I didn’t realize Being Pregnant was a political blog. Thanks for labeling me as a nutty right winger who only cares about money.

Agreed–the politicians have politicized our bodies. Thanks for the post, Monica!

@Katrina – In case you haven’t noticed, Being Pregnant and all things related including contraception, abortion, health care and Planned Parenthood are all very political in America.

I’d call mine Ute and Associates, Inc.

I was thinking earlier today, after reading YET AGAIN about Newt Gingrich’s claims that our country is dominated by left-wing media, that the vocal minority right wingers go on and on about liberal bias in the media and seem to think their claims are right. Has it occurred to the right wingers that maybe, just maybe, there is not a “liberal bias” in the media, but the mainstream media is just that: mainstream? When will the right-wingers realize that they are NOT the mainstream. They are the fringe and people may pay attention as they protest the fact that far more than half the population is more liberal than they are. Sorry, folks, we’re not going away. And YES, Monica. Abortion has been legal for 39 years. Excellent point. As for Rick Santorum…Holy Hell. I get a shock to my system each time I hear about this comment. “Make the best of a bad situation”? How incredibly callous. Does anyone, ANYONE believe that a man would “make the best of a bad situation” if he could become pregnant after being raped? Rick Santorum really just needs to go away. Please go get a private sector job and take your extremist, fringe, absurd agendas with you.

Gary, you’re absolutely right. That is very, very easy for you to type because there is no chance that you would ever be in the position to have to make that decision, and you hav the luxury of knowing that without a shadow of a doubt. Absolutely no chance. None. You don’t have to shut up, it is a free country, but please don’t expect to change anyone’s mind because you aren’t even capable of imagining what you’re actually talking about.

Gary, rape, even for men, is an extremely traumatic experience and one that can change the way you look at yourself and the way you look at others. Maybe you know for sure what it might be like, but please look up James Landrith’s story from January 15th on The Good Men Project. Rape – and the consequences of it – is not something you can ever understand unless you’ve experienced it.

Gary – To offer another explanation of things; no, men will never understand the complexities of the issues, and so many, such as Santorum, will continue to make comments that are sure to be offensive to many, and very hurtful to those women who have been in just such a situation. As a woman who has never been in this extremely difficult position, I cannot say I even fully understand. However, as a woman who is currently dealing with a wanted, planned-for and expected pregnancy, I can say that I would never, for an instant, be able to find fault with a woman who felt that she could not face putting herself through the process of pregnancy after a rape, and I would defend her right to an abortion. A pregnancy isn’t just about “waiting it out” – it’s nine months of being sole caretaker for a growing baby inside you. That duty comes with many sacrifices, with aches and pains and daily discomforts that a man will never know. For nine months, there is no such thing as a simple “cold” – we cannot take the same over-the-counter remedies to knock out a sinus infection. We will be more prone to nausea/vomiting, and yet unable to fall back on that simple relief offered by Pepto-Bismol. And ANY woman who is in that position not only without planning, but by force, and completely against her will, who could still bear to carry a child to term – to make these sacrifices, to see the changes in her body in the mirror daily, to endure many invasive medical exams after being violated in this way, should be commended. But for those who cannot, they should not have the additional guilt of being looked down upon by society, and especially not by men who will never be able to fully comprehend the sacrifices they are making.