Trust Women? (May Newsletter)

By Seth -

Just a couple of weeks ago, Aubrie graduated with her degree in nursing. We are anxiously anticipating her test date for the Boards examination, after which she will be certified as a Registered Nurse.

Commencement was indeed a joyous celebration. Never have I seen such diligence as was portrayed by my wife in her long hours in the books preparing for exams or drafting reports following clinical assignments. Indeed, graduation was a time of great rejoicing.

As I consider photos of Aubrie accepting her diploma, I feel a great sense of pride for the woman she is—full of integrity and discipline. She is a woman I trust completely. Oddly, this pondering reminds me of a statement posted weeks ago on the OSU GAP Free Speech Board.

The message scrawled on the board read, “The question is ultimately: do we believe women can make decisions about life and death and the nature of being? I say yes!” This idea has become a usual suspect at the GAP display, other times taking the form of signs reading “Trust women!” Regardless of its manifestation, the core idea is the same: women should not be told what to do in the area of abortion.

As I noted, I trust Aubrie. What does that mean? Do I trust her ability to grapple with difficult issues of metaphysics, morality? Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. She has shown a pattern of reasoning and clear thinking which makes such trust not a blind leap but rather good sense.

But, what if tomorrow she were to pick up a knife and tell me she was considering killing our neighbor? Would I pat her on the back, tell her I “trust women,” and then send her on her way?

There is no woman I trust more than Aubrie. But, if even she were to consider an immoral act, I would be obliged to speak up and remind her of what she ought not to do.

Why don’t we simply trust women when it comes to the issue of child abuse? Why don’t we simply trust men to use self-control instead of legislating against rape? In spite of the supposed “high road” taken by the “trust women” slogans, this is no more than the usual rendering of abortion as an issue of preference.

I trust women to choose what degree to pursue, whom to marry, etc. But, I will never give an angry mother a baseball bat and let her choose whether or not to abuse her child. The former are matters of preference. The latter is an issue of morality.

Do I trust my wife? Completely. Should that make me blind to what is objectively right and wrong? Never.

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