Back before medically and socially supported abortion (and still today in many third world and backward parts of the world) women were saddled by unwanted pregnancies. So often they didn't even want sex, let alone a baby to go along with it. In the 1800's male birth control (i.e. condoms) really started to help, but until the pill there wasn't much control for the woman, it was entirely up to the man, and refusal of sex on the woman's part was not always an option.
Today it is different, women have control, and, in this country as least, they can hopefully say no to unwanted sex. But strangely this creates a moral problem for our modern society; if a woman has the choice to have sex or to use birth control (or in other words her pregnancies are within her control), than is it her fault if she does get pregnant and does she then deserve to have the child she doesn't want (i.e. "sleep in the bed you made", or "you deserve it you slut!"). Add to it our desire to demonize sex and always make it the "evil" choice over abstinence and the problem compounds. We don't morally agree with abortion because it "kills life" yes, but even more than that we view pregnancies today as "deserved." You were given every opportunity to avoid the pregnancy, and yet you didn't take those opportunities, and you only got what you deserve. If you hadn't gone and gotten pregnant you wouldn't have had to kill it. You're a monster because you chose to be one. The guilt in that is mind numbing.
Is this the modern state of Manifest Destiny? Are we in the age of Individual Manifest Destiny? We seem to believe things happen because we somehow DESERVE them, like judgment or reward is raining down from some heavenly sphere. "I'm rich cause I deserve it. You're not rich? Well you must not deserve it!" Or here's another one for you, "I'm right because I won the presidency, and God wanted me here because I'm right. Would he have elected the wrong guy?? hehe" Demonizing a woman for wanting to have sex, blaming the poor for not deserving to be rich, and the will of the people overpowered by a deity who thinks "W" was the best choice for the job. I sometimes wonder about the world we live in.... or at least the other people living here with me.
One might claim that I'm making excuses for people who HAVE done something wrong and DO deserve what they get. I would not be so bold as to refuse the righteous retribution such people have coming to them, that's why we have a legal system and bright lads and lasses running it. I guess I just don't know a lot of sane people who woke up and said "I think I'll get pregnant today and then kill it!" or "I'm such a great person, I deserve to be rich!" or "I think I'll be President, it worked for my daddy and would look cool on my Heaven Resume! hehe". I think people today DON'T get what they deserve, which is healthy discussion about sex, adequate and fair pay for the work they do, and a swift kick in the ass out the door down Pennsylvania Ave. Let's stop throwing blame and self righteously believing we deserve things and start finding solutions to real problems and helping our fellow humans get everything they truly do deserve.
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