I see this toxic language in reproductive rights circles of 'men YOU need to get vasectomies to show you're responsible' ??? Like you want the reverse of coercing people into controlling their reproductive parts by individuals and the state??? No this must stop even if it comes from a 'good' place, a rightfully angry place, or a 'funny' letting off steam place. I got into a debate with someone on social media about it when I was gently commenting on another person's reply challenging this kind of joke. The guy actually thought I made a fair criticism of his use of language but I angered this woman who replied to me saying something to the effect of we have no power over them if we make the jokes or not. I replied saying I didn't understand her approach in responding to me saying it came across as hostile. I explained my reasoning why we shouldn't use this language because they will use everything they can against us. The woman erased their comment and deleted their profile. It was a good comeback I made but I don't believe that's why, likely a bot.
It was on a post of a video of men fighting with abortion clinic escorts. Two or three of them were young men who looked like high school age and kind of awkwardly standing there while forced birthers were wrestling a ladder from some women. The ringleader is a well known person who causes these commotions. The forced birthers were trying to use the ladder for standing on it to then yell through a bullhorn or some bullshit. Ironically if you saw the reproductive rights people do this the police would have them face down in handcuffs. Did you know police do not have a good track record of helping the reproductive rights movement against the forced birthers?
I also see a disturbing (but I understand where it comes form) trend of celebrating people altering their bodies permanently because they know their reproductive choices will be taken or have been taken away by them from the state. We should understand and respect people's personal decisions and obviously if they want to celebrate, but I don't think we should be happy about it. Or at least not call it out as a form of indirect state violence. Can also can add this is also done as a protection against interpersonal violence due to rape/coercion into intercourse/stealthing/birth control sabotage that will rise because the government has decided they can control people's lives this way. Oh you small government and personal freedom conservative hypocrites where is your moral outrage?
Why aren't we talking about the Democrats as the party that is willing to protect women and young girls in their lives for their personal reproductive choices against tyrants who want to demand they bend at their will? Why is this so hard? I don't get how the larger left is so terrible talking about this issue and not wrapping it up in a really easy to tie bow about freedom and liberation of the personal and political? After you have these massive voting surges larger online left spaces just drop the ball focusing onto the next tragedy of this country and/or misfortunes of the world, brought to you by this country at times.
Why is is so difficult for people on the left/progressive/liberal unless they are super feminist branded to organize with a message 'the state will not control my body and my rights for autonomy' 'the state will not force me and my loved ones into reproductive choices' 'the state/federal government is criminalizing women and young girls' god it's such a lay up. I remember reading an article about a woman who was forced to give birth in Florida to a non viable child and she had to watch it die and her father or father in law called it state sanctioned torture and that has stayed with me.
Can you really claim to believe in small government and personal freedoms if you believe people should be forced into giving birth against their will? There should be some self-reflection for some. Maybe some.