if I were a rhetorical question, I would look like this

[the_siobhan]

Is it possible for somebody who is pro-life and somebody who is pro-choice to be friends?

Is it simply a matter of difference of opinion? Or is it more than that? Is there an underlying difference in values that makes it impossible to be friends?

What do you think?


What I'm listening to right this second: Stromkern

Comments

[panic-girl.livejournal.com]

physically speaking, pain-wise, I'd take birth over abortion any day of the week
Dude, what kind of fucked up abortion did you have?!
That's very unusual to have that much pain. Ugh! :(

[nachtisch.livejournal.com]

I think I've mentioned it before. Really and truly the pain of uncomplicated childbirth for me was a totally different thing than any medical procedure. I can't expain it any better than that. Yeah, it hurt a lot, but it wasn't the kind of hurt that sent my body into any kind of fight or flight or shock like when something's amiss. It was tooooootally different than that. It was like positive pain, pain that was supposed to be happening, so although it hurt physically, the nerves and the brain were completely on the case and it was like a high. Endorphins, etc..

Yeah, really really hard to explain. I honestly from the bottom of my heart would do it again except I don't want more kids, and, medically, I can't surrogate. It was that empowering. Call me a nutjob. :p I also think I'd totally be a Swami in another incarnation. Mastering positive pain in my body is kind of a, uhhh, thing for me. It was like conquering Mt. Everest - that level of personal achievement.

Really, I mean it. Pass the Birkenstocks. Or the leather cuffs. I'm so conflicted! But, yeah, big difference for me between bad pain and good pain. Mastering the ultimate good pain really changed my entire world view. It's why I wanted midwives so badly even though homebirth was contraindicated for diabetics. I knew I couldn't have a transformative experience when there were needles and tongs and whatever manner of medical gadgets poking me. Needle in the spine? I'd probably rather die.

So there's a wee bit about my deepest spiritual stuff. Everyone's mileage will probably vary.

[panic-girl.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhh. Yes, we've certainly talked about that! :)
I have no proof of this of course, but I think many women feel similar about birth. And there are those that curse its name, I'm sure. I totally believe that your body is giving you everything you need to be able to have that child, and feel good about it, even though it's doing things to your body that previous, you couldn't imagine. I'm sure I heard, maybe in an early sex ed class, about this sort of thing, and I've never had reason to doubt it!
I'll pass on the Birkenstocks though, thanks. :P

I thought you'd had a really scary bad complicated abortion though. Mine certainly wasn't a cakewalk pain wise, but I've had much worse physical pain. ;)

[nachtisch.livejournal.com]

Well I don't have anything to compare it to. For all intents and purposes it appears to have been routine. The counselor explained that women feel varying amounts of pain with it. I, apparently, was on the high end of various. I dunno, maybe the pain management procedure has changed over time? It was a long time ago. All I know for sure now is that childbirth, for me, was far less traumatic. That said, on the 'various' scale for childbirth, I certainly had very smooth and quick labours.

The entire debate is completely subjective for sure, which is why it's been going on for 2000 years I guess.