You have to be brave and smart to be an abortion provider. Here’s a story from one (in training), about how they helped another brave woman:
[..] Couple days later one of our patients was a soldier from Afghanistan. […]No contraception around (she was stationed pretty far out) meant that she got pregnant. “Regulations require that a woman be flown home within two weeks of the time she finds out she’s pregnant, a particular stigma for unmarried women that ends any future career advancement.” […] For my patient, that meant that she had to figure out how to make it back to the states on her own. […] So even though she knew she was pregnant almost immediately, it took eight weeks to make arrangements, travel plans and raise all the money. That means by the time she walked in our door, she was beginning her second trimester, which is a way more expensive and invasive procedure. She also had to spend eight more weeks than she had to miserably pregnant. In Afghanistan.
Her procedure went well with no complications (notice trend) and before she left, Dr. S took her hand and said, “Thank you for saving us out there.” She responded, “Hey, thanks for saving me over here today.” As I watched them the thought that someone somewhere had to be scripting this appeared and then immediately burst. Here’s the policy that you can get pissed about, and now here’s the person you were pissed for. I see a lot of people get frustrated and huffy about stuff, and you can, but then you have to promise to actually do something about it. I have the privilege to be reminded that this is someone’s life, not the New York Times Most Emailed Article. And it is an honor to be reminded. It makes me work harder. Being an abortion provider has meant that I drive home from work knowing I did something, actually everything in my power, to support people who needed it. It’s a privilege and it’s fucking awesome.
The whole thing is worth reading – there are more stories like this one. (via)
meh
I am male, pro-choice and don’t believe that I have any right to tell anyone, male or female, what they can, or can’t do with their own body. But this statement makes me sad…
Mike in NC
How ironic that this appears right below the ad to “Stand with Michelle Bachmann to Defund Planned Parenthood”. These people are scum.
christian mistermix
@meh: RTFA before you judge. And if you did RTFA and didn’t see how positive and life-affirming this woman is, then I’m sad for you.
asiangrrlMN
Thanks, mistermix for posting the excerpt. It gave me a boost, and now I’m going to read the whole article.
Svensker
I remember basic training, South Carolina in the summertime. Hot and humid and nothing to do, a whole bunch of other folks all young, bored and horny. What went on was a whole bunch of sex. (What a surprise!) Now put those lonely bored horny bunch of folks in a strange hostile environment under lots of pressure and see what happens — even more sex!
Why isn’t the Army prepared for this and why isn’t it routine for young female service members to be able to get abortions in country? Oh right, because that would be immoral. The fact that sending those service members overseas to kill folks is frigging immoral is just fine.
And, no, I don’t thank them for their service. They’re not “protecting me” in any way. But they should be able to get an abortion if they need/want one.
meh
@christian mistermix:
Well reasonable people can disagree I guess…
wengler
@meh:
Helping people in need makes you sad?
I think the military’s 19th century approach to sex in the service needs to end too. You station men and women in their prime years of sexual reproduction and…you deny women basic healthcare services with your Talibangical guidelines. This isn’t even a new problem. This puritanical attitude pushed up casualties in both world wars due the prevalence of VDs.
NobodySpecial
@Svensker:
But if they can get abortions, where does Jeebus get the next generation for the New Crusades?
Brachiator
@christian mistermix: Great post. Support the troops, indeed.
Is anyone asking the GOP if they believe that women should no longer serve in the military, since they want to be so militantly anti-choice?
asiangrrlMN
The full article is great. She’s brimming with life, and she’s doing a really hard thing with such humor and grace. I agree with you, mistermix. She is inspiring.
Villago Delenda Est
No contraception available?
WTF?
When I was stationed in Korea, the supply room would provide you with condoms if you asked for them, and in return, no questions were asked.
PERIOD.
MikeJ
No contraception available? Even in WWII they passed out condoms. Hell, the army should be begging women soldiers to go on the pill or better yet Depo Provera.
wengler
@Svensker:
In theory the military’s mission is to protect the people of the US from foreign invasion, bombardment, etc. Since we have no alternative force doing that, their sacrifice still deserves some respect. Their mission, however, needs to be denounced at every opportunity.
Stunningly, none of these Tea Baggers seem to have an 18th century American sensibility toward standing armies. It’s not like it’s mentioned in the Constitution or anything…
Carl Nyberg
I was stationed overseas from age 21 until age 26.
The Hyde amendment and other such nonsense was alway a bone in my craw.
Say some woman stationed overseas gets pregnant. She has to go outside her normal health care system to appease of sensibilities of some equivocating moderate politician (and of of course the anti-abortion movement).
Yes, you can get an abortion in Japan. It probably wouldn’t be as onerous as coming back to the States from East Bumfuck, Afghanistan, but…
Do you want to get an invasive medical procedure from a physician who doesn’t speak your language?
It’s arbitrary harassment targeting military members that happens because women are an ignored minority in the military.
Thanks for increasing awareness on this point.
Chris
Remind me who the “they” who hate “us” for “our freedoms” are again?
Mike in NC
@Brachiator:
Well, there have been several books and quite a few magazine articles taking that very position, dating back more than 20 years. That it makes no sense whatsoever is beside the point.
You could probably find a bunch of related papers posted at websites for the Heritage Foundation, Family Research Council, Eagle Forum and other usual wingnut suspects.
Also, too, Newt and Huck will gladly pontificate on why women shouldn’t serve, if they haven’t already done so.
Villago Delenda Est
@Mike in NC:
It’s got something to do with giraffe hunting or humping, not sure which.
Brachiator
@Mike in NC: RE: Is anyone asking the GOP if they believe that women should no longer serve in the military, since they want to be so militantly anti-choice?
We’ve got Sarah Palin acting as though she is the shadow president of the United States, and Huckabee and various GOP grandees making all kinds of noise about Real American(tm) values. I would like to see the direct, contemporary questions asked. “Do you think that women have the right to serve in the volunteer US military? Do you think that an American service woman has the right to choose an abortion?”
We’ve got an election coming up soon. The questions become more vital.
Midnight Marauder
@meh:
Do these statements also make you sad?
Svensker
@wengler:
Yeah, well. I’d argue that their “sacrifice” just feeds the military/industrial beast and that, as a matter of principal at this point, no one should serve. On the other hand, a very liberal friend’s kid just joined the military because otherwise he has no hope of being able to afford college. So, no, I don’t put the onus on the enlisted folks for being reduced to really crappy options.
Still, I do have fond memories of my own. We didn’t call them “drill sargeants” for nothing…
ppcli
@Svensker:
“Still, I do have fond memories of my own. We didn’t call them “drill sargeants” for nothing…”
Oooo.. you naughty devil.
Cerberus
@Midnight Marauder:
Probably, considering that that type of statement is the usual bullshit “I’m a woman-hating pro-lifer, but I want you to believe I’m just a moderate pro-choicer terribly troubled to death by BABIEZ” opener I’ve seen on most every abortion debate. If meh is of the type I’m inferring here, if he debated, it would suddenly come out that there is a bunch of restrictions, a complete blindness to woman’s humanity, strangely non-pro-choice statements, and probably some level of religious belief or upbringing, usually catholic.
On the story, yes. Abortion providers in this environment where there is tacit approval for their wholesale slaughter are true heroes. Even the disingenuous fucks protesting them wouldn’t want to live in a world without them.
FormerSwingVoter
I really wish more stuff like this was put online. Across all mainstream news outlets. All the time.
People need to be constantly reminded that those who provide or receive abortions are human beings, just like themselves. It’d be great if people could just assume that, but I’m a realist.
There’s a reason even a lot of pro-choice people are uncomfortable with stuff like this – no one talks about it.
geg6
@meh:
Providing a needed and wanted medical service for someone who has put her life on the line and who has had to jump through ridiculous hoops to get it IS an awesome privilege. That doctor has every right to be proud and happy that he/she can do it and you have no right to think it’s sad or anything else. I’m so sick of this shit kind of framing. Women have elective abortions because they WANT them. For most, it is a positive event even if now and them it gives them a bit of sadness and what could have been. I, personally believe marriage (or religion) is a bad thing for society and women, especially. I’d outlaw it if I could but I’ll settle for sanctimoniously stating that it should be rare, the people doing it should be regretful always, and act sad that they did such a shameful thing. How’s that sound to you?
mclaren
The big question, the giant screaming elephant in the room, is why the military doesn’t make RU486 available on demand. Wouldn’t that solve all these problems?
Ija
@Cerberus:
Win. William Saletan is the master at this type of argument. Maybe meh is inspired by him.
meh
@Cerberus:
Nope, not so much of the religion for me. Calling me a woman-hating pro-lifer is kind of an extreme statement but whatever. If that fluffs yer pillow, go for it. My wife and 2 daughters might disagree with you though. I am not troubled by abortion providers – I am troubled with that single statement. Maybe I misread the tone or context – quite possible. I’m not sad that women have someone to assist them when needed. I’m sad that due to restrictions on funding for places like planned parenthood, low cost community clinics, etc. that methods of birth control are less likely to be available, thus facilitating a need for a safe termination of a pregnancy.
I get sad at that the same way I get sad when I think of some 18 year old dying in the hills of Af/Pak wishing they could be at home with their families. Or the 22K kids that die each day in poverty. I have two daughters who have enriched my life in ways I couldn’t fathom before I had them. I’m not some trolling GOP’er here to stir the pot – I’m not a blue dog looking to pull back women’s rights. While I fully appreciated the tone of the article and agree that that job is incredibly necessary – as was George Tiller’s – that doesn’t negate the fact that due to ridiculous religious restrictions on things like sexual education and birth control, the need for abortions exist. I don’t think anyone around here would disagree with the sentiment that everyone would like fewer abortions – not because there are greater restrictions on them – but because they aren’t needed. Because maybe one day the FSM will give us political leaders that deal in empirical data instead of a book of fables and understand that things like early adult sexual education and birth control can mitigate some of, and perhaps a lot of, the need for abortions down the line. That’s all I was saying.
Yutsano
@Svensker:
And the Marines have drill instructors. Let you mind wander on that where it will.
DPirate
@meh: It’s just poorly constructed. As it lies, it appears as if “being an abortion provider is fucking awesome”, but it means “helping people is fucking awesome”.
@Svensker: The armed services have the expectation that soldiers will follow orders and not have sex in theatre. They more appropriately expect they won’t be such dumbasses as to have unprotected sex and get pregnant. Also, what happens when a ranking serviceman orders one to have a readily available abortion?
@wengler:Having a midwife is a basic health care service. Elective procedures are not. Doctors are there for disease and trauma, not rinoplasty and abortion.