I find it all too ironic sometimes, how the conservative thought composes itself. On the one hand, conservatives cling to ideas of “freedom” and “individuality”. Free trade is highly embraced, and rules ecomonics by ensuring that the government doesn’t restrict trade. The voice of support, then, is one that speaks of the American dream, where one can choose his or her own profession, that they are free to buy or sell what they want to. In regards to the hatred of socialism, freedom rings in words like “I want to be free to do what I want to do, not what the government says I need to do” or “I should be free to choose what kind of healthcare plan I want, not be subjected to a government providal plan!”. I won’t waste my time here pointing out the more subtle self-containing paradoxes in this type of thought, maybe in a later entry, but instead choose to point out how the supporters of individuality and freedom clearly contradict themselves when it comes to the issue of abortion. Blatantly, in conservative thought, one should be free to make choices about their work, lifestyle, etc, except when it comes to the reproductive capabilities and outcomes belonging to women. Very interesting. One would think, under those songs of freedom, that a woman should be free to choose to have an abortion or not. Obviously this is not the case for right-wing, conservative, religious, American thought, where the importance of the unborn fetus weighs heavier than the freedom and choice of adult women in regards to their own bodies. In other words, its ok to be free about things not under your direct control (economics, trade, careers, lifestyles, health care…) but not about your own body, which physically comprises one’s autonomy and individuality.
