To think men shouldn’t be allowed to express pro-life opinions?

[purpledaze24]

Was just watching (by accident, went down a bit of a rabbit hole!) a YouTube video of this infuriating American far-right man talking about how abortion shouldn’t be allowed (even in the case of rape). Watching it made me angrier and angrier. It’s bad enough hearing anyone bang on about banning abortion, but of course, everyone is entitled to an opinion. However, when it’s a man who has no clue what a woman’s body goes through, and has no regard for the giant responsibility and completely life-changing effect a baby has on a mother’s life (cos let’s be realistic, many fathers find it pretty easy to walk away or continue living life completely responsibly-free), I feel like, how dare he express these opinions, he shouldn’t have a say, it’s just not his place. AIBU or should men be allowed to express anti-abortion opinions? I’m not talking about men whose partner gets pregnant, I’m talking about politicians and men with power talking about banning abortion in general. Watching them talk about it gives me the ick

I think it's a case of opinions being like arseholes.

People with these ideologies tend to be the ones who use religion as an excuse. If we go by this argument (religion) philanthropy and benefit system and support from the state and people should exist to help those children thrive if in need, yet you see extreme poverty and inequality in America especially in non white communities. Americans believe that it is ones own fault for their own misfortunes if they don’t work hard, which we all know is not entirely true. You can work extremely hard but not be a high earner or fall on hard times and lose your job and things spiral out of control etc… if life is so precious to these religious people then why don’t they have a system to support them then?

Men have full right to an opinion. They just need to exercise it at correct moment.

"I can't imagine a baby I'd father being aborted under any circumstances" - don't have sex with women who don't share your opinion. Or, get vasectomy, so the chances you would father a child are minimised.

Yes, men can have an opinion and express that opinion.

Freedom of speech is unfortunately, very important op. So in that respect, of course they should be allowed.

However I absolutely agree with you on the sentiment that it seems ludicrous for a man who will never experience pregnancy or delivery to dictate that any woman who doesn't want to experience pregnancy and delivery should have to because HE thinks she should. In an ideal world men would work this out for themselves but we, ironically, cannot force this thinking on them.

Sure. They just can't expect any one other than themselves to act on it.

@purpledaze24 ,

Your viewpoint is predicated upon the fact that a foetus isn’t a person until it draws its first breath. If you don’t believe that (and I don’t), then a man has every right to have an opinion.

It is no different to having an opinion on capital punishment in a country in which I don’t live and never will. No, I will never personally experience it, but a human being is a human being, and I have an opinion on them having a right to life.

I don’t think an embryo is a human being so, at that stage, I have no right to an opinion. But as soon as, in my eyes, it is enough of a human being, I have a right to an opinion.

To me, the U.K. has the balance about right with current legislation. But when laws are made, both sexes have a right to input into them.

If we separated laws by sex, we are denying both sexes essential humanity.

It feels like it is mainly men that are into it doesn't it? Though I'd be more disappointed in women for feeling that way, as they should know that each woman's choice should be their own.

It's absolutely vile when I hear people spouting this stuff. Of either sex. But yeah, it is literally absolutely none of men's business and they'll never ever have to experience it. So shut the fuck up.

Maybe his sperm should have been collected into a little rubber bag if it's that important to him.
Every man is entitled to an opinion, every woman is entitled to ignore it.

I think all prolife people should have to foster at least 3 children

Like others are saying men are allowed an opinion.

But i suppose my opinion is it should be given less weight in any decision making process or legal framework.

OP, I get how you feel, but everyone is allowed to express their opinion. You cannot just take that right away from anyone. It makes zero real difference whether that opinion is held by a man or a woman. It stings when is someone who does not know the in and outs, but you cannot take away the right to have a say.

Well if it wasn't for men as well there would be no babies, so I want your sperm but not your opinion?

I think they should have an opinion in general

They shouldn't have a say over a specific woman's choice

You can't make a baby with a uterus alone.

I think YABU.

Nobody, male or female, has the right to dictate what an individual woman does with her body.

Everybody, male and female, is entitled to an opinion on abortion and whether life begins at conception or birth.

I don't mind them having opinions on the subject. They just shouldn't carry any weight.

They can have all the opinions they like. I just won't give them any consideration. Actually, I want pro-life men to express their opinions so that women can avoid them. I don't have to worry about pregnancy any more, but back when I did, I wouldn't have slept with a pro-life man. They don't deserve it.

Generally speaking people do not cede power willingly.
Men understand (implicitly or explicitly) that their dominance rests on their ability to control women, that's why they keep trying to do it!

They do not want to relinquish their ability to control things for their own benefit.

I think anybody should be allowed to express any opinion they want.

We should be free to ignore them.

Personally I am not interested in ANY opinion’s on abortion except for the opinion of the woman seeking one. People need to learn to mind their own body.

A fairly irrelevant point in a discussion about bodily autonomy.

Any man who is pro-life should show their commitment and get a vasectomy - that way they could guarantee they don't cause a pregnancy which may end up being terminated.

I think any man opposing abortion should have a forced vasectomy.

See how quickly the men start shouting "my body, my choice"

They wouldn't like it if someone else had control over their body and their reproductive rights.

Important to know which men have these views. Also true that there genuinely is a spectrum of opinion on this, which runs from me (abortion on request for any woman who doesn’t want to be pregnant at any time) to him. There are quite a lot of people who are nowhere near either of us, and that’s fine.

Social media is designed to make you angry. Step away, but make sure your MP knows that keeping access to abortion is important to you, and consider donating to organisations- I donate to the Abortion Support Network due to its work in countries where abortion is hard to access.

All people should be allowed freedom of speech, whether we like what they say or not. And that man's opinions sound monstrous, but he has the right to say them, just as we have to right to prove how dehumanising and misogynistic they are.

That said, and I'm aware of the irony of what I'm about to write, but I'm definitely side-eyeing your use of "pro-life" in your OP. I only see pro-life used by people who are anti-abortion but don't want to call themselves that because of the negativity.