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Viva Polska

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This blog post asks whether abortion should be illegal in Poland (it is currently). It starts out using the euphemisms of reproductive rights, but ends with a more thoughtful line of questioning:

I was going to ask – “Do women in fact have ‘the right’ to exercise such control over their own bodies when it comes to the question of terminating pregnancies?” but decided not to thinking the answer might simply depend on one’s religious tendencies. But then I wondered if perhaps there might be other points of view?

Why yes, there are other points of view! Thanks for asking. Welcome to ProWomanProLife. 

Anyhoo, the author points to an article from the UK about how for Polish women apparently England is a popular abortion destination.

This highlights two things for me:

One: If Polish women are travelling to the UK and not travelling to the Czech Republic or Russia, two neighbouring countries where abortion is very much legal and available then they really aren’t desperate. 

Two: Polish women are some of the most discerning, stylish, smart, fashionable, savvy women I know. Ie. not oppressed. This speaks to one of my themes–abortion has nothing to do with women’s rights.

This All Things Polish blog, turns out to be very funny, in particular to me, since I have some Polish heritage. Check out Ciocia Halina (Auntie Halina) “your problem is my joy”–which really, really speaks to the, er, shall we say interested and invested nature of Polish families, parents too. Then this post made me laugh: Ten Things to Remember when you Have a Polish Girlfriend. (Note No. 9–she’s smarter than you!)

See it. Feel it. Believe it. Own it.

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The post title is a quote from an old Saturday Night Live sketch. (I believe spoken by a very passionate and earnest hairdresser, quickly, with a pout a la Blue Steel from Zoolander. My sister and I have been imitating these things for so many years, I don’t even know where they came from anymore.)

Anyhoo. What I want is for people to “See it. Feel it. Believe it. Own it” on this–the hollowness of a culture that thinks “choice” is a value in and of itself.

So a little exercise for you. It’s “Holiday Season”–the winter solstice is coming soon–and there are a lot of holiday songs/movies being played everywhere. These oftentimes mention “values”–Joy, Peace, Hope, Faith. Even life.

Everytime a carol/movie mentions “life” as something to be celebrated, I find myself noting that very few songs, poems, sonnets celebrate “choice”.

So a little exercise: try substituting the word “choice” for every mention of the word “life” or “joy” or “love” or “faith”–and you begin to see how “choice” is not actually all that meaningful or celebrated.

“It’s a Wonderful Choice” with Jimmy Stewart. “Choice Actually” with Hugh Grant. “Choice to the world, the lord is come,”–sing it with me.

Yes, this is a little strange, but let’s face it. I run a pro-life group/blog. By every cultural standard–not normal. What were you expecting?

Best new blog

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ProWomanProLife won the Best New Blog category at the Canadian Blog awards.

Thank you to all those who voted. Being pro-life in this day and age is certainly not done for the accolades but I’m pleased, I’ll admit, that we won, and by so much. Recognition for this cause is hard to come by, and hey, I’ll take it wherever I can get it. 

I also thank this team—Sheryl, Teresa, Raji, Rebecca, Tanya, Patricia, Véronique, and especially Brigitte, who designed the site, and keeps us up and running. This result is not news, per se: I have known since we began, and certainly without any kind of competition, that you are all the very best kind of women.

We raise our glasses (coast to coast) to the cause–to dismantling superficial anachronistic notions that abortion is a “right” and that it somehow serves women well. Cheers!

 

“Do high heels empower or constrain?”

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toohigh

That’s the weighty question discussed in this article.

My answer would be both: I’d be lying if I said I never wore high heels because they meant I’d be looking down on an opponent. I’m not saying I’m proud of it, but with my heels, I’ve towered over many an old-school, pro-abortion feminist. Feels good.

Less empowering, however, is not being able to walk. Yup, height is power, and power has a downside.

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Brigitte can’t help it: I see the picture and I think, “yep, that would do nicely for self-defence” (imagine a spinning back kick with one of those)… Walking, not so much.

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Yellow belt Andrea replies: We practiced our spinning back kicks at karate last night. Would be much more challenging in high heels, to be sure. I’m not going to try.

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Tanya’s cold medication adds: According to the old episodes of The Smurfs, high heels and blond hair are empowering. Brown hair and flats got Smurfette nowhere, but the alternative got 99 male smurfs showering her with gifts. (I’ve been watching too much Teletoon Retro.)

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Andrea is quite sure that “according to The Smurfs” is something we don’t hear often enough in debate. Picture it: you’re discussing, oh say, the attempt to create a coalition government. Preface your opinion with “according to the Smurfs”–and really, who is going to challenge you? You win the day, all because of a single phrase.

Woah–talk about mission creep

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I stumbled upon this post, which pokes fun at those who would like to see Margaret Sanger removed from the Women of our Time display in the National Portrait Gallery down in Washington DC.

Fine. But there I learned that Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, had this to say about abortion (from Wikipedia): 

Sanger notes that her 1916 opposition to abortion was based on the taking of life: “To each group we explained what contraception was; that abortion was the wrong way—no matter how early it was performed it was taking life; that contraception was the better way, the safer way—it took a little time, a little trouble, but was well worth while in the long run, because life had not yet begun.” (emphasis mine)

Someone should really should let Planned Parenthood know. They need to change their mission and stop taking life, alternatively, they could get a new founding mentor.

If people want to make suggestions, I’ll write the letter.

First make hot chocolate. Then conquer the world

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I have a new computer and a new router. I am told I must program the router, and that this will be easy–that my computer will “see” it and all will be well. I’ve been putting this off. I expect the worst. The system will crash and–horror–I’ll lose my connection to the Mighty Internet. Today’s the day–here we go. Fare thee well, faithful readers, this may be the last you hear of me for the whole weekend.

First I make hot chocolate, then I conquer the world.

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Andrea updates 20 minutes later: It worked! And there’s a lesson for everyone in this. If I could impress just one thing on today’s youth it would be this: By maintaining very low expectations, you almost always exceed them.

It’s gonna take time

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Got this letter in the Post today, in response to Jon Kay’s piece:

I was taught that abortion was a right through years of schooling. It takes years of reading to discover that offering or withholding an abortion has nothing to do with women’s rights and freedoms at all, and that the mantra “my body, my choice,” isn’t true.

It is my goal to educate on this: Abortion is not a right and it does not enhance women’s lives. Once we disconnect abortion from “rights talk” and other assorted euphemisms about “reproductive choice,” we’ll be able to truly and compassionately assist women who feel trapped in an unwanted pregnancy.

Andrea Mrozek, founding director, ProWomanProLife.org, Ottawa.

Now this education is going to take tons of time, because many of the old guard feminists are still teaching. Hey, that’s OK. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

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Tanya adds: Old guard feminists sure do have a particular point of view. Just today, I was told (by a Baby Boomer), “You can’t know, Tanya, because you weren’t around when women weren’t allowed to open their own bank accounts.” Somehow, to some of them, sexual equality and so-called “reproductive rights” are intrinsically linked. To them, it’s all part of the same fight.

The perfect storm

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Ottawa transit goes on strike and it snows 25 cm. So I skiied into work today. (Just so I can tell people that!)

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Brigitte fact-checks: According to these guys, it was more like 30 cm in some areas. Which may or may not have included my driveway. In any case, my shoulders would like to say that it was A LOT of snow to shovel.

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