From: utzoo!decvax!genradbo!mitccc!enid
Newsgroups: net.women
Title: Re: M.J. Hauk's questionnaire
Article-I.D.: mitccc.282
Posted: Sun Feb 6 21:28:15 1983
Received: Tue Feb 8 03:12:46 1983
These are my answers, a little long perhaps. I think, as others have said
that this is a very biased questionnaire but I wanted to do a little, shall
we say, exhibitionism; as it were. This questionnaire also angered me in
its bias and even, perhaps, stupidity. Some of this might be repetitions
of other peoples offerings in response to the questionnaire so bear with
me.
1. (Do you think abortion is murder?)
No. Abortions serve a useful purpose. I have known many people
who were unwanted children (one of my friends, the family's only
son, was TOLD he had been an accident). My Great-grandparents,
the story goes, gave away their youngest child because they could
no longer afford to feed him (after his first six years). Many
married women find themselves unable to support yet another child
and opt to spend the $200 or so on an abortion NOW, instead of 18
years and many HUNDREDS of Thousands of potential dollars in the
course of those years to raise that child. Many teenagers have
such poor family relationships that they cannot find out about
contraceptives, sex, and reproduction and so they wish it away.
Myths like "You can't GET pregnant the first time" are sadly
prevalent. At that age, you can't admit to a sex-life (only
adults are allowed one, you see). Being pregnant is an admission
a teenager often cannot make. Is she to spend the next 18 years
as above (but on Welfare, most likely.....) or is she to be allowed
the ordeal, instead, of abortion? I opt for not making her throw
her life away for a mistake. I am for abortion.
2. (Do you think abortion is moral?)
Is a very loaded question but I still say, as above, yes abortion
is moral! It is a neccessary evil.
3. (Do you think a teenage girl should have a child if it means she may
never have a child again?)
What were you thinking of for circumstances, MJ? NO. (See #1)
4. (Do you think birth-control should be easy for teenage girls to get?)
YES!!!
5. (Do you think it is right for a woman to have a baby if it will kill
her, but the child will live?)
No. Who will care for it? On the other hand, if she knew it
she were dying and wanted to leave behind her a new life, and
knew that the child could be supported, the choice becomes hers
and I would supprot her right to leave a child even if she might
die a little sooner because of the birth process.
6. (Do you believe you have the right to tell someone what they can do
with their unborn child if it will be retarded?)
No. I would, as a friend, suggest the posibility of aborting;
on the issue of the happiness and financial stability of the
other family members. A handicapped child is an enormous drain
upon many resources that the rest of the family relies upon,
such as time, energy, money, attention, and patience.
7. (Do you believe that by telling teenagers they should not have sex
it will keep them from having sex?)
No! Anyone who does believe that telling children that they
should not have sex and believing that that young individual
will avoid an act so intensely pleasurable, about which they
generally have little outside information (which causes them to
investigate about it all all on their own, mind you), AND which
is forbidden to them (like between-meal snacks) hasn't been
reading history, let alone been keeping up with the latest
teenage pregnancy statistics and all those studies which have
asked kids if THEY feel sex-ed (Including contraceptives)
should be taught in schools and why; let alone had kids or been
a teenager.
8. (Are you anti-abortion, pro-abortion or pro-choice?)
I am, obviously, pro-abortion. It's a stance that allows for a
choice and I am, therefore, also pro-choice.
9. (Should children be taken away from unwed mothers and put up for
adoption?)
Only if they are being abused and it is clear that the child
cannot be (or is not being) support(ed), financially AND
emotionally and psychologically. If the mother is a minor
she is not very likely to be able to get a good enough job
to support the child and is also likely to be an abuser because
she may well also, have a very immature idea of what a child
is (and how she is responsible for its needs). She may, also,
be unable to handle the fact that she has created someone who
is dependent upon her for its very life and that it IS NOT a
doll to be set in a corner and ignored.....
10(Would you report a case of child-abuse?)
Yes. No one deserves the irrational and often deadly abuse
accorded many children and often goes unreported until the child
has died. Many adults are abused, too, but they generally have
the rights to legal recourse against their assailant. Children
don't vote, adults do, and children are therefore considered
insignificant. Someone must speak for those who have no legal
voice of their own.
11. (Should schools teach sex-education?)
Yes. Parents are often still too shy or stubborn to teach their
children it at home (mine did when I was about 4 or 5, because
I had asked them). Since schools are increasingly being called-
upon too`take`on`other`take on other important parenting jobs,
this most important issue should be a required curriculum
course. (My terminal seems to have hiccupped--)
12. (Do you think itis right to tell a woman if she can or can't
use birth-control?)
If there is a medical reason why she should not use birth-
control, then she use a method that is not contra-indicated.
Otherwise, the choice is again entirely hers.
13 (Should adopted children be allowed to see who their natural
parents are?)
We ended up yelling at each other, pretty-much. My answer
of yes was based on my opposition to the splitting up of
families. We, at ccc, have some friends who were adopted
and the general opinion was fairly polarised around here
on that issue.
14. (Do you think women should have to go to a doctor that will
possibly chop them up inside resulting in their death or sterility?)
Abortion should remain legal and therefore as carefully
regulated as any other major surgery (like Ceasarean Sections).
I hope this has not been too long and boring for those
who are sick of the debate. I added the questions for clarity's sake
and not to make this gratuitously longer. I hope M J's hands are burning.
Hoping your news is good news,
-e
(Enid Brown (enid@mit-ccc))