Confusion

  I was talking with a family member and bragging that I was to become a great grandfather in January. I was asked if I knew the gender . Yes, I do, it is a girl. I added, we even have a picture of her. That got me to thinking how much things have changed since I was born just a little over sevnty one years ago. Man, that sounds like a long time when you write it down, not that long when you are living it though. But when I was born there were no pictures and I was a surprise. Well, my gender was anyway but determined at birth by the doctor. That may or may not be the case today. The AMA is recommending that no gender be recorded on the birth certificate. Even when it is, that information isn't public anymore. And, not only that, you can change it. Yes, it's a different world.

  I do remember when I was young and the ladies were expecting, as was the common term in those days saying pregnant out loud wasn't socially acceptable, the speculation was about the gender. We just said boy or girl back then too. We knew it would be one of the other. There were various methods to determine that involving wedding rings, tea leaves, or how the belly looked. Are you carrying high or low? I mean there was no doubt you were pregnant, the rabbit died! That was the test used up until the early part of the 1960's. The rabbit however never told the gender. There were no pictures. Although ultra sound imaging had been used as early as 1956 it wasn't commn until the 1970's. That technology is still being used and the pictures aren't all that much better. 

  There has been an image circulating on Facebook that shows a baby at twenty weeks. That picture was taken with an endoscopic camera. Back in 1965 a Swedish photographer named Nilson did a series of photographs of babies in the womb tracking the development. Life magazine published them and it was a sensational thing. I read where it was one of the most popular editions ever printed. Those pictures were cystal clear in color and in black and white. For me it leaves no doubt that it is indeed a human being in that embrotic sac. It's an interesting read about the photographer and his reaction to those pictures. I'll include the link for those interested at the bottom of the page. Those pictures are getting the same reaction today as they did in in 1965. 

  I do chuckle when I think about all of that. When I was in elementary school most of that was still a mystery to me. Babies involved cabbage patches and storks. I think it was the sixth grade when the school held individual assemblies for the boys and girls to explain the truth of the matter. I remember my father having to go with me. It surely was an aackward time for everyone. You didn't talk about that stuff! But I don't think there was nearly as much confusion back then as there appears to be today. I don't remember anyone saying they identified as anything but what they actually were. No boys being girls, no girls being boys, and no cats or other animals. No, things were pretty clear back then. 

 Yes everyone knew there were those that really liked the same sex more than they should but no one was saying you had to agree with that. It was just a private thing, the only ones needing to know, already knew. I'm just saying it wasn't an advertising campaign. And yes when others "found out" they would often use that as an excuse to hurt those people. It was the same as using your race, your parents financial status, the color of your hair, your weight or height. It was the same as if you were really smart or really dumb. Yes, people, especially children, will use anthing they can to make themselves feel superior to others. There has always been the Alpha male thing and the submissive female thing. Societal expectations. None of that has changed. Tolerance and acceptance really are differnt things altogether.

   I'm not going to get into the whole thing about abortions and when life begins. I've made that clear enough in a number of these blogs. I'm just saying how much has changed over the years. Today we know almost immediately when a woman becomes preganant. You can buy the test at dollar general! No rabbits were killed in determing your pregnancy. Using imaging we can tell the gender of that baby but it may or may not be recorded on the birth certificate. Some states allow the desigination of neutral (X) on your birth certificate. I'm thinking that may cause some confusion for geneaologists in the future. It just seems to me the more we know the more confusing things are getting. Well, that's progress I suppose. 

 https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/nov/18/foetus-images-lennart-nilsson-photojournalist

                                           One of those images at 11 weeks