El Salvador jails women who have miscarriages

FireDragon76

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With all the talk lately about immigrants from El Salvador, I thought it might be helpful to share a documentary about El Salvador, which highlights how repressive their country's government is towards women:


In El Salvador, women have been jailed even for having miscarriages. Abortion is completely illegal, even to save the life of the mother. Donors from the religious right and evangelicals in the US have been documented interfering in the political process in El Salvador, fighting the liberalization of abortion laws there for decades.

How El Salvador’s evangelicals have joined the backlash against women’s reproductive rights

It's clear to me that El Salvador is a very dysfunctional country. Perhaps before blaming immigrants, we should be examining ourselves to see what role we play in supporting a repressive society where half the population doesn't have even basic rights to medically necessary procedures.
 
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FireDragon76

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In the Latin American context, highly patriarchal values are especially toxic because Latin (Spanish and Italian) peoples in general already have an alienation from femininity, owing to the construction of gender and family roles in those societies. This is something even biographers have noted going back as far as St. Augustine's Confessions. The repression becomes a kind of resentment against the estranged mother that happens forcefully in the process of becoming a man in those societies, that forms the basis of machismo. Demonizing women and their bodies as inherently problematic isn't hard to do in that context (as some have seen in Augustine, as well)
 
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Sabertooth

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Donors from the religious right and evangelicals in the US have been documented interfering in the political process in El Salvador, fighting the liberalization of abortion laws there for decades.
I find this statement to be a false dichotomy. Vilifying unavoidable abortions (like miscarriages* & medical necessity) is unacceptable, but so is the legalization of wanton abortions. One extreme does not justify the other. And I can't see Christians being for either one.

*miscarriage a.k.a. "spontaneous abortion"
 
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timewerx

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In the Latin American context, highly patriarchal values are especially toxic because Latin (Spanish and Italian) peoples in general already have an alienation from femininity, owing to the construction of gender and family roles in those societies. This is something even biographers have noted going back as far as St. Augustine's Confessions. The repression becomes a kind of resentment against the estranged mother that happens forcefully in the process of becoming a man in those societies, that forms the basis of machismo. Demonizing women and their bodies as inherently problematic isn't hard to do in that context (as some have seen in Augustine, as well)

The Spanish/Latin and Italian cultures is similar to Arabic Muslim cultures, not just in architecture.

I think religion is a strong factor.
 
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Babe Ruth

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With all the talk lately about immigrants from El Salvador..
It's clear to me that El Salvador is a very dysfunctional country. Perhaps before blaming immigrants, we should be examining ourselves to see what role we play in supporting a repressive society..

76, I think it's clear that El Salvador is dysfunctional. But every country in Central America is dysfunctional.

I agree, we as Americans should examine & rectify any role we may have in destabilizing those societies. But shouldn't their own citizens be held to that same standard (?) You don't suggest that in your post.. these countries don't exist in a vacuum. A country is a reflection of the people who inhabit it.

Your post kinda implies (by omission) that El Salvadorians have no responsibility for their own country or cultural attitudes (ie- don't be quick to 'blame' them).
I think it's fair to hold a country's people responsible (first & foremost) for it's conditions. In reference to El Salvadorian immigrants, what leads u to believe they won't bring their dysfunction & misogyny with them when they come to America (?)
Peace.
 
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timewerx

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I think it's fair to hold a country's people responsible (first & foremost) for it's conditions.

Would you have done any differently if you were born in El Salvador?

You would have obviously grown up in the same conditions and culture they did without the hindsight of Western knowledge and culture.

The answer is nobody knows. Are they fully responsible? Maybe. Are we outsiders responsible too? Maybe.
 
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Not David

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Would you have done any differently if you were born in El Salvador?

You would have obviously grown up in the same conditions and culture they did without the hindsight of Western knowledge and culture.

The answer is nobody knows. Are they fully responsible? Maybe. Are we outsiders responsible too? Maybe.
You underestimate the culpability of them. I am from a Latin American country and I was aware that some men's treatment of women was motivated by a superiority complex.
 
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SoldierOfTheKing

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76, I think it's clear that El Salvador is dysfunctional.

The President reportedly used a more colorful expression recently, and was roundly condemned for it by the usual crowd.

But every country in Central America is dysfunctional.

I wouldn't call Costa Rica dysfunctional...
 
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timewerx

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You underestimate the culpability of them. I am from a Latin American country and I was aware that some men's treatment of women was motivated by a superiority complex.

Unfortunately, that's true. I was actually thinking for the women only.

Their men can be jerks.
 
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Mountainmanbob

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With all the talk lately about immigrants from El Salvador, I thought it might be helpful to share a documentary about El Salvador, which highlights how repressive their country's government is towards women:


In El Salvador, women have been jailed even for having miscarriages. Abortion is completely illegal, even to save the life of the mother. Donors from the religious right and evangelicals in the US have been documented interfering in the political process in El Salvador, fighting the liberalization of abortion laws there for decades.

How El Salvador’s evangelicals have joined the backlash against women’s reproductive rights

It's clear to me that El Salvador is a very dysfunctional country. Perhaps before blaming immigrants, we should be examining ourselves to see what role we play in supporting a repressive society where half the population doesn't have even basic rights to medically necessary procedures.

The United States cannot let in everyone who wishes to come here from other countries. If we did there would probably be at least 25 to 50 million people added each year. We would not survive 10 years at that rate. I think we already let in approximately 1 million per year at this time ( legally).

M-Bob
 
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