Anne Quesney In the Guardian
I was a little bit rankled by reading the glowing interview and profile of Anne Quesney, head of the campaign group 'Abortion Rights', in the Guardian today.
Her organistion (sadly along with most of the left) bemoans the fact that many people who 'claim' to be pro choice are now wavering on whether or not abortion should be carried out after 20 weeks. The suggestion to reduce the approved time limit is treated as on a par with the work of extremists who wish to undermine 'women's reproductive rights'. As with many extremists on her side of the debate, she stereotypes all her opponents as being motivated by 'archaic religious views'. To accuse them of being dogmatic, as she does, is simply a case of pots and kettles.
Not only this but she accuses her opponents of lying - something she is not averse to herself. The abortion breast cancer link may have been exagerrated (as can be many other health risks by pro life campaigners) but it is medical fact that carrying a first pregnancy to term does reduce the risk. Neither it is unheard of for women to be traumatised mentally by abortion. Yet Quesney denies this or any other health risks, claiming that raising them is essentially 'chipping away at women's hard won for rights'. As for the preposterous claim that 'foetuses do not survive outside the womb any longer than they did 2,000 years ago' I find it incredulous that she dismisses medical technology in this way. Right, Anne. So if a premature baby is born, at, say, 26 weeks, it should be left to die, and not put in an incubator?
Anne complains of a 'postcode lottery' - where women in some areas find it hard to obtain abortions, especially late ones. I would ask her to think of the feelings of the medical staff in this case. Late abortions are not 'simple medical procedures', as has often been argued for early ones. To put it bluntly they are not unlike giving birth - to a dead baby.
While I may well appreciate her egaliterian motives I can never accept her conclusions. Her belief that easy access to abortion 'improves people's lives' is essentially buying into a patriarchal worldview - that in order to gain equality women must adapt themselves to a wombless, male world. Never mind the demands for flexible hours, parental leave, and accesible childcare.
Pro choice campaigners tend to neglect the cases when abortion is not a 'choice' but is used as a direct tool of the oppression of women. I wonder what Anne and her friends will make of this?
10 comments:
This is a disgrace. These people should be exposed as the liars they are. She is allowed to rant on about the usual myths that abortion hard to get here when in fact its effectively on demand, also Britain has one of the most liberal abortion regimes in Europe, at 24 weeks the on demand time limit is the longest.
I have to say I agree with you, Paddy.
At least we agree on something comrade!
had the misfortune to meet that woman, shes a friend of a friend of mine. Comes across as your typical product of the privilidged middle classes. Despicable.
Check out the Guardian letters you will see they are all in support of her. No dissent on abortion is tolerated by those middle class liberals!
Just clicked on the cosmetic injection link. Thats really creepy, looks like Dr Mengele is alive and well in the abortion and cosmetic surgery industries.
I don't know why anyone takes what she says seriously, when she makes ludicrous comments like 'foetuses cannot live in the womb longer than they did 2000 years ago'.
Unfortunately lots of people, including the media chattering classes do.
Have you seen Abortion Rights website?
http://www.abortionrights.org.uk/
Lies, lies and more lies. Notice the design, how "cuddly"
PS Good blog, nice work.
Found this on while browsing. It will make your stomach turn.
Born-alive baby case looks like murder
Police and prosecutors in Hialeah, Fla., are investigating an abortion clinic incident that has all the markings of murder. On the morning of July 20, an 18-year-old girl walked into the A Gyn Diagnostics Center to abort her baby at 23 weeks. But the girl delivered her baby, alive, moving, and trying to breathe. Clinic worker Belkis Gonzalez then allegedly cut the umbilical cord, stuffed the wriggling, gasping baby into a biohazard bag, and sealed the bag shut. The lack of ambiguity in the case elicited strong words from Hialeah Deputy Police Chief Mark Overton, who sees the clinic killing not as a botched abortion, but as a homicide: "Once the baby was born alive, that changed the whole complexion. They can slaughter anyone they want according to the statutes before birth, but not after."
Thanks, Paddy.
That's a pretty awful story....I must say I've read of similiar cases though so I'm not surprised.
Wonder what Anne Q will have to say about that?
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