I was viewing a friend's FB page and clicked on a page she liked, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, because I now live in Texas and I was curious to see what was posted there since we have an election coming up next month. This group claims to represent Texas women.
I made a comment about which candidate I support and mentioned that I am a mother of ten. A woman responded with this comment, "Rebecca Cornish Talley: you must be very wealthy and are able to support 10 children. Have you ever given thought to population control, conserving our resources? Not breeding like rats? Of coarse not!"
Obviously, the poster does not understand the difference between "coarse' and "course," but that is beside the point.
When I went back to read the comment on the page, I found that I'd been blocked from commenting. Why? Because I expressed a different opinion. My opinion is not valuable because it is different.
Planned Parenthood, and WomenWinTexas, a public political group, claims to represent women. They claim to have the best interest of women at heart. they want women to be active in politics and to go out and vote. Yet when a woman has a different opinion, she is personally attacked and then blocked from participating in a discussion about candidates. PP and WomenWinTexas is not interested in hearing from women whose views differ from their agenda, and they are willing to attack women who disagree with them. What happened to discussing opposing views?
For the record, I am thankful every day that I have ten children. My children are not a pack of rats. They are good, decent human beings who strive to be kind and serve those around them. They are not perfect, and I am not a perfect parent, but I love my job as a wife and mom. My only regret is that I could not have ten more children. I am thankful that my children have loved growing up in a big family and want to have many children themselves. People may not agree with my lifestyle or my choice to have a large family. That is fine.
Why is is that groups like PP are so intent on protecting a woman's "right to choose" but not my right to choose to have a large family? Why is it that PP does not want anyone to control a woman's body when it comes to abortion, but have no problem wanting to control my body and stop me from having as many children as I can care for? Why is it that if a woman dares express a differing opinion it is okay to personally attack her? I have found that usually happens when the attacker has no substance to his/her argument and must stoop to name-calling.
And another thing. I am very wealthy. I am wealthy in all the things that matter.
To Planned Parenthood Texas Votes and to #WomenWinTexas, you may have personally attacked me on a public page and successfully blocked me from that page so that I cannot make comments, but you will not silence me. I still have a voice. I still have the right to my opinion. I still have the right to vote for the candidate I choose.
I may not agree with anything you represent, nor the disrespectful and hateful things you say about the candidates you don't support, but I will fight for your right to say what you want, because that is what freedom of speech means. I am not afraid to hear what you have to say. If only that worked both ways.
3 comments:
Great post, Rebecca. And sad, too, because that seems to be the norm for Planned Parenthood and other "women's rights" groups - they only want THEIR version promoted and protected.
Yeah, they totally think that women should have the right to do whatever they want with their lives and bodies. As long as it is what they say to do with your life and body. It's equality because now, women are judging and boxing you around and telling you what you're allowed to do for your family.
Suuuure it is.
And that's why, for many people, feminism is a bad word. When I use it and claim it, it's with caveats. I don't mean what they mean. I genuinely think you havea right to not only make choices for your life, but to live by the consequences of those choices.
Unfortunately, most groups with Planned Parenthood in the name aren't going to be that kind of feminism. They prefer zero population growth, to the same extent as eugenics did in 1900, but with far worse tactics and bullying. I'm sorry you have to experience that.
It's nauseating to me that the same people claiming right to abort babies would ridicule you for your right to have a table home life with many kids. Reminds me of the chapter in the book "Cheaper by the Dozen," where, as a joke, Mrs Gilbreth is recommended by her dear friend (who had ten children herself) to a "missionary" for a similar group. After watching the "women's rights" organizer salivate over her well spoken, efficient, organized self, she thought it to funny to not let Mr. Gilbreth in on the joke. He came in, praised the woman for her hard work and dedication, and began whistling assembly. The organizer rapidly realized that her hopes of using that nice big house for meetings was not actually going to happen.
Times change. People don't.
Excellent, Rebecca! How sad it is that the only rights and voices some groups want to promote or recognize are their own. Let everyone have their say. And by everyone, I mean everyone.
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