transformyself

Miss fixit
There's no way I would to blast you. I welcome your thoughts and comments, have read them and have done my best to think about them with an open mind. I welcome rational, adult conversation about this. I also hope you consider the following:

I think, all though I could be wrong, that the problem with this thinking is where does one draw the line.

The scientific research I've seen shows that "using" is not 100% detrimental to the fetus. Who determines how much is too much? There is a belief by some that ANY amount of alcohol or drugs is too much and intervention for "the sake of the unborn child" is too much. This isn't proven scientifically however.

There are many things that determine the health of a developing fetus; access to prenatal, health care, and healthy foods being the top factors.

Would you detain a pregnant woman for not eating at least 40 grams of protien daily? Protein is necessry to build little bodies. What about folic acid? Repeated studies have shown that women who get 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) daily prior to conception and during early pregnancy reduce the risk that their baby will be born with a serious neural tube defect (a birth defect involving incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord) by up to 70%.

I believe that pregnant woman "using" is a convenient and popular way for others to take control over women and their bodies. To say if a user is harming another, they must be held accountable we must determine several things. Who gets to determine what defines harm? Who determines the accountability? What guidelines do we use?

In this situation, I believe it is tied into the intense feelings, resentments and control issues of codependents and others. Also, drug war rhetoric (mostly verifiable lies) have brainwashed many in our country. Again, this is my belief.

Here's one small example. In January, 2008, a SWAT team stormed the rental home of 26 year old Tarika Wilson to serve a drug warrent for her boyfriend. He did not live there. They know she had 6 children. They busted in the door, shot both of her dogs and shot and killed her as she ran for cover holding her 13 month old son. In front of her other kids.

My job at the time was to monitor that media response. I saw posters on the local online newspaper say things that made me openly weep for weeks. "she deserved this because she allowed drugs in her house," is the one that sticks in my mind the most.

Maybe you agree with that statement. I do not. I believe police priorites are skewed, and so is public opionion, because of the drug war.

Back to the rights, or lack of rights, of pregnant women. Using this reasoning, that as a pregnant woman you have a responsibility to keep your fetus as safe as possible from harm, how would you interact with women who knowingly live near environmentally polluted areas?

Take for example women who live near leaking uranium slag piles, such as the Acoma Pueblo people (one of many) who have lived with a 50-year legacy of uranium mining, living in the heart of the Grants uranium belt in northwest New Mexico.

Laguna Pueblo housed the Jackpile Mine for 30 years. The mine was located only 2,000 feet from the Laguna village of Paguate and 24 million tons of ore were mined. (Over 90% of the ore went to one source: the U. S. Department of Defense for weapons of mass destruction.)

The Acoma people brag a teenage cancer rate of 17 times higher than the national average.

Using this analogy, what do you think should be done with Acoma women who knowingly get pregnant and continue to live near this environmental disaster?

I know some of you may think this is ridiculous. I've worked with Native populations who have been the subject of mass forced sterilization because doctors believed they shouldn’t be allowed to have babies. I have seen, and know, where this line of thinking can lead.

I don't think any of you would encourage or condone forced sterilization. And again, you may think my example above is just plain silly. But I hope it helps you examine your beliefs towards women who "use" while pregnant and whether or not others have the right, or responsibility, to take control of her, force her to behave in one way or another, because you think you know what’s best for her unborn child.

bookwyrm

Transform - you are so articulate. I agree with everything you said here (where IS that darn thanks button when you need it?). Thank you.

Lilya

Sending my thanks as well. I couldn´t agree more.

I also want to mention teenage pregnancy, since I know it from experience. Many teenagers are not even aware of that they´re harming the baby. The concept of responsibility can be way off. A part of my AA social work is to speak to young mothers who struggle with addiction, tell them my story and encourage them to change their lifestyle.

I think the best thing is to focus on education, not so much on control. I think too much control is dangerous.

It reminds me of a powerful book by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid´s Tale, which is set in Republic of Gilead, formerly USA. It´s a very disturbing book as it shows theocratic military dictatorship in action. The few remaining women who are fertile become breeders for upper class citizens, and their pregnancy is controlled absolutely. A disturbing but very clever social critique.

transformyself

Ugh, I came back here expecting the worst. Thank you for thanking me because I panicked that I was doing the wrong thing. I mean, these are charged, basically foreign concepts to lots of folks. I'm sure it's changed the way some posters here feel about me and my credibility. I don't want that, don't want to be a poster for good. And, this is essentially waht I do for a living, so blurring that line between work and here is difficult for me.

Mostly, I don't want to create problems here. This is a very very special place for me, and tons of others. I respect the mods and don't want to be a trouble maker. Not any more at least. That was my job for a long time, now I try to articulate complex situations repspectfully, otherwise, as Red Forman says, we might as well all be monkeys in trees flinging crap at each other.

naive

thanks transform. i appreciated reading the article, especially in light of ive's situation of late.

transformyself

Thanks Naive.
Just saw this typo
What the heck? Some writer.

Lilyflower

hmmm, forced sterilization of the mentally ill is still on the law books of many nations as I understand it, although not always enforced. Mentally ill was a term used to cover a whole myriad of diagnosis from schizophrenia to depression and until the 50s-60s this 'law' was used to prevent bad 'genetics' being passed through generations. i find that shocking and sad.

Lily xxxxxxxxx

wanting

There was a Law & Order SVU episode where a woman was court-ordered not to drink while she was pregnant and she violated the order and was arrested. I think she was found not guilty. It was an interesting episode, and ironically, the person who pushed for the court order was her abusive estranged husband. He was basically trying to control her.