Thursday 8 September 2011

Not for the Politicians......!!

I originally wrote this post last week, a full on rant about Nadine Dorries and her strangely “Pro-Life” and foolish legislation that she wanted to bring in. Okay, so today she has gone on the record in parliament to say that she is” Pro-Choice” but I am not totally convinced on that.

This is after all, the woman that in May this year, proposed a bill that required sex education in schools should include content promoting abstinence to girls aged 13 to 16. Even though the sex education that is already taught mentions the option of abstinence, the new bill would require active promotion of abstinence to girls only. Now, it has been 25 years since I was a teenager but from memory, boys were just as, if not more promiscuous as us girls. So the question needs to be asked why not this “active promotion” to boys?

She then followed this on a week later with ‘If a stronger ‘just say no’ message was given to children in school, there might be an impact on sex abuse, because a lot of girls, when sex abuse takes place don’t realise until later that was a wrong thing to do... I don’t think people realise that if we did empower this message into girls, imbued this message in school, we would probably have less sex abuse’. Hmm so what is she saying here? That the lack of awareness around abstinence among young girls is linked to rates of child sexual abuse and nothing to do with predatory, manipulating males? Do young boys not get abused?

Anyway I digress.

So today the majority of MPs saw sense and rejected by an over whelming majority the bid to change the law on abortion counselling. Which surely is good news for all women in Britian? What right does one individual in a position of power or in this case government have to tell us what we can and can’t do with our lives. Women should be awarded the choice to decide what is best for them and their families and not dictated to by someone else’s beliefs.  Thankfully in this country we are afforded that choice and I for one can see no reasons why it needs to be changed.

In effect what Dorries was saying was that the current organisations such as BPAS and Marie Stopes, had a financial interest into pushing women into having abortions. That they were not providing, “adequate care” for those seeking abortions. That independent counselling should be made available if the patient so wish it. That sounds all fine and you can think okay so what is the big deal about all this? Well the current abortion services are regulated and are kept to official guidelines. The counselling that is already provided, if a woman wants to take it up, is done by trained professionals independently of the clinics doctors. So the questions that need answering are who or what would these new “independent counsellors” be? How could they be able to provide any more help than what is already available? Would they be regulated and made to follow the same guidelines? Would they be able to help a woman who is indecisive about having an abortion to make the right decision for her without any moral or religious prejudice? Would all this cause additional delay and distress?

Abortion is and always will be an emotive and contentious subject. It is a private and personal matter and should remain so. It has no place in government nor should governments use it to gather party votes. You only need to look to the US to see how it is used as a political football.

Women should be able to have the choice to decide.  They after all are the ones that have to live with the decision they have made, some do so quite easily, some do not.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great post. I agree with you. Nadine Dorries is a joke! I can't believe she said that about child abuse!! ah and people voted this woman in!

William Dameron said...

Well written and you are correct, it is a political football here used only to garner votes.

Mari's World said...

I'm glad you wrote about this as I was unaware of it. I couldn't agree more with you and having just recently gone through a traumatic time in my family ref abortion or not (which will come out in time but not just yet) I agree women should be given the choice and NO PRESSURE either way. Which was also the underlying reason of my Flashback a couple of weeks ago. It will all be revealed soon but great words here

Frankie Parker said...

Michelle - thanks for your comment, yes surprising on how she got voted in..

Bill - thanks for popping over from the 100WCGU

Mari - thanks for your great comment, hope all is okay x

Helloitsgemma said...

Difficult and contentious issue - well handled. Excellent post. Find the appalling double standards still applied to girls unbelievable considering this is 2011. Does nadine dorries have no understanding of grooming and the pedatory nature of paedophilles. Makes me so angry.

Frankie Parker said...

Gemma,I know its astounding isn't it. She is either very naive or one ill informed MP.. Thanks for your comment

Emma said...

Very well said, and very well written my friend. Excellent post! Emma

Frankie Parker said...

Arh, Emma.. Thank you x

Stigmum said...

Thanks for this. I read in the paper yesterday (I think!) that MP's had thrown it out and I didn't know too much about it. She's unbelievable, clearly far right. I wanted, but didn't, post about an article where in certain states in America, women who miscarry or give birth to still born babies are imprisoned for 'murder'. They might have smoked when they were pregnant, eaten liver, I don't know. It's an outrage, all of it. Her beliefs about abuse. Bloody hell!
Maybe Nadine looks that way for her inspirations.
Fantastic post. Really clarified what I wanted to know about it x

Frankie Parker said...

I know, clearly very far right. All her arguments for the proposed changes were full of holes so it shouts that this was for personal agenda and nothing else. If the Republicans get in next year i fear abortion will soon be illegal in the States.. As they will certainly have to appease the far right religious groups that backed them.

Thanks as always for your comment x