Thanks to views like Brian Blase's it seems obvious to me why the feminist movement needs to remain active in today's society. If all of the institutional and psychological barriers to women have already eroded away, then why the devasting statistics concerning domestic abuse, rape, and other violence against WOMEN (I'm thinking about the homefront of America as well as the front formally occupied by the Taliban)?

Certainly, men are abused too, and all men do not abuse women, not by a long shot, but I think the stats easily speak for themselves against his argument that women have just as much freedom as men these days. There are now 13 female senators ... out of how many Mr. Blase?

Also, you seem to allude that feminists everywhere (since all "feminists" obviously agree about every issue) celebrate abortion with party balloons and noisemakers. This is nonsense. Abortion is not pretty and nobody wants to go through the trauma that abortion brings, but sometimes that trauma is less then the trauma of bringing a child to term and giving it up for adoption or raising it in today's society. It is a necessary evil to modern life, Mr. Blase, and until you come up with the perfect perscription for only impregnating women who are ready, mentally, physically and psychology to have a child, I advise you to not replace the option of abortion with the option of illegal abortion. Historically speaking, it's not a pretty site.

Women who have abortions and women who bring a child to term are no different, they just live in different circumstances. If you find this hard to believe, I challenge you to volunteer at an abortion clinic and see the humanity involved.

It will probably change, in a heartbeat, your opinion about taking away a women's options to a reasonable existence. Yes, Mr. Blase, raising good families should be a priority...but you're only making that ideal more unobtainable by not allowing women to choose to become mothers in the first place.