Lessons from Everwood
If you watch "Everwood", which you probably don't, there was one particular episode that, I thought, very well done. It dealt with the issue of abortion, which is, of course, one of those things that you just don't discuss on prime-time television.
I thought for sure they'd make the girl recant at the last minute, all "No, I want to keep my baby!" and teary-eyed drama flowing. I'm glad she got one, as it's more realistic than how every other show I’ve seen that deals with the same issue the girl changes her mind. Afterwards, she was upset, and crying and unsure of her decision, and I think that was important. So many people assume that everyone getting abortions has some sort of cavalier attitude about sex, and that for them, an abortion is just another fucking cakewalk. Okay, maybe "a lot" of people don't think that, but some do, and I think that's a rather insensitive and cavalier dismissal of the procedure and its psychological effects on a person both before and for years to come.
Anyway, they treated the subject pretty well. The good doctor, Andy Brown (the sort of main adult character), has a crisis of conscience. The guy I thought was a major dick, the other doctor in town, Dr. Abbott, turns out to have been performing them for years. His father before him was the town doctor, and in the days before Roe v. Wade, it seems that the elder Dr. Abbott came upon many women who were disfigured, sterile, infected, etc., after botched, back-alley abortions. He then started to do the procedure himself, quietly, rather than have the women of his town go to other states, other countries, or do it unsafely. His condition when his son took over the practice was that he had to continue to perform the procedure. Though Dr. Abbott the younger is a devout Catholic (apparently, as he goes to Confession immediately after performing the abortion), he made a pledge to his father. So when Dr. Brown "just can't do it," he takes the patient.
I can't believe I’ve gone into this much detail about a WB show, but it was really a pretty good episode. It didn't get into the religious or political aspects much, and I thought it was thought-provoking, to say the least.
On the abortion note, here's a letter from the Freep (from a few years ago) ...
Right step for life
There is no question of when life begins: at conception. I'm pleased the Michigan Senate is attempting to do what's right in God's eyes in an effort to end late-term abortions and even outlaw abortion altogether.
The U.S. Supreme court's ruling 30 years ago legalizing abortion was one of the worst and most costly decisions made. No one has the right to determine when life begins and ends. The best course for the house is to pass this bill into law. At least it's a step in the right direction.
Patty Telmos, Macomb
If "no one" has a right to determine when life begins and ends, certainly you can't say, then, that your determination that life "begins at conception" (which I don't *necessarily* agree with) ... what's that about? Don't *you* also not have the right to determine the "facts" of the matter, either? All the shit involved in when life begins is pretty much a matter of opinion, not fact. What is "right in God's eyes" has nothing to do with legislature, anyway. Separation of church and state, anyone? I mean, I'm personally sure that it's not right for a corporation to dump chemicals into a lake "in God's eyes" either, but we sure let that slide, don't we?
Anyway, people piss me off and I'm finished ranting about this ... for today.
I thought for sure they'd make the girl recant at the last minute, all "No, I want to keep my baby!" and teary-eyed drama flowing. I'm glad she got one, as it's more realistic than how every other show I’ve seen that deals with the same issue the girl changes her mind. Afterwards, she was upset, and crying and unsure of her decision, and I think that was important. So many people assume that everyone getting abortions has some sort of cavalier attitude about sex, and that for them, an abortion is just another fucking cakewalk. Okay, maybe "a lot" of people don't think that, but some do, and I think that's a rather insensitive and cavalier dismissal of the procedure and its psychological effects on a person both before and for years to come.
Anyway, they treated the subject pretty well. The good doctor, Andy Brown (the sort of main adult character), has a crisis of conscience. The guy I thought was a major dick, the other doctor in town, Dr. Abbott, turns out to have been performing them for years. His father before him was the town doctor, and in the days before Roe v. Wade, it seems that the elder Dr. Abbott came upon many women who were disfigured, sterile, infected, etc., after botched, back-alley abortions. He then started to do the procedure himself, quietly, rather than have the women of his town go to other states, other countries, or do it unsafely. His condition when his son took over the practice was that he had to continue to perform the procedure. Though Dr. Abbott the younger is a devout Catholic (apparently, as he goes to Confession immediately after performing the abortion), he made a pledge to his father. So when Dr. Brown "just can't do it," he takes the patient.
I can't believe I’ve gone into this much detail about a WB show, but it was really a pretty good episode. It didn't get into the religious or political aspects much, and I thought it was thought-provoking, to say the least.
On the abortion note, here's a letter from the Freep (from a few years ago) ...
Right step for life
There is no question of when life begins: at conception. I'm pleased the Michigan Senate is attempting to do what's right in God's eyes in an effort to end late-term abortions and even outlaw abortion altogether.
The U.S. Supreme court's ruling 30 years ago legalizing abortion was one of the worst and most costly decisions made. No one has the right to determine when life begins and ends. The best course for the house is to pass this bill into law. At least it's a step in the right direction.
Patty Telmos, Macomb
If "no one" has a right to determine when life begins and ends, certainly you can't say, then, that your determination that life "begins at conception" (which I don't *necessarily* agree with) ... what's that about? Don't *you* also not have the right to determine the "facts" of the matter, either? All the shit involved in when life begins is pretty much a matter of opinion, not fact. What is "right in God's eyes" has nothing to do with legislature, anyway. Separation of church and state, anyone? I mean, I'm personally sure that it's not right for a corporation to dump chemicals into a lake "in God's eyes" either, but we sure let that slide, don't we?
Anyway, people piss me off and I'm finished ranting about this ... for today.
