![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
So yesterday someone I know on Facebook posted this video, trying to offer a non-religious moral argument as to why abortion is wrong. I usually don't say anything when someone I watch says something really stupid, or at the very least something I don't agree with, but since he seemed to be a rational person before yesterday and I liked some of the things he's said before, I thought about leaving a lengthy reply criticizing the video -- especially since I know that I won't get any better at articulating my own POV and at thinking more rationally if I don't have these kinds of debates/conversations. But I wanted to make sure I understood him all right first, so I asked him, "Would it be safe to assume, then, that you don't think abortions should be legal?" And I got this in response:
( Abortion fail, and partial win, and more fail )
You would think that writing all that I wrote above would help me debate this person well, but instead it's only led me to think about how I have absolutely no clue how to pick my battles, how I feel ridiculously uncomfortable about debate, how I feel it would be futile to debate someone who already seems solidified in his opinions, etc. I mean, this is a kid who I last had a sustained conversation with in elementary school -- it just doesn't feel worth it anymore. And that I'm trying to be more aware of my own privilege on this issue. And that I wonder if I really do have the patience and stamina to convince someone to change their opinion, just as how one can change poor behavior/personality traits in another with lots of patience and stamina. Yeah...it's like that, I'm afraid. :/
If I got some of my arguments wrong, feel free to yell at me in the comments. :D
(And for more abortion fail: this video, or this transcript of said video. "Life is enriched by unwanted pregnancy"? REALLY? DX)
EDIT (11:55 PM): The guy who responded earlier responded again:
( Does this count as win? )
And while we're on the subject, here's an article about someone actually talking with women about to get abortions, and actually seeing the procedure done. While the author's conflicting emotions regarding what she observed are understandable, I suspect anyone would feel the same way watching any medical procedure done.
( Abortion fail, and partial win, and more fail )
You would think that writing all that I wrote above would help me debate this person well, but instead it's only led me to think about how I have absolutely no clue how to pick my battles, how I feel ridiculously uncomfortable about debate, how I feel it would be futile to debate someone who already seems solidified in his opinions, etc. I mean, this is a kid who I last had a sustained conversation with in elementary school -- it just doesn't feel worth it anymore. And that I'm trying to be more aware of my own privilege on this issue. And that I wonder if I really do have the patience and stamina to convince someone to change their opinion, just as how one can change poor behavior/personality traits in another with lots of patience and stamina. Yeah...it's like that, I'm afraid. :/
If I got some of my arguments wrong, feel free to yell at me in the comments. :D
(And for more abortion fail: this video, or this transcript of said video. "Life is enriched by unwanted pregnancy"? REALLY? DX)
EDIT (11:55 PM): The guy who responded earlier responded again:
( Does this count as win? )
And while we're on the subject, here's an article about someone actually talking with women about to get abortions, and actually seeing the procedure done. While the author's conflicting emotions regarding what she observed are understandable, I suspect anyone would feel the same way watching any medical procedure done.
