So, I guess I'll break the ice on this week's chapter...
One thing in particular that stood out to me (and I'm sure many of you, as well), was the story of the African American man in South Carolina who, upon discovering his unwed daughter was pregnant, proceeded to lock her in a room and isolate her from her sisters until she went into labor. When her labor started, he refused to call a doctor and the outcome of her hours of seemingly painful labor was a stillborn child and her bleeding to death (pg 61). Talk about barbaric! Not only is the man's daughter dead, but her child is dead, as well.
Although EFG doesn't give a year for this incident, it is presumed to be pre-1960s. The father's motive for this act was reportedly to retain the family's "honor"(?!). Honestly, I'd be curious to hear what happened to the father. I wonder if the family's honor remained intact after his neglect led to two deaths.
Now, enter the question of abortion. Although this incident is presumed to have happened in a time when abortions were not legal, given that the family was of middle-class standing, they would likely have been able to afford an abortion that would have prevented this outcome. They may or may not have chosen this option and the woman may or may not have wanted to give birth to and/or raise the child, but, in any event, the availability of the abortion option, not to mention the greater independence of women that came to be after the feminist movement could have resulted in a very different, and quite possibly more pleasant outcome for this woman.
Dust it off
5 years ago
I reread this section several times and could not figure out why it was included. It does not work for me as an illustration of how bad things have gotten with the decline in sexual morality since the rise of abortion.
ReplyDeleteCould anyone read this and think "boo, evil feminism! How dare they stop men from locking up their daughters and killing them & their grandchildren!"
I thought maybe she was trying to explain (albiet through an extreme example) that there was a lot for a woman to be afraid of if she pregnant pre-sexual revolution. To sort of try to make the case for where the feminists were coming from?
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'd have to reply that there are just as many parents today (especially mothers) that will force their teenage daughter into unwanted abortions because they are afraid of ruining the family "honor". I witnessed the aftermath of that first-hand when I worked as a pregnancy counselor in Chicago.
The girl got pregnant at 15, mother forced her to have an abortion, she had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized. When she got released, got pregnant again (replacement baby) and then mother tried to force another abortion on her. That's when her friend brought her to us. We were able to sit down with the mother and make her see that she did not have the *right* to make her daughter kill her child.
One extreme or the other. What seems to be the bigger problem, which E F-G didn't mention, is how to make parents humble enough to realize that sometimes their kids will make mistakes, and that's part of life, and retain some sembelance of sanity?
Clearly, in no way did that father maintain honor for his family name by allowing his child and grandchild to die. It is barbaric. I don't think that abortion was the appropriate response, though, either. I think rather that we have to cultivate a society that respects each life as precious; the life of that mother, the life of that child. I don't have all the answers, but it just seems to me that whenever we start to make exceptions things just get messier.
ReplyDelete