Monday, November 8, 2010
Response 11/8
I found Inga Muscio's article, “Abortion, Vacuum Cleaners and the Power Within,” very interesting. While I agree with her that we need to more often look within ourselves instead of outside ourselves for solutions to our problems, I thought her argument was a little extreme. While it may be preferable to have a "natural" (and hence less painful, physically and emotionally) abortion like she did her third time, I do not think this is attainable for many. I don't know any statistics on the matter, but it seems like these types of abortions do not happen very often or very easily. By casting such a negative light on abortion clinics by using strong language, such as comparing an abortion in a clinic to a vacuum cleaner and saying that "kitty littler on the floor is treated much the same as undesired embryo" (112), I think she is being really insensitive to women, who might not be able to get rid of the embryo, naturally as she did. She obviously does not have a problem of aborting a fetus (in the general sense), as she was "the happiest clam" after her natural abortion, so her about abortion seems a bit narrow-minded and confining.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with your post, Olivia. I thought the way Muscio described the abortion at the clinic would discourage women who are considering having abortions at such clinics because they have no abortion alternatives. A "natural" abortion is just not attainable or available for many women not only in monetary terms, but also in resources (how many people have a significant knowledge and degree in herbal studies to prescribe the right herbs and correct amounts? How accessible are these people? Do potential clients know about them? How do these herbalists get their name and services out into the public so potential clients can find them?). I also was offended in how she described clinics' handling of embryos - they treat these embryos with respect and dignity (at least they should). Muscio should have addressed the impossibility of natural abortions for many women and not smeared abortion clinics, clearly a more viable option for many women, as insensitive machines.
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