Will the fetus be aborted? A dream

In the dream, I'm part of a class studying something related to film. The professor is conservative, but excellent (he may have been based on Anthony Stewart Head - Giles from Buffy The Vampire Slayer). Many people in the class are young and not so knowledgeable or passionate about film, but one young man knows a great deal, and seems a very impressive, intelligent, sincere person - if, perhaps, slightly aloof, slightly arrogant. This young student nonetheless wins my respect and the respect of the professor, by knowing his stuff; then suddenly it comes up in class that at one point that he and his wife made the choice for her to have an abortion, sometime in the past. The professor, who, apparently, regards abortion as murder, chides the man in class for this moral lapse, speaking as if everyone must share his point of view, that abortion is never necessary, always the greater of two evils; he does this very briefly and at least somewhat subtly - he doesn't rant, is at least somewhat circumspect in how he lets his views be known - but it makes a huge, uncomfortable impression on the me (I'm not sure if anyone else even notices). A few days later, the issue shimmers in the background during a discussion, and I speak up. I start a defense of the young man - even leaping to the center of the room, sitting on the floor between them (the desk/chairs in the classroom are arranged in a circle). I begin by saying that he seems a sincere and earnest fellow, if - I say this while looking at him - perhaps a bit cold (he tries to speak to this point but I shush him down, asking him to let me make my point). How dare the professor presume, I continue, that just because he believes abortion is wrong that he has the right to make that judgment for everyone, without even knowing what circumstances in the man's life led he and his wife to the decision to abort a fetus? (I realize as I say this, my voice raising, that I am probably sacrificing my own grade, and sense the unease of my fellow students - who say nothing - but I continue). They were, perhaps, acting out of a feeling of responsibility every bit as moral and sincere as any pro-life crusader's, to not have a child unless they knew the time and circumstances were right...

I am a few minutes into my impassioned defense of the pro-choice position when a car alarm outside my window goes off. My brain, as I wake, continues to try to formulate my argument, tries to cling to the dream - because it's interesting, and I want to continue it - but gradually I have to give it up, surrender and let the dream go and reconcile myself to being awake. It's just after 9am. At least I had a decent night's sleep (if somewhat strangely conflict-ridden - I have no real clue where any of this abortion or classroom stuff is coming from).

By the way, the title of this blogpost relates to Jello Biafra's 55th Birthday Bash, to be celebrated at the Rickshaw next Monday, June 17th. Jello and Mojo Nixon, on their album Prairie Home Invasion, recorded a song called "Will The Fetus Be Aborted," based on "Will the Circle Be Unbroken": check it out. More on the birthday bash later...!