Life with most teenagers was like having a low-grade bladder infection. It hurts, but you had to tough it out.
Anne LamottRead
As a Christian and a feminist, the most important message I can carry and fight for is the sacredness of each human life, and reproductive rights for all women are a crucial part of that. It is a moral necessity that we not be forced to bring children into the world for whom we cannot be responsible and adoring and present. We must not inflict life on children who will be resented; we must not inflict unwanted children on society.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of respecting human life and women's reproductive rights as moral imperatives.
Anne Lamott's quote reflects a deep concern for both the sanctity of human life and the ethical implications of bringing children into the world under conditions of unpreparedness or resentment. It argues that women should have the right to make choices about their reproductive lives in order to ensure that any children they do bring into the world are loved and cared for, rather than being unwanted or neglected. This perspective intertwines elements of feminism with a moral responsibility to protect potential lives.
Themes
Human LifeReproductive RightsFeminismMoralityResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker at a women's rights rally could use this quote to emphasize the importance of reproductive rights.
More from Anne Lamott
All quotes →Or you might shout at the top of your lungs or whisper into your sleeve, "I hate you, God." That is a prayer too, because it is real, it is truth, and maybe it is the first sincere thought you've had in months.
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Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.
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It is hard to remember that you are a cherished spiritual being when you're burping up apple fritters and Cheetos.
Anne LamottRead
Gorgeous, amazing things come into our lives when we are paying attention: mangoes, grandnieces, Bach, ponds. This happens more often when we have as little expectation as possible. If you say, "Well, that's pretty much what I thought I'd see," you are in trouble. At that point you have to ask yourself why you are even here. [...] Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.
Anne LamottRead
...because when people have seen you at their worst, you don't have to put on the mask as much.
Anne LamottRead
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