McGrath wrote:

"And a helpful thing to do sometimes is try to state the position of the person you are arguing with, in words with which they would agree was a fair representation of their point of view. I can't see much sign that some of the people lashing out here would be up for that."


I would be up for that; really I would. It certainly is helpful to do that when the issue is as complex and divisive as this one. I do not think John Hardly was at all fair in his representation of my point of view (most of the time he was just picayunishly rhetorical), and that is why I lashed out at him. I asked him, in trying to clarify his point of view, direct questions regarding this issue, and he ignored them, or insulted my statements by calling them "tired old rubes.". He then used words describing women who have abortions that I found extremely offensive. Fair enough, I used offensive words too, but only after his. The fact that I used them to refer to him personally is what seems to have gotten everyone riled up; but that is what he was doing, too, just not in a straightforward manner. Other women who have restated my own views in this thread (i.e. men's opinions do not carry the same weight as women's, and those who have not directly experienced the dilemma of an accidental or rape-induced pregnancy might have less to say on this than those who have) have not been similarly disrespected by him. I tend to respond in kind in this sort of debate.