Just stop talking to antis-
(Originally posted on Tumblr)
Just thinking about how useless it is to try to debate people who are super super anti choice/anti abortion online. Like they’re literally regurgitating trite, simplistic, knee-jerk, nonsensical rebuttals of “won’t someone think of the babies” for every. single. reasonable. thing. that you could bring forward to them. They’re trained and brainwashed into promoting their toxic and dangerous views. Why waste your time?
We know it’s cuckoo to sacrifice the bodily autonomy and will of the pregnant person over a formation of cells. We know it’s completely unreasonable and unhinged to separate and stigmatize abortion from other healthcare procedures. We know it’s against the values of the Constitution and the alleged “freedoms” of our society to force pregnancy. We know anti choicer’s intentions are to shame and control women* and their sexuality. We know this is an undue exercise of fundamentalist Christian religious views on our laws. We know it’s unconscionable to let someone die from a pregnancy complication where an abortion would save them. We know that abortion, as a medical procedure, is far more safe than pregnancy and a litany of other medical practices that are not politicized. We know the vast majority of abortions are NOT regretted by those who have them. We know that 70% of people in the US agree that abortion should be accessible.
So why do I still see smart pro choice people wasting their time stuck in frustration-making mile long debates saying all the same shit over and over to no effect? Why do I still see posts that are threads and threads long with pro choice people acting in good faith sharing reasoned and clearly articulated thoughts back and forth with troglodytes who just say “baby killer!” as if that’s in the same universe of rhetorical value as “people’s bodily autonomy matters.”
Listen, I’m not talking about engaging with someone whose opinion could be impacted once they see things from another angle. I’m talking about those fringe like 15% of anti abortion zealots who would protest clinics with THOSE kinds of signs. (You know the ones.) I’m talking about the freaks who say shit like a 10 year old should have to carry her rapist’s baby to term and likely die in the process. Maybe it’s because I’ve been talking about this issue for 25 years now and I’m tried as hell but I can tell you with full certainty that giving these fundies your attention is a value losing proposition for you at the most basic level.
You could better spend your time digging a hole and screaming into it. You could better spend your time doing ANYTHING else. Stop. talking. to. them. Stop engaging. SERIOUSLY, just fucking stop it. I’m not kidding. Stop giving them your time and attention and platforming their bullshit in the process. Stop giving them fuel. Stop bothering with ANY belief you can impact them. Stop contributing to the appearance that they are anything other than a virulent, dangerous fringe who wishes death upon people who are accessing healthcare.
It’s like the age old adage to “not feed the trolls.” If you wouldn’t let yourself get baited into an argument that the earth is round, then don’t get baited into this shit. I don’t know how else to say it.