Mattilyn Moon-Eaton
Dr. Bonnie Kyburz
English 308, TuTh 2-3:15
4 September 2018
“After Tiller” Reflection
While watching the documentary titled “After Tiller,” which spoke mainly about the doctors that still provide third trimester abortions to women who are in need, there were many scenes that got to me and in some instances made me choke up. One in particular was when a nurse was talking to a woman and her husband who had decided to euthanize their baby because it would have absolutely no quality of life. The baby would be born without the ability to bend at its joints, which essentially means it would not be able move. I could hear the hurt in her voice when she explained that she wanted to keep her baby, but that she would not be able to watch him or her struggle through so much pain. Another woman explained that her pregnancy was completely planned, and her child would only live a maximum of three to four years post-gestation. I think these instances put a perspective on what women struggle with everyday in terms of pregnancies. It is so misinterpreted in the media how these doctors that do this are monsters, but no one, in my opinion, is taking the time to look at what is really going on in the lives of the doctors and the women who decide to go through with a third-trimester abortion.
What surprised me while watching this film was how sympathetic I was to the women who had decided to get an abortion that late into their pregnancies. I have always been someone that is prochoice but felt there was a line when it came to late term abortions. After watching this, it truly showed that I could not sit and judge someone based on their decisions because I really do not know what is going on behind the scenes, and how much hurt these parents are going through while making these types of decisions It’s not always that someone “doesn’t want their baby,” as it is so often painted out to be. There is a lot more going on than others, even myself, realized.
I have always been interested in medical sciences, so this was an extremely interesting documentary for me to watch and experience. I personally had a lot of questions in the beginning on how they go about the abortion in such a late pregnancy, and it was simply that the baby is euthanized via injection, which for some is a lot to swallow, but then the woman would usually still deliver the baby and take time with the baby, especially when it had a fatal condition. Once the end of the documentary came around, I felt that I had no other questions. It touched on everything I wanted it to touch on. The emotions that I felt while watching the film truly stuck with me. I would find myself overcome with grief, almost like I was going through the same experience these women had because it was painted so clearly in the documentary. I could not forget the amount of overwhelming pain that I felt, also. Like previously mentioned, it truly showed me that I could not judge anyone for their decisions because I would never know exactly what they were going through in order to make such a decision.
I really enjoyed reading your reflection because I could tell how much the film's subject meant to you. I think you are absolutely right in saying that the media creates a misinterpretation of abortion. I don't think many people look at the situation from the mother's point of view (or even the doctor's!). Like you mentioned, nobody can judge these mothers because nobody really knows their situation. I completely agree with your statement that abortion doesn't strictly mean that a mother "doesn't want the baby"; there are numerous factors that can impact her decision. I think it's great that the film answered all your questions and covered everything you wanted it to. Often, documentaries present so much information that it leaves the viewer with a lot of questions. Your reflection gave me a good insight into the film's subject content and the emotions one may experience upon watching it.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your reflection on the the film. Personally, I think this may be one of the most controversial films to choose from just due to how much people talk about it in the press. I bet it would be very hard to watch some of those scenes, because you wouldn't want it to happen with your own child. I do think this might be a film a lot of people should watch, just so they don't make a choice on how they feel on the topic. It seems like the documentary touched on both positive and negatives on abortion. Overall, It seems like you really liked the film and I would have to check it out for myself.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection was great and I really liked it. I feel like with this topic, there are a lot of misconceptions about doctors practices and the different sides that people have on this topic. This topic is very controversial and I feel both sides of the argument make valid points for which side they stand on. Reading about the different situations that women and families have to go through when making their final decision on abortions, can be tough. I feel like there are a lot of factors that play into the final decision and its good that this is being talked about.
ReplyDeleteThis must have been one of the toughest documentaries on the list to watch; the abortion topic is a hotbed of contention, and for good reason on both sides. I have always believed that a witness to another's life and decisions should be sympathetic. Life is never as black-and-white as some proponents insist, which is why these types of media are important to foster understanding, and, if not that, discussion. Your description of each of the cases demonstrates your sense of sympathy for the women and doctors involved, which not only speaks to the power of personal stories, but also of your understanding. I'm a little curious about the doctors who perform abortions and are subsequently demonized by various facets of organizations, so I will probably check out this documentary myself at some point.
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