Comment by nobody9999 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by nobody9999 | Hacker News Reader

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>But, for some reason, one side of the issue would rather not reduce abortion while still permitting women's choice because that would take away the 'wedge' issue as a partisan political hammer. So they insist on ever more draconian, misogynistic laws to force the wedge deeper and deeper. That's not because it's an unreconcilable issue. Its because they want the issue.

Except terminations in the US are at their lowest levels[0] since they became legal in 1973.

One side says:

  Abortion should be safe, legal and rare.

Another side says:

  Abortion is *literal* murder and women who have 
  them, as well as the doctors who perform them 
  should be imprisoned and/or executed.

There is (as I mentioned in another comment on this topic) a significant amount of nuance for most Americans. With a sizable majority supporting safe, legal abortions, but with significant disagreement as to the timing and mechanism(s) of such terminations.

Personally, I believe that women (and men, for that matter) should have control over their bodies. Full stop.

As for the termination of a pregnancy, that should be up to the individual who is pregnant -- likely (but not necessarily) with input from the other potential parent and/or medical professionals.

To put a really fine point on it: If you don't have a functional uterus, shut the fuck up -- it's none of your business.

[0] https://apnews.com/article/health-united-states-ap-top-news-...

>To put a really fine point on it: If you don't have a functional uterus, shut the fuck up -- it's none of your business.

I don't really have a position on abortion, but I don't like this point at all. It says too much, I think.

Imagine there's a genocide in North Korea. I'm not North Korean, I'm not friends with anyone from North Korea. Does accepting this point mean that I have to accept that genocide in North Korea is none of my business and is above my criticism? And, if not, what distinguishes the two?

Should Biden not sign a pro-choice bill because he lacks a uterus and therefore is forbidden from taking a side?

I said, a few sentences before the bit you quoted:

"Personally, I believe that women (and men, for that matter) should have control over their bodies. Full stop."

I believe that should be enough information to answer your question, unless you somehow believe that being mass-murdered is the same thing as having control over one's own body.

But a pro-life woman is demanding the same amount of control over others' bodies as a pro-life man, less one. And a pro-choice man is not advocating for any control at all. Your conclusion should be that only pro-choice people should voice their opinions, not people with functional uteri.

>Your conclusion should be that only pro-choice people should voice their opinions, not people with functional uteri.

No. Because what you (or I, for that matter) want or believe is only relevant for our own bodies.

What happens to the bodies of others is up to those others. No one, other than the owner of that body, has anything to say about what happens to their body.

I considered for a few minutes that you might have meant "people who aren't pregnant with the specific fetus in question should shut up".

But I ruled it out confidently: The situation where a bunch of people are weighing in on a specific abortion is not one that really comes up, whereas people discuss abortion in general nonstop. You had just said that you aren't opposed to the other potential parent and medical professionals having input in a specific abortion. It doesn't make any sense to phrase that idea that way- having a functional uterus has no bearing on whether you're the one who is considering an abortion. And the other reply also interpreted you as saying men shouldn't comment on the issue and went uncorrected. Taken together, I thought there was no way that was what you meant and I was being excessively charitable.

I misunderstood, but I think you could have been clearer.

>having a functional uterus has no bearing on whether you're the one who is considering an abortion.

I'm not sure how you can make that statement seriously. The only situation where one might want or need to consider terminating a pregnancy is if you have a functional female reproductive system.

Each individual should make those decisions for themselves without a bunch of busybodies telling them what they should do with their own bodies.

As for potential fathers and medical professionals, their opinions may be useful to the person considering such a procedure, but it isn't their body and, as such, that's an advisory situation at most.

>And the other reply also interpreted you as saying men shouldn't comment on the issue and went uncorrected.

Which doesn't make a lot of sense, since I (as a male) was, in fact, commenting on the issue. Or did you miss that part?

People should absolutely be able to express their opinions.

However, when it comes to a specific person considering a specific procedure (whether that be a pregnancy termination, a haircut or removal of a hangnail), the decision necessarily should be that of the specific person involved, and the opinions of others aren't at all relevant.

That's my point. If you can and/or do become pregnant, then the decision whether to terminate or not is yours alone -- but only for your own body.

If you don't have a functional female reproductive system, such decisions are irrelevant to you. If you do have a functional female reproductive system, how that system is used (or not) is completely up to the individual involved and no one should have any decision making power over how another person's body is used.

Feel free to disagree with my position and make your opinions clear. But when it comes to a specific person making a specific decision about their own body, you have no say unless it's your body.

>I misunderstood, but I think you could have been clearer.

That's entirely likely. I tried to elucidate my point. If I failed to do so, my apologies. I attempted to do so again in this comment. I hope I was clearer this time.

Your stats were really eye opening for me. I’m stunned men still opine on this conversation.

Putting aside the obvious debate about autonomy over one's body, need I remind you that men pay child support as well, so they can at least opine.

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