I recently had a conversation with my brother about who we plan on voting for this November. I gave him a piece of my mind about why I'm not voting for McCain, the candidate my brother supports, but also listened to his side of the argument. However, when it came to my feelings on legalized abortion and Roe v. Wade and my problems with McCain's background on women's right and the comments he has made in the past, my brother had this to say: "Well, if you're a one-issue-voter, then that's what it comes down to."
Time passed, my brother left to go finish his Masters degree, and then I realized the unfair nature of that comment.
I mean, I'm a woman! I have breasts, I menstruate, I may eventually bear a child, and have two X-chromosomes. Of all my traits and characteristics, I'd say that being a woman is the one that comes closest to defining or encompassing me as a person. And as a woman, I feel that one of the most important issues for me to defend is the right to govern my own body and not have it be governed by others. Is that really the same as deciding who to vote for based on their position on the economy, education, healthcare or whatever?
I guess the answer to that question, when it's time to vote, is yes. Not all women share my opinions on access to birth control, safe and legalized abortion, and I respect that. Still, something about that conversation bothered me. I feel like a lot depends on electing the candidate who believes I should be in charge of what or what doesn't happen to my body. I mean, the economy doesn't have much to do with my vagina (I think). I'm going to live my whole life in this body, and for me prioritizing my rights as a woman this election seems like a lot more than voting on just "one" issue. And if it is, then I consider it to be a pretty damn important issue. But then again, I'm just part of the "female vote", aren't I?
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I totally agree! I mean, for women, having control of our reproduction makes it possible for us to do anything. Without birth control or abortion, all those other dreams we have like a career, travel, etc. becomes harder to attain. I mean, I can't exactly go to college if I've already had 2 babies or travel to Germany and study for a year. I don't want to be weighed down by my biology. It may be considered one issue but for women it encompasses the greater picture.
I understand what you mean. My dad and I had a conversation where he accused me of being pro-Obama only because I am pro-choice. But, as you pointed out, the issue of being allowed to make decisions about your own body is essential. Without freedom to be in control of our own bodies, how can we even pretend to have the ability to control the economy, education, healthcare, etc.? Kudos for saying what I've been thinking!
I considered myself a moderate republican for a few years. The "moderate" because I was (and am) pro-choice and pro-gay rigths. I have since seen that my previous conservative economic stance ignored the interconnectedness of us all. Therefore, I have completely swung to the Left and will probably be supporting the Democratic nominee for the rest of my life.
As for a one-issue voter, if I had to choose the most important issue to me, it would be my reproductive rights because it affects everything I can and will do in my life.
So, maybe I am a one issue voter. Oh well. Luckily my one issue allies with other issues I support.
I find that comment pretty diminutive, but then it's not uncommon to attack the person, instead of the argument, when talking politics.
Personally, I'm an Obama supporter because I believe in women's/minority's/gay/HUMAN rights, environmental protection & NOT making everything but humans go extinct, affordable healthcare, affordable education, not lying to the public to get your way as republicans always invariably do, fuel efficiency, NOT starting random, unresearched wars, higher minimum wage... I mean, did I leave anything out?
If I had to choose, human rights and environmental issues would be my most important ones, but everyone has different priorities and I'm sure your brother does too. And as women, living our lives is PRETTY darn important to us.
What a horrible thing for him to have said.
For me, abortion isn't so much an issue as an attitude. This is mainstream politics we're talking about, there are pro-lifers who are genuinely pro-life, not anti-sex, but most of pro-lifers don't fall into that category. They're "pro-life" because they want control over women's bodies, either because they think the men have some claim over the uterus when they get a woman pregnant, or because they want to shame women who have sex, or because they're incapable of ignoring the parts of the Bible that don't pertain to accumulating huge amounts of wealth. They don't care about what happens to the woman during, before, or after pregnancy, and if the baby dies it's okay so long as it wasn't an abortion. Abortion is the way our society sums up feminism: if you're feminist, you're pro-choice because you respect women's autonomy. Mainstream pro-life is the epitome of anti-feminism, because feminism has been to distilled into a one issue talking point.
We might be one issue voters, but that's because we have no choice to be.
"My dad and I had a conversation where he accused me of being pro-Obama only because I am pro-choice."
Bleah. I'm glad my dad has been pro-Obama since before the primaries.
heather commented on August 29, 2008 11:32 AM: "Without freedom to be in control of our own bodies, how can we even pretend to have the ability to control the economy, education, healthcare, etc.?"
Right on!
nightingale:
Holy cow. That was so astute. I wish I had been able to put it that way. I'm pro-life and pro sex. I think that if you want to go to college or Germany for a year, and think that a child would be a barrier to that that you should make decisions that support your wants. I personally believe that if your in control of your body when you get pregnant, then you have a responsibility to live with your decisions. My mother prepared me to take ownership of my actions, and to me people who abdicate that responsibility are morally unsound. My mother told me that she would disown me if I wouldn’t be responsible for my decision. I’m all for sex education, condoms, the pill, plan b… im very pro sex. I like it to much. While I feel irresponsible for having unprotected sex with my partner, I don’t feel like I’m unaccountable.
Addendum: my partner is on birth control, and I use condoms haphazardly. By the same token, she uses condoms haphazardly as well.