I am happy to let you know there are hundreds and thousands of these types of lawsuits every year in America. However, sadly, men do not often win. Of course they never win in the case of the woman wanting an abortion, nor should they. Nobody should be able to force an abortion or force a woman into carrying a child either. While I understand many will not agree with forcing a woman to carry on with an unwanted pregnancy, instead having her adopt out the child or allow the father custody, I can live with not being agreed with. I do not believe in abortion for myself, and I (hopefully) raised my own daughters to have morals which do not include killing an unborn child, I do believe women should have this choice if it is right for them. Of course it is never "right" for the child. This is one of the "'objections" many have here on the message boards. That the child's well being should be put before that of the parents. While I agree, it is just not a perfect world. This is the law of our land, and I do not support changing it. However, if any woman would like to opt out of all her "choices" post conception and step up and be responsible as she made her choice when she laid down for sex, which is the standard many here are holding men to. Which in my view is simply unfair and unethical. I do not find men any more capable of being ethical, moral, and responsible than I. However, with how society is treating men, many obviously think men are that much more capable of this type of higher moral, ethical, and responsible behavior. Silly huh? But they must if they think men have more responsibility as to ability to make all choice upon the sexual encounter, but women needs "extra" time and choices not available to men.
You see, this is a problem still left over from long ago when men used this argument for denying women rights we have today. Another silly argument I read yesterday was that due to the fact men had all the power and rights in the past it is womens turn now! What happened to equality? Equality is not just for women, it can't be. The fact that something is equal means at least one other item is being measured. Anyway, I have found many who still treat women as though they were less capable than men in moral, ethical and responsible judgments and behaviors. I was very discouraged when I noticed even Dr. Phil who is so for women's rights and equality treats women must more gently for dishonorable behavior and immoral decisions than he is with men. He is really hard on men who cheat, but basically pats the women on the head for doing the exact same things!! This is very discouraging for me. If even Dr. Phil is still behaving as though women are not as responsible for choosing immoral and unethical behaviors, yet tells a man he needs to step up and be a man, what message is this sending our society? Our children? I hold my daughters as responsible for their behavior as I do my sons. It is not a matter of men/women being less able than the other in these areas. Yet society is still behaving as though women should not be held as accountable as men. I hold myself to high standards. I would hate to think others view me as less honorable, less ethical, less able to be responsible, just due to the fact I am a woman!! How ridiculous to think such a thing. It is individuals who should be judged by the behavior the exhibit, not due to what sex you are.
So, I do not believe women should be less liable than men. I do not think men should be allowed less options than women. For any reason. I believe both are pregnant. Each contributed to the pregnancy, each is a parent to the unborn child, no matter which is carrying that child. I do not believe a woman has more rights to a child just because she is the one who gave birth. A man loves his child just as deeply as any woman is capable of. To say a woman is capable of a greater love just due to the fact she bore the child in her body for nine months and gave birth is ridiculous to me. I have seen and known mothers who did not love their children nearly as much as the children's fathers. I have seen fathers who were much more devoted, much more responsible than the mothers. So, this is also not something which in my opinion "grants" extra rights to women. There is not any reason I can see men should not have choices as close to a woman's post conception.
If women do not wish to give up the extra power this grants them over men, if this is the real root cause for this out cry over allowing men similar choices to determine if a certain period in life is right for them to become a parent, then that is morally corrupt. As corrupt as those men who fought so hard to stop women gaining any rights. Many men stood up against popular beliefs in their time and voted in rights for women. They believed in the fundamental wrongness of the conditions women lived in during that time. This was very courageous of them and I do not intend to be one of the ones who fought to deny rights when they should be granted due to the fact I do not wish to give up a degree of power over men that women currently have in this area.
Right now, today, a man waits until after a woman makes a choice before he has any rights under the law. The rights he does have are limited. However, the bottom line is nobody has a right to decide such a life altering decision for any one other than for themselves. So, if a woman chooses to keep her child when she knows the father does not wish to be a parent then she had best "step up to the plate" and accept the responsibilities of her decision, and allow the father to make his own decision as well. If we wish to have rights then we need to be mature, responsible, ethical and moral enough to allow the opposite sex to have similar choice in their lives as well.
If not, then women need to sit down and be silent about equal rights. Individuals who wish only to take rights and not give the same in return have no moral fiber as far as i am concerned. I believe this is not an issue of women vs men, but an issue of fundamental equality of our society. If we wish to further our society in equality then we need to see to it that things are as equal as possible. I just have little regard for those who scream for rights yet wish to deny a section of humanity the same rights. So, women if you are ready to accept your responsibilities and revert to having made your choice when you agreed to lay down and have sex, the standard many of you are requiring of men, then require it of yourself as well. I do not ask anybody to do what I am not also willing to do. Of course men can not get pregnant. To use that as an excuse to deny rights is the same as when men used it to deny women rights. We are just now focusing it in the opposite direction. When ever somebody needs to use an impossible standard to qualify someone else for rights a standard nobody could hope to meet, well there is something really wrong.
I hope just one person will be willing to look at both sides of this issue and see this is really an issue of our society and not just between the sexes. We need to assure equality for all, and not find reason as silly as some are to deny rights we enjoy.
(Original Air Date: 04/21/06) Being a parent is hard enough, but what happens when Mom and Dad can't agree on how many kids to have, how to raise 'em and how to get ‘em to sleep? Sometimes, it can lead to an all-out baby war! Matt's baby battle ended up in front of a judge and made headlines. He was ordered to pay child support for the baby he had with his ex-girlfriend, but he says he shouldn't have to cough up the money because she told him she wasn't able to get pregnant, and he told her he didn't want to be a father. He, his attorney, and the director of the National Center for Men discuss the lawsuit they filed, known as “Roe v. Wade for Men,” arguing that men should have a constitutional right to avoid fatherhood. Next, Dan says even though he and his wife, Lisa, already have four children, he wants just one more. Lisa has been pregnant on and off for 11 years and says she's closed for baby business. Will Dr. Phil help Dan see Lisa's point that four is enough? Then, a frustrated husband is camping out on the roof of his house and living in a tent. He refuses to go back to his bedroom until his wife moves their kids out of their bed and starts paying more attention to him. Can Dr. Phil get him to come down the ladder? Plus, a sleep expert has a simple method for getting your child to sleep through the night. See the plan in action! Share advice and talk about the show here.
