From Nuking Politics:
When confronted with the nonsensical argument that I should not be allowed to comment on abortion because I don’t have a uterus, I like to respond, “Unless you’ve been an unwanted, unplanned fetus, YOU have no right to comment on abortion.”
I still remember the first time someone said this to me. Initially, I didn’t think they were serious. I mean, since when does some’one have to be a woman to lobby against abortion? Do these people thing one must be black to have argued against slavery? I don’t feel the need to hold my tongue about child abuse, rape or any number of moral evils because I haven’t been molested, raped, or enslaved.
Is is just a tad hypocritical that the person who believes men should withdraw from the abortion debate because they can’t have children doesn’t protest pro-abortion men from being vocal.
My response to this asinine objection is to remind them that Roe v Wade was argued in front of an all male Supreme Court. For consistency’s sake, they ought to want it overturned until such time the Court is unanimously female.
Sifting Reality 
I like your first response better. Nobody should talk about it except in the privacy of a doctor’s office, or in private discussion between partners or spouses. It’s really no one’s business as a public topic of discussion.
Mikey.
This is a serious question: What is abortion?
It’s a medical procedure performed on women to terminate pregnancies, usually performed in the first trimester.
What does it mean to terminate a pregnancy? I’ll answer the question, abortion ends the life of a living human being. This being the case, it is a moral issue worthy of public debate.
Since I do not define the termination of a pregnancy the same way as you have, there’s no where for this discussion to lead to, hence no point to public discussion. You get to keep your moral position, and I get to keep mine.
Well, thats a medical definition. Reasonable people dont invent their own definitions in order to avoid the moral implications of a conclusion
Mikey, just because one side believes its not a public moral issues doesn’t somehow make it off limits for public discussion. Consider what other important discussions this could have shut down. Slave owner: “The fact that I own slaves is a private issue of my home, not a public/moral issue” Emancipator: “It is a moral issue because every human life matters, even if you don’t believe it.” Slave owner: “Nope, you can’t talk about it because I think it should be private.” We need to have public, reasonable, discussions about these issues and not just make certain topics taboo.
Steven
Agreed, one side of the issue does not get to control the narrative.
To argue that men should have no say is heinous. Men are one half of the equation which causes pregnancy. And when babies are born, they are bound by law, if not fatherly duty, to provide for the children.
Men can and should comment on abortion. They should just understand that women get the final say. I was unplanned and might have been aborted, and in hindsight, I would love my mother enough to live her life and have a child if she wanted, or not.
That’s easy to say, now. But if it came right down to it, you’d never be ok with her killing you for her convenience.
Once again, the issue of who is speaking makes the difference.
“That’s easy to say, now. But if it came right down to it, you’d never be ok with her killing you for her convenience.”
Yes. Yes I would. It’s no different than a mother who refused an abortion so her child could live, or any other situation where someone gives up their life for a loved one or even a stranger. And this one is easy, because – at the time of the decision – there’s no life to be lost for the fetus.
The point, that they could be speaking toward is quite simple. You are not a woman, the experiences that make up her life and her choices are not available to you. Nor are the experiences of a person of colour available to you since you are white (making an assumption). Consider that you almost never have to explain what systematic racism is to a person of colour, they live it it, it is a experience that as the dominant class you’ll never have access to. That means you have to guess what its like as to what it is to be a woman or a to be a minority. Similar, but not the same.
So, should men butt out of the debate? Of course not, should their voices be treated equally? No, they should not as they are not the ones doing the birthing.
Arbourist
Are you suggesting that ones gender makes an argument more valid? If an argument is sound, whether the person is male or female doesn’t make ot more sound. Whether ending the life of a human being through abortion is morally wrong, has nothing to do with the person who utters the sentence.
@ John Barron
Are you suggesting that men and women have the same stake and responsibilities in the reproductive process? About how many men die during childbirth… googling googling…. hmmm…let’s see: Oh yes,none. Women, on the other hand, are dying at the rate of about 800 a day.
Because the platonic ideals of validity and soundness resonate so strongly in the social construction of our cultural norms and values.
Which it isn’t, since the mother, being the vessel carrying said human-being has the right to say what is going on her body. Or do you find the female-broodmare archetype appealing?
“Four score and seventy years ago,” said Bob the Wino down at the pub….
You’re right! Absolutely nothing to do with the person, or their place in society.
This is scary. It sounds as if you think pregnancy is a disease and abortion is the cure! You know, I eat through the same hole I breathe through. Given the number of bites of food I’ve taken, the possibility that one might be the one that gets lodged in my wind pipe is a risk I’m willing to take.
So, let’s take the number 800. There are about 250,000 people born every day. 800 is about 0.35%. Again, it’s an acceptable number.
You know what you should be concerned with? The number 300,000. That’s how many people die each day. Perhaps killing everyone now will stop future death. Simply living appears to be more risky than giving birth!
Male and female humans are killed because of abortion.
It’s not an issue which concerns only females.
It is a type of genetic fallacy. And it’s not like there aren’t plenty of pro-life/anti-abortion women to make the same arguments that pro-life/anti-abortion men make, so it’s just a rather weak attempt to dodge the argument.
Damn straight! Beautiful response to an asinine objection.
@C2C
I’m sorry, are you getting a touch hysterical? Should I use words that sound less scary for you?
Good thing that if the worst happens there is always the handy Heimlich maneuver, its nice having a choice, no?
Not really sure what do with that assertion as well it could be applied to just about anything. Walking blindfolded across busy streets is statistically bad for you as well, but hey 300,000 die every day. Non sequitur anyone? :>