Comments on: Mitzi’s Abortion, Hostile Talk and Reasonable Discourse in An Argument Culture.” Podcast: Live At Hales Segment 1 of 3 http://www.thekindlings.com/podcasts/%e2%80%9cmitzi%e2%80%99s-abortion-hostile-talk-and-reasonable-discourse-in-an-argument-culture%e2%80%9d-podcast-live-at-hales-segment-1-of-3/ Intelligent, imaginative, hospitable explorations of ideas that matter in contemporary life. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:11:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Maureen Cruzhttp://www.thekindlings.com/podcasts/%e2%80%9cmitzi%e2%80%99s-abortion-hostile-talk-and-reasonable-discourse-in-an-argument-culture%e2%80%9d-podcast-live-at-hales-segment-1-of-3/comment-page-1/#comment-160 Maureen Cruz Fri, 29 Sep 2006 15:41:57 +0000 http://www.thekindlings.com/2006/09/27/%e2%80%9cmitzi%e2%80%99s-abortion-hostile-talk-and-reasonable-discourse-in-an-argument-culture%e2%80%9d-podcast-live-at-hales-segment-1-of-3/#comment-160 After listening to this, I appreciated this artist’s effort at trying to see/show different sides to the abortion issue. But in the end, it seems there’s really only one side being put forth. Sure, situations such as the girl mentioned are heartbreaking, but it’s easy to see where the author stands as she continued to refer to the unborn child as a ‘fetus’ instead of a baby. The jab at Republicans also mentioned was a giveaway as well and she admitted her bias. And what was the portrayal of the church mentioned? Was it a positive one? Or just the usual ‘church people are bad’ approach? (The ‘queer gene’ idea is also one that I’ve not seen any support for medically. So hypothetical situations are being brought up that simply will never happen. But unless you know that, you take it at face value and think it’s a valid point.) Also, it seems to be coming at the abortion issue as a ‘religious’ issue. It is not. Neither is it something complicated to figure out. I am not saying that such decisions are easy. Of course they are devastating. I hope to never be in that situation and I feel for those that have gone through it. It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But an unborn baby is a baby, and that’s where the discussion (and any decisions) needs to start. It was mentioned that abortion is a polarizing topic. I agree that there is a lack of listening (not to mention civility!) on both sides. But right and wrong, by nature, is polarizing. Where we need to start is to decide whether an unborn child is as much a child as one that is born. Once that question is settled, other things fall into place. Plays like this can be helpful, but I think we’ve made the issue itself more complicated than it really needs to be. (My comments on the play itself are based on this first part of the interview. They are first impressions and subject to change, especially since obviously I have not seen the play, or yet listened to the rest of the interview.) Thank you. After listening to this, I appreciated this artist’s effort at trying to see/show different sides to the abortion issue. But in the end, it seems there’s really only one side being put forth. Sure, situations such as the girl mentioned are heartbreaking, but it’s easy to see where the author stands as she continued to refer to the unborn child as a ‘fetus’ instead of a baby. The jab at Republicans also mentioned was a giveaway as well and she admitted her bias. And what was the portrayal of the church mentioned? Was it a positive one? Or just the usual ‘church people are bad’ approach? (The ‘queer gene’ idea is also one that I’ve not seen any support for medically. So hypothetical situations are being brought up that simply will never happen. But unless you know that, you take it at face value and think it’s a valid point.)

Also, it seems to be coming at the abortion issue as a ‘religious’ issue. It is not. Neither is it something complicated to figure out. I am not saying that such decisions are easy. Of course they are devastating. I hope to never be in that situation and I feel for those that have gone through it. It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But an unborn baby is a baby, and that’s where the discussion (and any decisions) needs to start.

It was mentioned that abortion is a polarizing topic. I agree that there is a lack of listening (not to mention civility!) on both sides. But right and wrong, by nature, is polarizing. Where we need to start is to decide whether an unborn child is as much a child as one that is born. Once that question is settled, other things fall into place. Plays like this can be helpful, but I think we’ve made the issue itself more complicated than it really needs to be.

(My comments on the play itself are based on this first part of the interview. They are first impressions and subject to change, especially since obviously I have not seen the play, or yet listened to the rest of the interview.)

Thank you.

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