Alternet: The Difference Between a Womb and a Wallet

[benevolent dictator]

The Difference Between a Womb and a Wallet
A woman's decision to terminate a pregnancy is not the equivalent of a man's choice to financially opt out of fatherhood.

<snip>

Glenn Sacks, a commentator on father's issues who supports Dubay, recently wrote, "When it comes to reproduction, in America today women have rights and men merely have responsibilities."

But if men are the ones who have reproductive responsibilities, why are 10 million single mothers in the United States living with children under the age of 18? Sure, women have choices, but only at a price for which there's no male equivalent. We can choose whether we want to be mothers, but we have no control over how the experience of motherhood will physically alter our bodies, nor how it may limit our mobility or careers.

During a planned pregnancy, a man doesn't have to struggle with the fact that his body and life will change drastically. He will not have to endure physical pain; he will not have to decide whether to breastfeed for more than a year. If he decides to avoid a pregnancy, he will not have to take daily doses of estrogen and progestin, and so endure the side effects of nausea, bloating and headaches. He will not inject himself with Depo Provera, or afix to his skin the hormone-infused Patch, a contraceptive thinner than the warning label it comes with.

</snip>

[Pithlet]

1. Thankfully, these cases still get thrown out of court.

I think for the most part they always will, because dismantling child support isn't going to happen, and that's effectively what would happen if these cases were decided in favor of the father. States aren't going to want to deal with the huge burden this would create on already overburdened social programs. I agree with the article, it's crazy to equate the right to control your own body with the right to protect your wallet from children who deserve your support morally, ethically and legally. I hope that this will never move beyond the fringe movement it is, and I don't think it will any time soon.

[donsu]

2. kicking for justice for women

nt

[HockeyMom]

3. A man's life is not at stake

like mine was with an ectopic pregnancy.

Sorry, no comparison AT ALL.

[Warpy]

4. Excuse me for having NO sympathy for these whining men

because you just KNOW they were whining just as much when a condom was suggested to them.

They didn't care about endangering the woman's health. They didn't care about endangering her LIFE. They didn't give a shit about her financial state or whether or not she had a career to pursue. All they cared about was a tiny bit of additional pleasure for themselves.

Now they get all bent out of shape because they have to pay damages when that load they left in her body caused a pregnancy. Well, too fucking bad for them.

Maybe one of the insurance giants needs to offer prick insurance for when pricks sacrifice a woman to their own pleasure and get hit with a child support bill nine months later.