Why Abortion is a Virtue

For some reasons, this May must have been the “abortion month on the web”; or whichever way cyber- people want to put it. A number of searches on abortion have been directed on this blog, together with people whom for some reasons still spend time arguing about their theistic arguments stating why abortion for them is simply not right. The thing is, people, if you are going to read this blog and whine how much your god together with your moral package have been offended, please do it elsewhere because there is simply no way that I would ever have to argue with you and your comments because they are simply not within my epistemological framework. The thing is, your arguments and my arguments are incommensurable since they are coming from two different sources, and from there, there is simply no sense for me replying to your thoughts.

To put it simple, lets say you have the Bible, and what I have is Utilitarianism as a moral foundation. Get it?

Why I am pro-choice? Why I wanted to terminate a “life”?

Why I am an abortion doctor- Garson Romalis

‘I can take a woman, in the biggest trouble she has ever experienced in her life, and by performing a five-minute operation, in comfort and dignity, I can give her back her life’

The following is the remarks delivered by Canadian Doctor, Garson Romalis on Jan. 25, at the University of Toronto Law School’s Symposium to Mark the 20th Anniversary of R. vs. Morgentaler published on The National Post, February 04, 2008.

This article inspired me. I hope the same goes to other Filipinas.

—-

I am honoured to be speaking today, and honored to call Henry Morgentaler my friend.

I have been an abortion provider since 1972. Why do I do abortions, and why do I continue to do abortions, despite two murder attempts?

The first time I started to think about abortion was in 1960, when I was in secondyear medical school. I was assigned the case of a young woman who had died of a septic abortion. She had aborted herself using slippery elm bark.

Your Grand Mom was a Feminist? Way Too Cool… Not

What does it mean to be a Filipina and an Atheist all at the same time? I guess there are very few women who would want to ask this question. The problem of the argument of some theists in terms of the justification of women’s role in the Bible as something that is “very vital” to serve a greater purpose for me appears to be a pure language game. Looking on how women are treated and viewed during the old times is simply obvious- serve your god, follow your husband, be an accessory for the sake of attaining a the perfect plan of the supreme creator.

Honestly, I don’t really fancy justifying (my) feminism and providing a universal definition that would fit the subjective realities of men, women, and other institutions there is. For me, my “dominance” in this “world” is relative on how I view it, and such provides utility in terms of how I can create my own meaning independent of the conventions of the Filipino faith, independent of our social norms, independent of the usual linguistic connotations that the society wish to define a Filipina. Fact is, every form of “justified belief” anchoring on virtue of epistemology is a form of knowledge, and being the case every form of knowledge has the right to be respected. The problem though on our usual definitions of a Filipina creates a form of reality which as a whole does not really maximizes the utility that we can give to our selves and the society as a whole. Perhaps this argument could be very utilitarian as some might want to point out, but truth is this is what is happening. Filipinas no matter how they think how liberated, educated and empowered they are still unconsciously succumb to the frameworks that she have been accustomed to since birth.

The Day When I Was Burned at Stake

Psychological freaks, Satanists, Anti-Christs, Impoverished, Nincompoops- just a few of the words that my thesis panel tagged to my thesis. I just had my defense on March 31 and all I can say that its one heck of an experience. I felt that I was transported back to the Medieval times, when witches were hunted and burned to death. Where naturalists and inventors were seen as pagans- I was there standing as if I am one with them, ready to be stoned to death and be cursed as Wiiiiitttcccchhhhhhh!

The old ladies- or rather shall I call the doctors in my field of expertise stared aghast as if I am a demon speaking from the depths of hell.

“I don’t see the relevance of your thesis actually, I just cant”

One of the human like forms having the vital statistics of a blue whale wearing a purple cloth nonchalantly told me. I was about to chant my spells to repair her brain neurons so that she can comprehend what I am saying, but out of the blue, another human life form this time imitating the vital statistics of Big Bear wearing Little Red Riding Hood’s dress blurted…

“Tell me, are you an atheist?” So I was like zipped right straight in- never mind the blue whale in the purple cloth, Big Bear is mocking me, I will tell her straight to the face that I am an atheist, so ? What’s the big fuss? Nanoseconds… transpiring like the speed of light- my lips opened as fast as it could- but dumdumdumdum…

“She’s not an atheist” Okay now, seriously, is this my defense or what? My ever loving adviser whom I dare not insult in this blog for the fear of being shot straight in the head shall I say saved my ass from the possible commotion that may arise.

Yeah, its pretty obvious right- to tell this in uhmmm more politically correct manner- my panelists and I, don’t share the same language game.

WikiPilipinas Filipina Writing Stories

I wanted to thank Filipina Images, WikiPilipinas, Filipina.Net, Vibal Publishing, National Comission for the Role of Women and UP Center for Women’s Study for awarding me the third prize for my entry “The Cyber Feminization of Poverty : Mail Order Brides and the Image of the Filipina“

I was not able to attend the event though because I was in my Master’s thesis defense. The event was held at SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia which was entitled Women Can’t Wait. The event was done in relation with the celebration of World’s Women’s Month.

Congratulations to all those who won and those who participated in the event.  This is truly an endeavor that can significantly contribute in terms of celebrating and empowering the Filipina.

Luxurious Bagoong: Why do Filipinos Project Richness?

Millenials. Thats what capitalism labels individuals who are born between 1980 and 2000. According to Dyk, Millenials are the biggest consumers of international elite branded products such as Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein and Gucci. Studies have shown that this consumer population although has been earning significantly lower in comparison with the “boomers” (i.e. the group of individuals who are relatively older than them), spends a lot more than the aforementioned. For instance, on the study made by Dyk on the most current Style and Design issue of Time Magazine this month, 96% of Millenials said that they prefer to buy luxury brands that they trust. When women (i.e. Caucasian) were asked how much they normally spend on haircare, most of them end up being categorized on the $213 bracket while their counterparts only spend around $71. Most of the Millenials (60%) purchase Calvin Klein, (53%) Ralph Lauren, and 46% (DKNY).

On Women’s Month, I Celebrate the Right to be Free

If you have been to Quiapo, you will feast your eyes with tons of cheap and pirated things- from electronic gadgets, dvds, clothes and even the most peculiar of all things- things that are often kept underground.

The city could be considered as the “Abortion Capital of the Philippines”. In here you will see vendors seemingly selling so-called alternative medicines ranging from roots, leaves and the likes. However, they also have possession of some goods and services that are not accepted by our statutory laws. Cytotec, a drug that is known to cure ulcer is the one that is often used to induce the removal of a fetus; also they do offer Dilation and Currettage (D &C ) or more locally known as “Raspa”, a method which is normally used to clean the uterus of a woman. It is often the case that Raspa is used whenever an induced abortion has not been successful. It is often the case that Raspa is done not really by medical professionals, but of Unlicensed Nurses, Nursing Student Drop-outs, Unlicensed Midwifes and the likes. This method could be very dangerous as such normally require general anesthesia and a very hygienic and safe process. However, normally since the method of Raspa done by abortionist in the Philippines are made underground and the person doing such lacks the appropriate knowledge, skills, and other resources, providing Raspa is something that could cause a woman’s life.

The Dilemma of the Yin and the Yang

The Unity of the Opposites.

I have been pondering recently on the human capacity to keep everything in moderation. In doing such, I came across with Heraclitus’ argument about the so-called…

co-existence of at least two conditions which are opposite to each other, yet dependent on each other and presupposing each other, within a field of tension.

Simply put, one can view such as the merge of the white and the black, the good and the evil, the yin and the yang; or whatever one may wish to put it.

Plato, Freewill and Love

I will brace myself, for a few hours from now, the streets will be flooded of everything in red: flowers, balloons, teddy bears, hearts, shirts, bags, shoes, bracelets, earrings, and almost anything that will remind people that today, we are supposed to make the Philippine market alive even if its not Christmas.

Its Valentines once again.

People will be celebrating their deep passions and attachments to one another. Schools will be flooded again of those rose vendors selling 15-20 pesos for each piece of flower. Stores near Baclaran church will crowded with roses and people haggling to make the dozen less than 200 bucks once again. Motels will be fully booked for the nth time and the traffic in EDSA will be increased ten times fold.

The Cyber Feminization of Poverty: Mail-Order Brides and the Image of the Filipina

When one Googles the term “Filipina”, one will be immediately flooded of dating sites catering to mail-order brides. This industry, which started on the early 1980s in the United States costs multi-million dollars and has been been steadily profiting through-out the years. The Asian bride market received its strongest push through a program on Phil Donahue and also through a front-page story on Wall Street journal entitled “american men find Asian brides fill the unliberated bill” which came out in the public in the early 1980’s (Constable, 2003, p.70). Through the aforementioned, the mail-order bride business was further popularized by the Western media through American television such as the talk shows of Oprah, Donahue, Nightline, and 20/20; radio programs and magazines.