saying that blacks, women, Hispanics, etc, should be second-class citizens.”
All I can do is assume you didn’t listen to any of his rallies. Or the debates. Or any interviews he’s done over the last 30 years.
Anne: Perhaps there is a third option: people disregarded two extremely flawed candidates and examined party platforms. It’s one thing to say that one focused on the other issues besides abortion but if somebody truly considers Catholic social teaching and Church doctrine, then one has to concede that the democratic platform is not the only answer to social ills.
We can certainly argue the merits of expanded welfare which in considering superficially helps the poor. But a deeper dive into the actual statistics prior to the introduction of LBJ’s “Great Society” shows that $22,000,000,000,000 and the education levels and economic mobility of the poor, especially African Americans, has markedly decreased. In addition, the incidence of single mothers has skyrocketed because the father’s either don’t know the women had children (probably assuming the women are on ABC or will have an abortion) or if they do know they assume that government will provide material support. This isn’t a treatise on conservative ideology or principals but a call for some hard-headed realism about the state of affairs in this country, particularly with regard to the poor. The democratic solution is in full effect and has been–the results, not so good. So there is a whole other side to the argument–the democrats do not have the market cornered on social issues.
Anne, by that logic Women’s marchers would have to be judged as in material cooperation with the organizers of the March and their stated support of killing children being considered a human right. Darn, that stinks don’t it?
Here here! Well said, Brendan.
Simcha, thank you for writing this. I am a pro-life Catholic but also a feminist. I marched yesterday and am happy I did. I continue to be amazed that people believe that awful man cares about anyone but himself, and give him a free pass on all of the truly horrible things he has done and continues to do. I am not in agreement with the portion of the March’s mission statement that focuses on abortion, but there are so many other areas of agreement and intersection.
I was disappointed that the March organizers denied (and in some cases, revoked) partnership status for pro-life feminist groups. I think this gives us an opportunity to start a dialogue. There were pro-life counter protesters there, but I must admit they didn’t do anything to help our cause, as they had really offensive signs and were bellowing insults. They would not listen to anyone with an opinion not exactly like theirs, but I pray that the other groups in support of the March will listen and be truly inclusive in future efforts. I attended the March with a friend who is pro-choice, and we spoke extensively about abortion. At the end of the day, she told me she had not ever considered some of the points I raised. I think this is how we reach people: open, honest and respectful conversation.
Thank you for speaking your mind and for opposing this insanity. There is no defense for his insults and actions. Those of us who support common human decency must work together, even if we don’t always agree.
Patrick, thanks so much for calling women at the March shrews. That is not a trite and tired insult at all. If the women there were shrews, then I am proud to be one. Maybe I will make a shrew hat to wear. 😊
Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow.
Will do, and proudly. God bless you!
Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow.
I agree with Joanna. I am disgusted by how many pro-life leaders fell in line for Trump, praised him and excused him, but I am also disgusted when every discussion of women’s rights and feminism boils down to abortion an birth control. I also don’t think embracing the terms “pussy” and “Nasty Woman” are actually going to do any good, just like Trump supporters embracing the term Deplorables changed anything. I understand why people do it, but I don’t think it moves toward solutions.
Done. Used to enjoy your columns, but now they’re mostly politics and profanity. Moving on.
Every instance of profanity in this post has been a direct quote from our new president of the free world, Trump. Does it offend you that HE talks about pussies, fucking, tits, and bitches or that Simcha didn’t censor the fact that he did?
I don’t recall in any of my theology classes the doctrine of “you did something wrong so I can too”. That’s the argument in this article
Joanna, there is such a party. It’s called the American Solidarity Party. It’s small, but growing. And yet it has a vast potential constituency: the millions of Americans who oppose abortion and the death penalty and our foreign wars. The millions of Americans who want protection for unborn babies and for struggling mothers. The millions of Americans who want universal health care that includes pre-natal care, not subsidies for abortion-inducing drugs.
I agree with so much of this, but I couldn’t march alongside pro abortion signs as if I agreed. I have heard about a pro-life democrat group that I want to look into. The Democratic platform is so pro abortion, though. I just wish there were a real pro life party. Why is there not one that is anti death penalty, anti abortion, anti euthanasia, pro healthcare, pro equal pay, and pro paid leave? I’m sure I left out a lot of good stuff, but this would be a start.
Why does pro life have to mean making abortion illegal when that doesn’t stop abortion? Is it actually about reducing abortion or making it illegal? Cause those two things are nowhere near the same.
I have read a little about the New Wave Feminist … like their mission statement. As a group they DID pull out of the Women’s march even though we saw posters as individuals still went 🙁 .
If you’re a Catholic who holds to Church teaching then the position is that abortion is evil must always be opposed. That sure sounds doesn’t sound like reducing the numbers to me. That would be tantamount to saying let’s not try to stop Hitler on totality, let’s just limit the number of Jewish (and members of,resistance groups) that he kills.
No, Girl, it is about stopping it all together.
Try the Solidarity Party.
There is now! It’s the American Solidarity Party. Join us! http://www.solidarity-party.org
Check out the American Solidarity Party. It’s small, yes. But with the increasing alienation of faithful Catholics by both parties it has a strong chance of growing.
I am an adorable kitty cat named Tapioca, and I wish to remind everyone that men’s rights advocates are more to be pitied than censured. Nevertheless, I have a nagging feeling that the author of this blog is pretty tired of my bullshit after all these years, so she is probably going to go back and edit all my comments. But it will be an improvement, because I don’t actually have anything to say.
nothing, that is except:
Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow.
This edited comment wins the Internet for the night
Hey, guys, it’s me, Tapioca, the world’s cutest MRA kittie cat! I don’t go back and read my comments, so I’ll never never notice that Simcha is changing all of them to meowing. Ladies! Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em, am I right? God bless ’em. Meow meow, I am a poopy butt.
Thank you, Simcha, for giving me a sense of belonging. All sorts of yes to this post. I really needed this today. If nothing else, please know you have given me hope that I can, indeed, be a pro-life Catholic who cares for all marginalized people. Thank you. God bless you.
So, I am in the opposite position – I would describe myself as anti-abortion more than pro-life, because I think at the heart of the pro-life push for legislation is this calm assurance Tha women cannot be entrusted with such a nuanced and difficult decision. I also have a great sympathy for women who must have abortions due to health of mother or child and would never want them to endure any additional trauma like seeking a legal exemption or having to view an ultrasound. But I want to eliminate abortion. I believe the way is through universal access to long-term contraceptives and sex education (which can be inclusive of but should not be limited to abstinence based education), and eliminating poverty in women particularly. Also, incinerating rape culture through education, dedication, and harsh minimum sentencing for rapists. Anyway, my point is I think we share a common goal in this area anyway – even pro-choice people would not say they want more abortion, right?
Never do we judge a person. We believe in human rights for all…equal rights for all especially the marginalized groups. The most marginalized group is the unborn. The march for women marched against the unborn. To march with them was to stand against those we must stand up for as adults, as Christians, as Catholics, as no other issue can compare as to the life of one single soul. Pro-choice people such as planned parenthood make a fortune from abortions; why are they fighting so hard to keep going…it IS all about money and has been documented, They sell the body parts for a lot of money. As Catholics we do not promote nor believe in abortion or contraception for any reason. We are always to remain open to life. To never use any barrier to new life. New life is God’s… not ours. We will see God’s face, fact, did I always encourage / support / choose life or to murder His souls He created?
I taught social justice in RCIA today–my parting words were: everyone orders the principles differently and the trick is to get along with those who order them in a way that you don’t and still move together towards God. I found this on my newsfeed when I got home. Nice to know that in the eyes of the author that because I order priorities differently I am shouting all those dreadful things noted above to the world. That may be what some are hearing-but it isn’t what I am saying. Thanks for a link to send out for further conversation next week, along with this which also turned up in my feed: As a friend put it, “I did not bend my knee to Obama. I will not bend my knee to Trump.” I look to no president as sovereign or high priest. I do not question the legitimacy of the election. Whatever is just and right that the new president and congress accomplish I will support. Whatever is not just and right I will oppose and in four years we elect again. Now, excuse me for not getting into any political angst spewing Facebook debate, I have a parish and community to serve and a life to live. (1 Cor. 1:10-13, 17).