I had an odd and rather disappointing conversation with a friend (and fellow chronic illness warrior), whose current views left me shocked (and saddened, too, if I’m totally honest). We, like most of world, were discussing the effects of the overturning of Roe v. Wade—specifically, the state of Ohio refusing healthcare services to a 10-year-old rape victim.
“I don’t understand the kind of mind or heart that forces a child to birth the offspring of her rapist”, I said. “The Supreme Court is there to interpret the law, not to shove their beliefs down everyone else’s throats; especially when doing so victimizes someone who has already been abused.”
My friend, whom I believed I knew well (but I was obviously mistaken), said, “I’ve always been pro-choice and pro-law. It is good when those in power have morals. I’m happy the law is finally reminding certain women that they can’t go around killing babies.”
I just stared at her, convinced she had just made a distasteful joke. When no laughter followed her statement, I asked, “Are you serious? Really, really serious?”
“Everyone should be serious about this”, she told me. “What if the baby some woman aborts was part of god’s plan to make our world better, to right wrongs. These kinds of things aren’t always as clear cut as we want them to be. We should remember that—”
“Never mind,” I said to her. “I don’t think I can have this conversation with anyone who implies that their god’s plan for world betterment can involve rape and be okay.”
She didn’t stop talking. For some reason, she felt the need to waste time explaining to me that her ‘god works in mysterious ways’. I just shook my head, picked up my blackout poetry book, and started crafting a piece about this particular bit of madness.
Unjust
might is wickedness,
not
morality.
- for Poets and Storytellers United--Friday Writings #35: Hope.
Wow - uggh and you think you know someone. I think that case in Ohio is disgraceful and I am sure we will witness many more like it before long.
ReplyDeleteI think the current state of the world will keep surprising in rather terrible ways, especially when it comes to people. It's a sad business that.
DeleteAnd I agree, things will probably just continue to get worse.
DeleteClearly your friend doesn't know what "pro-choice" means. Rape victims are denied choice about whether to have sex, whether to become pregnant and now, in certain states, denied choice about carrying the rapist's baby to full term. And of course, this is all the more repellent when it involves a little girl of 10 years old.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people are doing selective understanding of terms and rights, these days. It's really disgusting.
DeleteThe fact that she could justify a 10 year child old being forced to carry a baby is beyond foul. I don't know that I would have handled that conversation with any sort of grace.
ReplyDeleteA few years, I would've probably exploded. Sadly, I've heard so much crap come out of people's mouth lately, that my temper has cooled.
DeleteThe ideas of privacy and individual choice are repellent to the Extreme Left, so left-wingnuts and right-wingnuts have converged on Roe v. Wade. Bad times for the United States. But we have survived worse.
ReplyDeleteBad times, indeed... I hope we don't have to lose too much while doing the surviving.
DeleteOMG! It seems to me there is an extreme lack of compassion amongst these right-to-lifers (the term used here) and so-called Christians. You erasure says it perfectly.
ReplyDelete(I am fascinated that you have a book of erasure poetry! Or ready to create some. Tell me more.)
I think their understanding of compassion is very selective. I don't know how Jesus would feel about that.
DeleteIn the past, I ripped the pages from the books to create my blackouts. I'm keeping this one whole, and I carry it around with me. That way, I can create whenever the mood hits and the time/place allows. I'm only a few pages in. :-)
Well my dear friend you are a woman of grace and honor. I know I would not have been so diplomatic with her. Pro-birthers are just that. Pro-life is just a banner phrase for them. I surely could go on and on but we all know for church and state it is a power play. For the people who agree with this, well they are just sheep following the leader into hell.
ReplyDeleteI don't get this kind of individual. I often wonder how they can sleep at night.
DeletePeople can, I have learnt, justify almost any kind of evil and feel ok with it... I have stopped trying to understand how things work in their heads. The process of eliminating all these people from my social life may have vastly reduced the number of people I engage with, but it is so worth it! And like Rosemary said, am loving the idea of a blackout poetry book!!! Show us more of it!
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame, isn't it? How horrible people can be. I've done the same, walk away from certain relationships and social situations. They just weren't worth my sanity.
DeleteThis blackout book is fairly new. I promise to post about it, after I've created more.
Oh, this is so sad. What a horrible thing to find out about a friend, I'm so sorry.
ReplyDeleteIt was horribly sad, indeed.
DeleteStrong words you use her eMagaly and they certainly need saying... Bravo my friend - Regards Scott
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Scott.
DeleteUnfortunately, such views cannot be shaken ... it is, indeed, better to move on from the ideas of those we thought we knew.
ReplyDeleteWhy waste time and spit, right?
DeleteMagaly, I'm sorry you had to endure all this. From a "friend" too. That would end my part of the friendship from my end. I ranted to a couple, elderly too, who weren't going to mask. They "learned" not to from a TV preacher. I recently saw them and exchanged niceties but that was all. Rather cold smiles.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling bad too for the girl, I couldn't imagine carrying my rapist's child and thinking about it every day. I get depressed easily and would be tempted to commit suicide. I hope she doesn't, but for sure leave the baby at the hospital for another family behind.
I hadn't realized this was an erasure poem. Good job!!!
..
Jim,
jimmiehov6.blogspot.com
..
I don't understand people who don't mask and don't get vaccinated. It's not like we are living in a time when the information--the science--isn't available. And I really don't get religious people who teach their flock that getting sick is just fine. Makes no sense.
DeleteThe child was able to get the necessary medical care in Indiana. She was so small. Carrying the child to term might've really hurt her physically, and like you suggested, also emotionally.
Touche. Not to mention the invasion of privacy. If the Supreme Court can dictate how a woman lives here life, they can dictate anything. I'm a single issue voter now: democracy vs authoritarianism.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you!
DeleteThere is far too much Unjust Might in the world. Far. Too. Much.
ReplyDeleteFar. Too. Much.
DeleteIt's sad to learn that a friend can have such views on life. Yes, unjust might or power is wickedness.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, so very disappointing.
DeleteWow, this is BIG and very sad! People believe what they want to believe. Sometimes it's better to walk away. Thanks Goodness for the blackout poetry book and the craft to deal with the madness that is our world.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for all the little (giant) things that help us through this mess.
DeleteOur world is not in a good place at the moment.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Not at all.
DeleteI believe the Universe you and I, along with millions of others round the World believe in, works in wonderous ways. She is clearly not enlightened.
ReplyDeleteClearly not.
DeleteWow! This is disheartening to read.
ReplyDeleteSigh.
Delete