I am the happy mother of two wonderful daughters. My oldest girl loves horses and owns one that lives at her grandparents' farm. She also visits an online forum that allows her to breed horses at a virtual horse farm.
But just like many online communities, it has a fair number of anti-feminists. After visiting this site for a few months, she discovered that at one time it was possible to give your horse an abortion. If you bred her at the wrong time and you didn't plan it right and you wanted to undo your mistake, you could give your mare an abortion. Of course this angered many of the Christians on the site that demanded that howrse.com disable this feature. And just like in the real world, the Christians go their way.
You have to understand that these kids take this site very seriously and get very attached to their virtual horses. So they have a favorite mare and they want to have a foal. They have the mare covered. But then they discover that they need money to cover the vet bills for their mare and all the other costs that a pregnancy entails. The forums are full of kids that are freaking out because they don't have the money to pay for the costs of the pregnancy and no way to undo the mistake. Want to guess what happens to a pregnant mare on howrse that doesn't get the medical care that it requires?
Just like in the real world, they get sick and die.
This has led to a number of interesting conversations with my child about the implications of the pro-life world view. We agree that it is terrible that so many women die because religious fundamentalists are offended by women excercising control over their own body parts.
This world view is so powerful to many people, that they get offended by a pixelated horse character on an internet forum getting an abortion. We agree that this is insane.
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Insane.
Insane, yes.
How many anti-abortionists would really not abort *any* animal, not just humans?
The good side: maybe the kids will see the problems caused by unintended pregnancies and decide to learn everything they can about responsible use of contraception?
Also, this post has the most unfortunate URL ever.
x364173 commented at July 16, 2008 10:29 AM: "The good side: maybe the kids will see the problems caused by unintended pregnancies and decide to learn everything they can about responsible use of contraception?"
Very good point! In this case, I hope they realize unintended pregnancy can be a problem for humans too and I'm not going to get nitpicky about veterinary accuracy (IRL, not every domesticated mare who doesn't get prenatal care dies - see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1408717.stm for an example).
I just realized how right you are about the unfortunate title.
Not all of the mares die in the game if they don't get prenatal care but some of them do. If your mare gets sick and you can't pay her medical bills or afford to take her to the vet, she could get sick and die. Lots of kids have posted in the forums freaking out because they can't pay the vet bills and they realize that they shouldn't have covered her in the first place.
(Readers of this thread without horsey experience might like to learn that to "cover" a mare means to breed her, not to buy an insurance policy to cover her vet bills.)
TanyaD commented at July 16, 2008 1:01 PM: "Not all of the mares die in the game if they don't get prenatal care but some of them do."
Ah, so it's even more accurate than I thought at first. Got it.
On a totally different note, I think it's great you're talking so frankly and openly to your daughter about this. I just wanted to applaud the parents who are taking the time to discuss important issues with their kids. Go you!
When you have kids and you're all nerds, these things come up. I can't help but talk to them about this stuff.
This story is bizarre, interesting and well-told. That site is pretty impressive. It's a shame that they caved to the pressure, but it seems that the results made for an interesting educational opportunity.
#1 Yes this does happen, but you think it's a bad thing.
#2 Sometimes you need to get an abortion.
#3 It is a GAME! Why are you taking the fact that you shouldn't get abortions and blowing it up to supersized matters!!!!
I breed and raise horses for a living, and if something goes wrong and you need to get the mare an abortion, it's life or death!!! You either lose the foal or you lose your best friend. I currently have a mare due this spring, and she isn't doing too well, and if the vet says I need to get the abortion, I think his opinion matters more! P.S. I used to play the game, and I got abortions all the time.(When I wanted to help out a kid who needed more money) So, next time you post something about this matter, then be sure you have the facts straight!!!
P.S.S The game is for anyone! Not just kids. it's for people who can't afford real horses and it is an educational site on how hard it is to keep horses.
Actually, I play this game and the horse doesn't die if you know how to play right. The foal doesn't even have to die, because if you don't have enough "money" all you have to do is not visit the page where you take care of your horse. If you don't, then the horse won't age and it gives you a chance to save more money for the birthing of the foal.
You have got to be kidding me... you are seriously comparing horses to humans? You have serious issues.
Abortion should not be allowed, it is the murdering of a human life. Your entire argument is based on "women having control over their body parts". That is fine. A human baby is not a body part. To kill such, is murder.
Maybe the woman shouldnt be so stupid to get herself pregnant? How about accepting responsibility?
If you go out and have sex and get pregnant, you know what? Too bad. You now have to accept the consequences of your actions. Abortion is for those that want to skirt responsibility and live a care-free life while murdering babies so they dont have to step up to the plate.
Get a grasp on reality, and stop making excuses for women that are irresponsible.
Also, in the game, maybe your kids should be responsible and plan money for a pregnancy instead of just breeding horses. THINK, dont be stupid.
If you think abortion is okay, then you've failed as a parent and person. You're teaching your kids that murder is okay? How dare you fill our society with such vile beliefs and irresponsible children.
That is exactly what I've always thought, dkauzlaric. Even if you get pregnant and don't want to/can't take care of kids, then just find someone who will adopt. You're fat for 9 months if you allow yourself to stay pregnant...the baby is dead forever.
"You're fat for 9 months if you allow yourself to stay pregnant...the baby is dead forever."
Fat for 9 months? Are you serious? Well if its only being fat for 9 months, then everyone should stay pregnant. Hell, Ive been fat for years and Im doing fine, mind you this totally glosses over all the inherit health problems. but what can I say, were just all selfish whores who can't keep our legs closed, right?
You'd think that those who are pro-forced pregnancy would all be onboard for abortion if they looked at the big picture. How can a woman who died due to complications during a pregnancy that she wasn't allowed to terminate pop out any more kids? Wait, she can't because she's dead and in many instances, so is the baby.
Does that mean the pro-forced pregnancy advocates have to "accept the consequences of their actions"? No, of course not. They were just doing their Christian duty, no skin off their backs.
Alright, so I admit I wasn't accurate about the fat for 9 months thing, but it's kind of stupid for you to assume everyone who is against abortion is against it in all cases. I'm only against the cases where a couple or a woman gets abortion because they say they don't want to take care of kids, or they can't afford kids. There's a thing called adoption for those cases. If a woman gets abortion because she was raped or has problems that will result in her death if she goes along with the pregnancy, then I support that.