Comments on: Do You Have Your Permission Slip?

By: SarahMC

SarahMC — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:14:49 +0000

It is one-sided, because only one side can get pregnant. Both sides have bodily sovereignty, as they should.

By: Azumanga

Azumanga — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:08:49 +0000

This is a simply terrible suggestion for a law.

But, it does run closely to another issue I’m kind-of in conflict over. Should a man have the right, before a baby is born, to sign a “I want nothing to do with this baby”?

While men are often whiny, being in a situation where the woman can choose to either:

a) Abort the baby.
b) Have the baby, and make the man pay for support.

It does seem approaching a little one-sided…

The problem of course is having babies is one of the few areas where there can never be equality, until we figure out how to get men pregnant!

By: ceejeemcbeegee

ceejeemcbeegee — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 04:43:08 +0000

At first I thought they meant we’d have to ask OUR fathers for permission. Which is just as ridiculous as asking THE father.

By: Courtenay

Courtenay — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:30:13 +0000

And get the permission slip filled out by their lovers prior to sex? That way there is no missunderstanding that the woman has the right to choose?

By: tallgirl-in-heels

tallgirl-in-heels — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:53:31 +0000

@mischiefmanager: I know. I just needed to blow off some steam.

By: mischiefmanager

mischiefmanager — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:04:19 +0000

@tallgirl and baraqiel: The thing is, though, that antis won’t understand this as an attack on women. They’ll argue that the proposed law is just trying to “protect male rights” or hold the men financially responsible or some other errant idiocy. I hope that a few people on the fence might see through this, but I’m not confident.

By: tallgirl-in-heels

tallgirl-in-heels — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:11:23 +0000

@mischiefmanager: Not only is the fetus the property of the man, after it’s born, he is free to abandon mother and baby and allow the full burden of raising the child to fall on the woman’s shoulders. Or the man can continue to beat the hell out of his wife and use the child against her when she tries to leave him. Or [insert any number of equally objectionable but sadly plausible scenarios here]. And you know what? John Adams won’t give a flying fuck.

By: mischiefmanager

mischiefmanager — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:24:43 +0000

Oh, come now, we all know that the fetus is the property of the male who inseminated the woman. I learned that at the clinic, where antis helpfully instruct male companions of patients to “be a man, don’t let her kill *your* baby”. Thanks, Adams and other testosterone-poisoned men, for clarifying the situation.

Male privilege much? And hey, if you don’t like the way biology works, take it up with that God you’re always ranting about.

By: Awkward Avenger

Awkward Avenger — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:00:17 +0000

I’m surprised they would allow an abortion based on a police report, since that’s not the same as a conviction. If this law were to go into effect, the douchebags would come out of the woodwork whining that women were filing false rape reports just so they could have abortions.

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:27:41 +0000

@elibard: The bill apparently makes exceptions for rape and incest. I say “apparently” because you have to supply a copy of a criminal complaint or a similar document. So if you have been raped but are afraid to go to the police, you’re out of luck.