MeerderWörter’s Comments (group member since Jan 08, 2016)

MeerderWörter’s comments from the Our Shared Shelf group.

Natalia, I'll begin with you:
I'm pro in-vitro-fertilisation, because I know people who want to have a baby and for some reason can't, and it's cruel to watch how they suffer. And I'm also pro in-vitro-fertilisation, because I know that these babies will be loved.

I'm against prenatal diagnosis because, believe it or not, I don't know if you've read Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide but the authors say that prenatal diagnosis further implements misogyny. And it also nourishes discrimination of the disabled people.

To your example: A fetus without a head would die in-utero either way. And there are many cases in which the unborn one dies, may it be because of genetic mutations, or other reasons.

And when the mother's life is endangered, then I will look for every reason to save her, even if it's via abortion.

Now to you SUBINITA:
For me, an unborn child is a person on its own. They still need the mother to develop, but I do not really distinguish between before and after the birth. Therefore, I must answer your question with the following sentences: (baby's view)

We cannot decide where we come from. We cannot choose the circumstances of our conception and birth, and we cannot choose where and when we are born. Or who our parents are. But we can choose where we go from there.

Udayabhanu wrote: "I don't think its upto someone else to dictate the course of my life or to take decisions regarding my body. "

EXACTLY! That's why abortion is bad in my opinion. You yourself said that even zygotes and gametes are living. If you say they are living, and they are, then how can you in any way support abortions.
And to be honest, with the above quoted sentence you have to agree that abortion is bad, because with that logic, you're killing a living being.

How dare we assume that a life is not worth living, or that it is just the wrong time, or the wrong place or constellation? How dare we?

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one with that opinion!

Art is a great means to show topics that have to be changed.

I think one can really SEE on every page that Carrie is looking for wholeness, but in the end she's fine with it, yeah.

Udayabhanu, I know! I totally forgot Aristotle! I don't see the old Greeks as that sophisticated any longer - not since I have read My Life on the Road.

But, the real question is: When is it life? When does life really start?

I think that's the ultimate question!

Kavitha, you're right! I thin it is ridiculous that there hasn't been done much more already - everything is up to us now. Saving the planet, saving humanity... it's a bit much but we will give our very best.

This book really gives me a hard time reading it. I must say it is the first of its kind that I read, but, as with My Life on the Road, I think every Westerner should read it. We can only help effectively if we know what people worry about, and which struggles they face in their life. It's not easy, but it's the most rewarding way to do it.

I think I convinced two people to read it and My Life on the Road, while I was going by bus yesterday. The more people read about it, the better.

I'm definitely going to read further today, although it is giving me a hard time.

Well, falling apart is really interesting, also for me. So is dying, ending, it's something society doesn't look at much.

Aah, thank you.

Yes, that's also my point of view. Some are directed at specific groups (I'm thinking of Rise Like A Phoenix by Conchita), but in the end music is directed at everybody.

But one could argue that feminism is for everybody, so in some way, if it's for feminists, it's for everybody.

And we also have to keep in mind that we need to talk about the evil in the world. That's the only way to make sure our descendants and dear ones don't become bad themselves. Forbiding to talk about bad things won't stop bad things from happening.

I think you nailed it, Rose. I must say I can't think of another interpretation, but I think she is satisfied to some extent. Look at the Q&A, she says something like that there. Because she has a "and" and not an "either/or" solution any more.

And yes, I think it is selfish to hope that she will never be satisfied.

Hello Carrie!

I more or less read your book while being on an eight hour train tour to and from the city where my university is. I gulped it.

I'm wondering whether you still have a few pets, since you seemed to be so well among them? Do you still support the animal shelter when you're not on tour?

Thank you for letting us know!

I'm sad I can't attend, but I live in Austria and that's too far away, and I also start university in October.

Wow, this book is so important to read, and it's so informative and it shows that change is possible and is happening, slowly, but it IS happening.

I can't wait to discuss the book!
SeaofWords

Rose, you already summed it up perfectly for Stefanie. I think that heterosexuals hardly ever come to the point of thinking about "Coming Out", since they're already in the majority group and I think it is also because of the fact that it is commonly expected.
And since there is no heterophobia really, they don't have to think about who they can tell without risking harsh comments or how to tell them in order to maintain everything else as it is.

I really liked the fact that her sexuality wasn't much spread in the book, because that's a part of her, but it's not what her whole being is about. For me, sexual orientation is not that important, I mean, people are people, and it's important to shed light on the topic, a lot of light, but we shouldn't reduce ourselves to our sexual orientations, we are way more than those.

I must say I therefore liked the book a lot and more or less read it while going 8 hours by train. Carrie is a musician, and she told us the most about that part of her life, because I think, that's who she is. She wrote, if I remember correctly, that after breaking up the band, she didn't feel as comfortable as before until she refounded it. Even in her time without the band she was having company, helping in the animal care home, and having dogs and cats at home. But she needed the stage, the community of a band to really feel comfortable again.

What I didn't like about All About Love: New Visions and about How To Be A Woman was the fact that, when I read, I couldn't shake off the feeling that heteronormativity would be the only thin existing in the world. It's making me sick when people do not recognise non-heterosexuals at all. Hey, we exist. Especially, in How To Be A Woman didn't seem to exist another topic, everything was soaked with heteronormativity.

I'll first finish reading the book and then read the interview. Emma is doing a great job!

First things first: Thank you Emma for giving us this opportunity and Ms. Brownstein for answering our questions.

I was wondering if you were facing problems when people found out that you're a lesbian. Were you ever discriminated because of it?

Thank you, Meelie.

Hannah wrote: "S. K. wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "...the Roman Catholic church prohibited it, masturbation. I've never heard this explanation tho"

I'm not Catholic, but as I understand it, Onan's punishment..."

I totally understand you and I'm like you in that matter - pro-life and pro-contraception.

And earlier in time it was important to have many children, since so many died, and people were dying a lot earlier and therefore it was really important because otherwise we would have become extinct maybe.

Hannah wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "Matt wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "It's also worth remembering (and forgive me if someone else has already previously covered this point) that it's called "the norm" for a reason"I..."

Sorry if I wasn't specific. I always ask the question: What is normal? What is serious? Who is deciding what is normal and what not?
I.e. the intersex community say they're normal, but doctors say they're ill. According to you, if I understood you correctly, they would be considered not normal?

Alia wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "If we have diverse protagonists in books, if we have diverse characters in movies, a big part of the problem is solved. And of course we need books like Harry Potter, which ta..."

SPEW is not the only matter. And it teaches us one important thing, that SPEW - always ask the turtle. Women and men are equal because magic does not need physical strength. There are strong characters such as Hermione, who know what they want and fight for it. Or "crazy" ones like Luna Lovegood who show us that it is not a problem if you have a different belief system. When we look at who is sorted into which House, we also get to see that people change as they age and that it is worthless to say that somebody is acting in a certain way simply because he was put in a House a long time ago. There are characters in every House that prove that. There's a canon-LGBT character(tho dead), and everybody reacts simply normal, not making it something bad.
It also tackles poverty, and shows that you're not responsible for it. There is racism but it is shown to us as what it is - simply bad. There are also more poc's in the books than in the movies. It also touches the matter of mental health and well, the wizarding society doesn't have that much problems as we do when it comes to representation.

Is that enough?

Christine wrote: "^ I think you're spamming this book club!"

Christine, I think you're right.

Mods, please take care of that.