On Fathers' Day this year I went on what can only be
termed a rant about the absent fathers women complain about on social networks
every Fathers’ Day. So impassioned were
my sanctimonious ravings they drew the eye of some men on my friends’ lists.
And the scorn of many a woman I must confess.
The gist of my argument is this; by mere virtue of their
genders; men are not given much choice when it comes to deciding whether or not
they want to be father and are ready to be fathers; when that inevitable “mistake”
happens.
Predictably women were vehemently opposed to my
sentiments. “Men have the right and responsibility to use a condom even if a
woman says she’s on contraceptives” was the general consensus.
Yawn.
Shoulda. Coulda.
Woulda!
Who gives a stuff what a man MUST do to protect himself
when the egg is already broken and a cute little embryo is ensconced in a
placenta? The damage is done; he cannot undo it.
However, a woman can. She can waltz into a Marie Stoppes
clinic and order an abortion with a side of D&C thank you very much! Even
if the man begs her to consider keeping the baby she will flip her ponytail,
jump on her figurative soapbox and wax lyrical about “my body my rules”. He will not have a say.
Flip it on the other side; guy shoves his hands in his
pockets, shrugs his shoulders and says; “Sorry darlin’ I still just wanna hang
out with my mates and bang boots with fitties for a while yet. No thanks to
diaper changes.”
Whoa!
Whoa!
How dare he? He had the sex, he must pay the price! He
will be a father whether he wants to or not! And guess what? He is already a
father because, hey hey hey, the baby is growing in the woman’s body and bar a
gruesome scene involving scalpels and no anaesthesia, he cannot do bugger all
about it. But that’s not it, just for kicks, the woman is also going to throw
in a child maintenance suit just in case the bastard thinks he can get away scot
free.
I concede a few points for the other side; if a man does
not want children at that time he should use condoms, just to be on the safe
side because there are women who will intentionally use a pregnancy to saddle a
man to them. (Yes, there are, don’t sit there looking incredulous like I’m
making this up). Someone suggested a man has a vasectomy, could I suggest that
person stops talking nonsense, unless the guy doesn’t want kids ever, a
vasectomy is irreversible. Also, by using a condom, a guy also performs the
dual purpose of protecting both himself and his partner from STIs and the like.
Another point I do concede is that an abortion remains
the woman’s prerogative. After all, it is her body. It would not be going too
far however, to suggest that should she want to keep the baby for any reason,
she should not saddle a man with a financial responsibility he has not sought.
*momentary hides from the deluge of abuse this often
results in*
Here is my final word on this; the onus to NOT experience
an unplanned, when you will then turn around and court-mandate support from a
man, lies with the woman. I stand by this assertion with one argument that they
use in the counter-points; after all IT IS HER BODY.
PS: This is a bigger argument than this blog; like the
kid wanting to know where daddy is when it grows up, but that is something for
another day.
