20 replies to this topic

[smartbei]

Based on articles:
Abortion Returns to Center Stage
Partial Birth Abortion - Abortion Ban Issue

3 years ago, in 2003, the U.S. congress overwhelmingly passed a law banning partial birth abortion, in which a fetus over 20 weeks in age (~5 months) and up to around the 6-7th month is aborted. Supporters of the law stated then that it is immoral, to kill a human that within a month in some cases could be born and survive, given medical help. Opponents said that a woman's right to choose should be her own, and the congress has no right to take it from her.

Now, the issue is "coming back" because of three federal appeals courts because the law does not provide for exceptions where the woman's health or life is in danger. The supreme court has agreed to consider the constitutionality of the law, and eventually decide whether to overturn it or not. The issue is heated, but polls show that most people still view abortions as immoral or wrong, and would not consider one themselves.

Is it an issue of Whose life is more important? or an issue of The lesser evil?
Not neccesarily about this specific method but generally, how about abortion in cases of rape?

As a person with political beliefs all over the spectrum, I believe that while the abortion technique mentioned (partial birth) is especially "ugly," the life of the mother in this case has more importance, and for the sake of saving the mother's life an abortion must be condoned. A case of a rape is much more difficult, at least for me, to analyze. On the one hand, the fetus/baby did nothing wrong and should not be punished/killed for no fault of its own. On the other, the mother should not have to suffer through pregnancy and childbirth, and later have to care for the child because of a rapists actions.

Edited by smartbei, 27 February 2006 - 03:37 PM.

[cops]

I think they should allow abortion in especially cases of rape and incest. Women should have control over their own bodies.

Every 2 and a half minutes a woman is raped in America. I don't think we should force everyone that gets pregnant from rape to have a baby they never wanted. It can mess up the mother and child's lives. More people in fostercare, having to drop out of highschool, women having unsafe home abortions. These kids will be our future generation. And I think America is already the third largest nation in the world.

[Nani Cheri]

Yeah thats true cops. If a baby is not wanted it is nog good for their and the mother's life! Besides if a woman was raped she will always see her rapist in front of her when seing her child.. that should be awful. and incest is very bad too. Can be confusing for the child to.

[Blacklaser]

I am very liberal on the issues of abortion and I think every woman (and in a lot of cases also the partner) should have the choice of abortion up to a certain point in time(around 3 months). As for partial birth abortion, I'm wondering why someone who waited 5 months, in some cases more, should still be able to abort the child. 5 months is too late, at some point you have to take resposability and say yes I will do it or no I won't. One can't wait forever. 2 month is enough time to decide whether you want an abortion or not. The only exception of course is when suddenly the life or health of the mother is serverly endangred, in that case, in my opinion it is always the life and health of the mother first.

[Poppy Lou]

Blacklaser, on Mar 20 2006, 08:17 PM, said:

I am very liberal on the issues of abortion and I think every woman (and in a lot of cases also the partner) should have the choice of abortion up to a certain point in time(around 3 months). As for partial birth abortion, I'm wondering why someone who waited 5 months, in some cases more, should still be able to abort the child. 5 months is too late, at some point you have to take resposability and say yes I will do it or no I won't. One can't wait forever. 2 month is enough time to decide whether you want an abortion or not. The only exception of course is when suddenly the life or health of the mother is serverly endangred, in that case, in my opinion it is always the life and health of the mother first.

I think every case has to be looked at individually. I agree that waiting 5 months to abort the child is extreme but there may be circumstances where this could not have been avoided. Maybe the woman has mental health problems or a learning disability. or if for instance rape or incest is the cause she has been too traumatised to deal with it. But in any situation, as in all abortions, it should never be allowed to become the norm.

[iGuest]

what can i do ?
Partial Birth Abortion

My friend is pregnant for 4-5 months & she wants to ABORT the child.She does not want to go to clinic or any doc. She wants to know about any medicine which can be taken at home & SHOULD BE SAFE.And also tell me what all are the other options.

Please help me she is my best friend and I don't want her to suffer.

I don't know what to do.

-question by eric

[Joshua]

What I didn't see mentioned here is that with partial birth abortion, there have been many instances where the children survived the abortion and, under the law, can legally be left to starve to death on hospital beds. In cases where they were rescued, some have lived to tell about it.

Barack Obama voted against all bills that would've stopped this horrible practice but refused to give a reason for his actions. It is why I oppose Obama more than any other candidate in America. I'd prefer seeing Clinton in office to him, just like I preferred seeing Bush in office over Kerry (though I voted for neither, but for Michael Peroutka instead).

Edited by Joshua, 31 January 2008 - 02:04 PM.

[kasm]

cops, on Mar 4 2006, 10:19 AM, said:

I think they should allow abortion in especially cases of rape and incest. Women should have control over their own bodies.

1. Saying that "women should have control on their body" is another issue and is the free abortion without limit . I think it must be limited in reasons and the time.

2. But I agree for abortion up to 8 weeks for rape cases. I said 8 weeks that period eveyone realise that she is pregnant.

3. No need that the raped woman no give birth to not wanted child and remind her with the terror she faced. How you ask woman to be realted to criminal person for life and next generation too.

4. What if the raped female is a child?. It is herrible that we insist to influence the child to be mother in early time and imagine what effect will be of that on her education, career and future love and marriage?

5. But about abortion in sake of mother's life, it is allowable in all times. Usually the mother mostly want to sacrify herself. Then the decision is up to her.

[Archangel_Baw]

Joshua, on Jan 31 2008, 09:03 AM, said:

What I didn't see mentioned here is that with partial birth abortion, there have been many instances where the children survived the abortion and, under the law, can legally be left to starve to death on hospital beds. In cases where they were rescued, some have lived to tell about it.

...

That is horrible. I am pro-abortion but it is only depending on valid reasons, ie rape, incest, inability to provide for the child, drug/alcohol/domestic abuse etc, but not for people being promiscuous and just merely refusing to be responsible or just dodging parenthood.

[tricky77puzzle]

I don't dislike certain abortions due to the amount of time - only because of the method. No matter if partial-birth abortion is performed at 16 weeks or 34 - it's still the same horribility. But other methods of abortion are less harmful to the fetus itself, beside the fact that the fetus dies in all these cases.

I am personally against partial-birth abortion and would love to see it illegalized, even though I am pro-choice. This is because partial-birth abortion actually involves directly harming the fetus, after it is outside the womb. (And to Joshua, you once said in another post that "the whole idea of abortion" is to cut the baby's head off or rip its brains out with a big hook. This is wrong. Partial-birth abortion counted for about 0.17% of total abortions in the US in 2003. So it's actually not that big of an issue.)