Ambivalent

I was pointed to this site, and have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I've been subjected to a lot of these tactics/arguments when talking with people not even on the internet, but real life. And it's infuriating, and hurtful, and reading through almost exact examples of what was said in response to what I was saying leaves me agitated.

On the other hand, I sincerely doubt that the people I was having these conversations with-- often my friends-- were doing any of these things with the sole intent to hurt my feelings. Well, unless it was already an argument, at which point I know they were probably justifying the cruelty of saying these things to me with 'but SHE said xyz to me, and that was really mean!'

Basically, I can take from that site two things.

One: I really want my friends to know and avoid these "tactics" in conversation, because they are hurtful and offensive, and designed to shut down conversation. Not cool.

Two: I don't like the site's inherent suggestion that, because people sometimes DO employ these tactics, it's okay for us to shirk the responsibility of making an effort to communicate, because it's hopeless since everyone who disagrees with us is cruelly and intentionally trying to derail us anyway. Also not cool.

Thoughts on Birth Control

Also, not to spam you guys, but my news feed threw me multiple articles rehashing the same complaints about the current administration's bid to require that birth control medications be provided even by religious charities.

A lot of "religiously affiliated" persons are speaking out against this, claiming that it impinges on their religious freedoms.

To that I say, sorry guys. Your "religious freedoms" are infringing on the personal freedoms of the women you seek to oppress. You wrongly educate people to believe fallacies so that they will continue to be a part of your religion. You actively lie in an attempt to further a personal agenda. You know why you are so quick to accuse everyone else of having agendas? It is because you know full well of your own.

I've heard lies taught to children such as 'pot will make you infertile, or make your children gay.' Not only untrue, but what's wrong with being gay? Why is being gay held up as a threat?

I've also seen plenty of religious opposition to abortion. Okay, anti-abortionists. What are you proposing we do for all these children we are going to keep, then? Are you going to pay, out of pocket, to help these women to support the children you insist on bringing into the world?

No, you victimize the women by claiming that they should have been more responsible about becoming pregnant.

How are they meant to be more responsible about it when you:

-deny that being raped is a crime committed by the rapist, and blame the women who are raped and impregnated with such excuses as 'she shouldn't have dressed or acted like that'

-deny children education in contraceptive procedures that would at least have kept them from getting pregnant until they were ready

-deny contraceptive devices that are primarily designed to protect the health of the individuals using them (such as condoms, which are the number 1 best way to prevent STDs, or birth control pills, which are often used to regulate menstrual cycles that are cripplingly painful, or even to treat conditions that are medicated by hormonal regulation)

I'm sick of hearing the opinions of these religious parties who claim to be oppressed by the government's effort to provide fair and equal health care to the entire nation. I am not in charge of the US, and between being female and holding the opinions I do, I sincerely doubt I ever will be. But if I was, my first order of business would be separating church and state properly, like they are supposed to be; prioritizing the health and safety of the majority of my people, not the minority; and most importantly, keeping in mind that any life I insist be brought into this world be one I make efforts to care for, support, and cherish.

If you want to be pro-life, you'd better plan to be responsible for THAT choice.

Edited to add: The thing that bugs me the most is probably the Victorian-era anti-sex mentality that is harbored here; by making sexual things forbidden, you only make them more desirable to the people you are forbidding them to. Remember prohibition and how well that worked out?