Mindspring censorship

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

Kelley/Ripley wrote to Ken:
>>If there is a
>>separate "Marxist" justification for human freedom, I want no part of it,
>>because that would be a step along the road to mystification, and to the
>>creation of a new priesthood.
>
>But saying that it's all said and done, instead of answering Alex's main
>question is, indeed, conducive to the creation of a priesthood, Ken.  And
>that no one but Charles and I would bother to sell him a klew is indicative
>of that in the extreme.  "Here," say Ken and Carrol, "it's all settled.  No
>need to discuss it, cause we said so"  Sounds like a priesthood intepreting
>the Latin to me.

I agree with Ken here. One of the main tactics that the Right have
successfully used (whether they have done so consciously or not) to make
abortion less available and more expensive is to keep us (the
pro-reproductive rights + freedoms side) debating how to 'justify'
abortion. As if it needed a 'thoeretical justification'! How insulting!

The Right's refusal to take abortion for granted (and to let others take it
for granted) as one of our basic needs, rights, and freedoms echoes the
Right's tenacity to hold on to one of their favorite questions: "Are blacks
inferior in intelligence to whites?" The question itself embodies racist
assumptions. Similarly, the Right's demand for justification for abortion
itself is a measure of their low estimation of women's place in society.
Leftists should stop falling for this trap and start taking the need for
and legitimacy of abortion _for granted_. Then we can move on to discuss
more important questions of how to fight the Right and struggle for free
abortion on demand.

Wouldn't you feel incensed if someone (esp. on a 'left' list in the late
90s!) were to ask for a 'justification' of homosexuality or a 'reason' to
defend political actions against homophobia?

Demands for 'justification' for abortion are measures of our inferior
status as women.

Yoshie