The Phone Call

Just a few thoughts on the anti-choice conference call.

First, it really is a fundraiser. They never stop asking for money, though they also keep reassuring listeners that the ban is a done deal (but send a check just in case!). They also mention several times that they have not yet finished their commercial.

Second - if you've ever listened to right-wing religious radio, this is exactly what that sounds like - lots of repetition, lots of attitude, lots of "we're right, we will win, they're wrong," etc.

Third - I really should be used to it, but I'm tremendously bothered by lies from people who consider themselves to be such good Christians, who claim that they have -literally - the "blue phone of Jesus Christ" (I think that's supposed to mean a direct line to God). I mean, if you want to lie, lie. But don't tell me while you're lying what a great Christian you are. (The one that's pissing me off right now is the guy who is saying that pro-choice groups are having a terrible time getting college students to speak out on campus. Really? How come I can't walk through the campus center without seeing tons of people crowding around the pro-choice table??) (I clarify before someone suggests that they're protesting - they're not protesting. They're registering to vote and slapping on "Vote No on 6" stickers.)

But third - and this is really a doozy - here's a quote that came at about 43 minutes into the call, from one of the speakers:

"I have never regretted being a mother. I have always regretted the fact that it was legal for me to kill my children. I would have never done it if it had not been legal."

Uh....What?! (blinks a few times in disbelief)

It's not that I don't feel sorry for women who regret having had an abortion. I'm sure that's very painful. It just so happens that I know a lot of women who have had abortions, and only one ever expressed regret: she went on about how awful Planned Parenthood was and how she instantly regretted her abortion, and I was listening with my mouth practically hanging open - and then she went on to talk about the two other abortions she had afterward, also Planned Parenthood's fault, of course. Nothing like having your choice and blaming it on someone else while trying to prevent anyone else from having a choice...or something like that.

I guess if you make a decision that you regret, it helps to have someone to blame. But blaming someone else for your bad decision means avoiding responsibility. And while I feel for this woman on the conference call who regrets her abortions, if the only thing that made her choose an abortion over giving birth was the mere fact that abortion was legal, I submit that there are a *host* of other problems there.

(To download and listen for yourself, click the link on the sidebar.)