the seahorse is the only male animal that gets knocked up
Dear Em & Lo,
The way I see it, there is simply no such concept as male reproductive rights. If your girl gets pregnant and wants to keep the baby, congratulations, you’re a dad! Pay up, sucker. If you want to keep it but she wants to abort it, tough luck — there goes your progeny. The only thing a dude can do is rubber up and screen for sexual partners with similar values.
We get it, the baby’s growing in the woman’s body, and ownership is 9/10ths of the law. But come on, now. There’s got to be some kind of reasonable compromise. I don’t have an easy answer to this, and I doubt anyone else will either. Men will continue to get a raw deal here. But could you open the topic to discussion?
— Cat Amongst the Pigeons
Consider it done! What do you think, do we need male reproductive rights? And if so, what would they be? Let the debate begin (no throwing things, please) in the comments section below.
Alright, for one, the female gender needs to step off the soap box. It takes 2 count em’ 2… to cheat, 2 to raise a child, 2 to make a relationship work, I would be destroyed if the woman that I had gotten pregnant decided to KILL my child. Responsibility for life rests in the hands of ALL, not just one party. Blame is a double edged sword. Take that to the bank. To those of you out there with common sense please forgive my rash generalization of my perception of the views of self rightious women.
Ok, I’ll get blasted for this… marriage will eliminate virtually all the problems associated with sex. It IS the contract that affords both male and female reproductive rights (for the most part). Marriage is the agreement to accept the consequences of sex. I guess you could get a lawyer to write up a pre-sex contract, but that’s probably not as romantic.
Sorry for double-posting. 🙂
But, Mike, women bear children for a reason. Men tend to be more emotionally withheld, which is not appropriate to raise a young child. Women are made for the task. Men are made for supporting the woman for supporting the child. And if the relationship is onlt there because someone got knocked-up, then it’s doomed to be weak, therefore the child bieng raised into poverty, fighting, violence, and such.
If you guys want to call the shots, show the world you deserve them.
If you think you’re fit to support a child, and the mother dosen’t and doesn’t want to keep it, than how would you feel supporting it on your own, it you think you’re fit. Often, this is the case for women. They love thier child, but the guy can’t care less. Though I am grateful for the guys out there that are responsible and never think of doing these kinds of things. You are a rare breed. 😉
Because there are so many irresponsible men out there is why you sadly do not the rights the good men deserve.
Even though I have no children(I am waiting for the right husband and for the time I have a family home and food in the fridge for three), I would be infinatly protective of them, not allowing a single thing to let them frown. I can’t stand the sight of a suffering child.
So, men, when you stop cheating, running off, and prove yourselves, the whole bunch of you in the world, is when you gain rights. Why do you never hear of women doing this?
I fully understand how harsh I sound. But, again, I am infinitely protective of children, even if they are not my own.
Sorry if I offended anyone out there. 🙂
Men, I do say sorry with reason. Please do not get offended to any of what I’m about to say.
Men are about 83% more likely to run off and abandon mom and child. Females are plainly just more resposible in this area. And if males want more authority, more than what females grant them nowadays, then they will just have to show that they deserve it.
Don’t get me wrong, some are responsible, but some are not. Like the ones that are failing high school, and are one day doing-it-everyday, until one day, he discovers a one-night stand is carrying his kid. Then the parents fight, kid turns out bad because of poor care, and it’s a sad story. Most cases are similar.
Me, personally, if I ever get unconditionally pregnant while I’m unable to fully and totally provide for a child, I’d have to lose it. I want to watch my child grow, raised by ME and watch him having fun instead of suffering, and knowing it’s my fault.
But, that’s just my opinion. =)
As a woman and a mother of boys this is the way that I see it. We require men to be responsible and take care of a child through monetary support if they are not “with” the mother. Also, in most instances adoptions are not fully legal until both the mother and father have signed away their parental rights. Understanding that there are times when a woman should have control over what is happening with her body, but when she is in a relationship and finds herself pregnent by that person then the father should have some right in saying what should happen with that child.
If real men want reproductive rights, they need to get them in a contract prior to conjugal activity. Traditional men who require that the woman promise to trust and obey in their marriage vows have reproductive rights, and they should, as they have made a fuller commitment. But men who just allow women to engage them sexually without a requirement of trust and obedience really don’t have a leg to stand on. If men want such control, they should have the moral character to be able to wait for a woman willing to promise obedience in all things, as stipulated by Ephesians 5:24. Men and women need to talk about exactly what they want before coitus. It reduces potential for future pain and suffering from misunderstandings. Most people in the U.S. of my generation had this instilled in them well by their parents. Far fewer young people today seem to receive such guidance.
Richard and Mike,
A woman gets to choose whether or not she keeps the baby. That not only is the right thing but it’s also the law. men don’t ahve a say legally in whether or not the child is carried to term, but men should have an equal right to decide whether or not they want to support the child. Women can decide to be mothers, men should be able to decide to be fathers.
Also, touting the age old “you were dumb enough to get pregnant, now you must be smart enough to raise it in a home without financial assistance even though you are clearly too young to have accrued any sort of wealth or well-being” is monumentally stupid. The last thing this country needs is more disadvantaged children born into poverty.
Why stop now? I mean, women already have a strangle hold on men. You think that men have control? You are gravely mistaken. Just because you can bear a child doesnt mean you get to control everything reguarding birthing that child. But on the other hand…if you are stupid enough to get a woman pregnant when you didnt mean to, then you should be held accountable for it. There are too many ways to make sure there is no pregnancy to make any excuse valid. Now if both parties are consenting about getting pregnant, and then the woman wants to change her mind and get an abortion or whatever…then I think that should not be allowed. It all comes down to responsibility. Dont have sex if you cant deal with the aftermath..nuff said.
cami, why be such a feminist tool? it takes 2 to tango you know, and because of that men deserve to have reproductive rights in saying if the baby gets to live or not. they both helped in making it, so they both should decide in its future.
Yes, Cami, you are quite right. But men should be allowed to have a choice as to whether or not they want to be a father. Doug makes an excellent case for such that doesn’t infringe on the woman’s rights over her own body.
When men are able to carry a child then they can have reproductive rights. Until then it is a woman’s decision to keep or not keep a baby.
*have access to the record…. damn sticky keys
T,
Of course the child will. It’s the same as being adopted. It’s up to the parent to keep the child from knowing who their father is until the child is no longer a minor. Adopted children ahve access tot he record once they’re 18.
What about, “the child” who may have a parent that opted out… Either the mother opts out gives birth and gives child over to father afterwards. Or the father relinquishes all rights and opts out of all contact, requested no involement, no support, but mother chooses to have child. Do you think it’s possible the child will search for thier birth parent – mother or father whichever one opted out and break the OPT OUT agreement to attempt to bring birth parent into the child’s life?
In this area I have some expierience. Posession being 910 of the law give all of the rights to the women and none to the men, however let that woman be some type of minor(or indiginant) the male has the right to pay. The woman agreed to an abortion, and without the males knowledge has decided to keep the child.. Again the male has the right to financial oblgation… So now I ask in this day and age why are there no rights for the males as equal to the women’s rights. For example a woman comes froms another country use’s a HONEY TRAP to stay in America… What right does the male have at this point? So it is with that vigor I say,”YES!.. We bloddy well do.