Sarah Palin on abortion

The female politician who has usurped the idea of feminism and twisted it into something traditional, that does not seem to vie for what feminism has always been about (and in my opinion she sets feminism back a few decades), of course has strong views on abortion.

The article: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1010/43198.html

A couple of weeks ago, Palin brought up the issue of abortion. She opposes Obama signing the Health Reform bill, especially on the grounds that it advances the "abortion industry" that she so opposes. Of course, we all know that Palin would oppose abortion even if her daughter was raped. Even if perhaps her politics have been groomed and refined so that she would never make such unpalatable statements now (though, honestly, I'd still put it past her) this is a message that I can't forget, and I also know it's a stance that is unlikely to change.

So what did abortion have to do with Obama's health care reform? Well, strict anti-abortion language wasn't added to the bill, though a certain anti-abortion group would have liked it to, but with the support of that group helping the Democrats pass the bill, they had to get something in exchange. They got: "an executive order signed by Obama affirming current law and provisions in the legislation that ban federal funding for abortions except in cases of rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother." (source: this msnbc article)

While Sarah Palin may argue that Obama missed a big opportunity to kill abortion entirely, I (being on the other end of the spectrum) am worried that Obama was even willing to sign that sort of executive order. First off, I would be more comfortable if abortion was a states right thing--then if even the majority of states outlawed it entirely, I have faith that states like California would still make it legal--meaning that abortion would still, at least for some, be an option. It would be much better to have federal law giving autonomy to the women who want an abortion, but my faith that that will happen is very low. Secondly, I'm worried that Obama was willing to sign that executive order. I get that technically he was only upholding the status quo of laws that were already there, but every time a president does something, it makes a statement about politics and the state of that issue as it stands in the country. Being of the opinion that abortion should be available to anyone who wants it, I don't find it comforting that federal money only supports it in certain circumstances that do not apply to many women seeking abortion. I find it less comforting that we seem to be heading down an abortion-limiting road.

Abortion seems more palatable if someone was raped, or if there's danger to the mother. Then it seems that you have good reason to end the pregnancy. But to take Sarah Palin's view, that the fetus is so important (important enough to trump a daughter being raped, having her choices taken away, and then being forced to raise a baby she didn't even want) seems to give the fetus rights that the mother doesn't even have. Women need autonomy over their own bodies if we're ever going to achieve equality.

What do you think of Palin calling abortion an "industry"? I think her choice of words attempts to vilify abortion, since we tend to think of industries as large and unfeeling. Do you agree with Obama's executive order? Do you think it's odd that he would go to an anti-abortion group to get support for his health care reform? What do you think this means for the future of abortion rights?

--Alexandra