Speed Blogging, Oct 24, 2013: On the Rights of Fetuses, Men and Women

This case spells out one consequence of the fetal rights movement, combined with the usual type of inattention to the rights of the womb-carrier as a full human being.  I can appreciate the complexity and difficulties of some cases of "fetal endangerment," but this case looks quite a bit simpler.  The woman is simply not believed.  The case also tells us why criminalization of drug use during pregnancy is likely to result in the exact reverse of what its supporters desire, if being honest and open about past drug use leads to such difficulties.  Better not to say anything or stay out of the health care system altogether.

Jaclyn Friedman has written about the many types of men's rights movement and what is wrong with them.  She is one brave writer!  If you wonder why I say that, follow the blog Manboobz for a few weeks or months. 

My experiences with debating some MRM members match Jaclyn's experiences.  The underlying beliefs about how the world works and what is really happening are so different that a real debate is, by definition, impossible in any meaningful length of time.  That, plus the large number of personal (and misogynistic) insults I received, made the work exhausting and pointless.

To finish, something quite different.  This Guardian article on the dangers of creating "nontroversies" in the social media is well worth reading.