Banning abortion doesn't make sense to me

[ditchdj]

Look at our world today. There's so many people our system can no longer adequately sustain itself. In Haiti people are eating "cakes" made from mud. More countries are enduring civil unrest because of soaring food and energy prices. Some think a life should be saved at all costs. I look at the QUALITY of life one would have. What good is it to let a kid be born if they're just gonna starve to death or suffer in poverty???

[DesignFox]

I agree that it should be about quality of life, not quantity. But some religions, and some cultures in the world haven't gotten that through their thick skulls, yet.

We aren't in the dark ages where people commonly died by the age of 25.

More to the point, what doesn't make sense to me about banning abortion, is that the decision is so intrusive. By saying no one can have an abortion, basically a few people are forcing their decisions on the rest of people. By giving people an option, those who don't agree with abortion can opt not to have one, but other people who would rather not face an unwanted pregnancy can opt for one. There's no making up anybody's mind for them.

I don't force my decision on people by saying, "you have a choice." Whereas people who say, "there is no choice! You MUST have this baby!" are forcing their decision on others.

Anyway, I would never force someone to have less children if they genuinely wanted them all and could afford to properly care for them...but I wish more people would consider their options when they obviously can't afford or don't want many (or any) children.

[Boozy]

More to the point, what doesn't make sense to me about banning abortion, is that the decision is so intrusive. By saying no one can have an abortion, basically a few people are forcing their decisions on the rest of people.

I totally agree with what you said here.

However, I'll add that if someone truly believes that abortion=murder, then I can understand why they wouldn't have a problem forcing that belief on others. Society has agreed that murder is wrong, so murder is illegal for all people, whether or not the murderer agrees.

I personally don't believe that abortion is murder in the classic sense, since a fetus is unable to survive outside of the womb. Women should have control over their own bodies, and it should be a private decision.

[miffed]

My thoughts have always been that if abortion was banned, women do still have a choice if they have a baby or not. Don't have sex. (I know that's not possible in cases of rape, but from what I have read only 5% of rapes result in pregnancy.)

I see banning abortion as encouraging/forcing people to take responsibilty for their actions. Don't want children? Think again about having recreational sex. That may seem awfully cold, but why shouldn't people start taking responsibilty for themselves?

[blas87]

Banning abortion is a bad idea. Remember those "Backdoor abortion clinics"? If abortion was banned, women would be going to great lengths and old fashioned wives tales to end their pregnancy. With dirty instruments and shady doctors, things could get really ugly.

I understand I'm a pro choicer and probably one sided here, but I just don't see what good that could do. If the choice is no longer there, some women may end up really hurting or killing themselves.

Besides, if you've never been in that position, you have no right to judge a woman by how she feels.

I thank God every day that I haven't gotten pregnant. I honest to God would NOT know what to do. I have no right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do to her own body.

Abortions are much safer procedures than they were years ago. I don't see how banning them is going to do any good, except keep a whole bunch of prolifers from protesting at clinics and harrassing employees of abortion clinics.

[DesignFox]

Anyone here who is against abortion should read The Cider House Rules.

That'll give you something to think about.

Don't watch the movie. It sucks and completely misses the mark. It never should have been made, let alone share the same title. (the book is also not for the squeamish)

[tropicsgoddess]

It is an outrage for somebody to have another person or entity's decision forced on them instead of being able to make their own personal choice of forgoing with an unwanted pregnancy and bringing an unwanted child in this world. Aborting or keeping the child should be a personal choice for the woman, not the choice of the government or religious entities. Besides that, there would be more backdoor abortions going on with higher incidences of women dying or having some serious damage to their reproductive organs. Just as bad, if not worse some would resort to the more rigged up abortions at home: knitting needles, crochet hooks, wire hangers or worse which could do a lot of damage to their reproductive organs or kill them.

[miyon]

My thoughts have always been that if abortion was banned, women do still have a choice if they have a baby or not. Don't have sex. (I know that's not possible in cases of rape, but from what I have read only 5% of rapes result in pregnancy.)

I see banning abortion as encouraging/forcing people to take responsibility for their actions. Don't want children? Think again about having recreational sex. That may seem awfully cold, but why shouldn't people start taking responsibility for themselves?

Its a little different then what you said but close. I did have sex, true. But my bf and me always used condoms. Well one time I guess the condom broke and my brilliant ex never mentioned it. I had no idea until I told him I was pregnant and he said "bet its from that time the condom broke"

There are times when I regret not having the baby. It would be about 15 yrs old by now. But a year or two later I found out I was mildly schizophrenic and have been in and out of hospitals. Being suicidal, hostel, violent and having hallucinations I don't think I would have been a good mother.

[Amethyst Hunter]

My thoughts have always been that if abortion was banned, women do still have a choice if they have a baby or not. Don't have sex. (I know that's not possible in cases of rape, but from what I have read only 5% of rapes result in pregnancy.)

I see banning abortion as encouraging/forcing people to take responsibilty for their actions. Don't want children? Think again about having recreational sex. That may seem awfully cold, but why shouldn't people start taking responsibilty for themselves?

Won't work. If (God forbid) abortion got banned, women would still find a way to get one: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7500237.stm

The majority of women DO take responsibility for their sex lives by using some form of protection, up to and including abstinence. But, sadly, accidents do happen. Condoms break; people grow up believing ignorant wives' tales they were taught, and so on. Why should those women be punished by being forced to have a child they don't want? By denying them autonomy over their own bodies, that would be saying "You are worth less than a man; you are still property to be controlled."

Notice, too, how it's ALWAYS the fault of the woman, never the man. People never tell men "Don't have sex/Keep your legs together." Hell, we *encourage* men to go out and screw around. Well, it takes two to tango. If we're going to wave the condescending "don't have sex" banner, it should be applied equally, not just singling out one gender and making them the scapegoats.

Speaking only for myself, I would have an abortion if the worst happened (I'm celibate by choice, so there's only one of two ways it could), and if abortion proved to be unattainable, I would do everything up to and including pitching myself down a flight of stairs to induce one, because I don't ever want kids (and certainly not a scumbag attacker's!) and I *will not* be held hostage in my own body.

[blas87]

AMEN TO YOU Amethyst! I just want to jump through the screen and give you a hug!

Now, when it comes to teens, we still have a lot of work to do on parents being involved in talking and teaching, as well as schools. I have my own opinions on sex...mainly that adults should be able to have sex married or not, as long as it's consentual and NO ONE is getting hurt emotionally or physically in the process.

But let's focus on one particular issue here......forcing people to take responsibility? My mother was being responsible when she was on the Pill, and I happened anyway. Either I was just a stubborn angry little sperm, or her Pill failed (I am inclined to believe both). Are you saying my mother keeping me was forcing her to live with her choice to have sex? Granted, my parents were married by then, but they DID NOT want kids at the time. My mom, being religious, believed God decided it was time and they had me anyway, not just to be responsible for their sex act, but because they changed their minds and wanted to.

[Lace Neil Singer]

As far as I'm concerned, I do not want children now and maybe not ever. If I got pregnant, I would have an abortion. My boyf is in full agreement and would put up the money so I could have it right away. For the record, I'm on the pill and he uses condoms; oh, and I am apparently not able to have a sterilisation, cuz I may "change my mind". -.-

Sex is instinctive. Saying women shouldn't have sex is extremely sexist, as Amethyst Hunter pointed out, and is ignoring rape. Are you saying that women ask to be raped, seeing as if they have sex then it's their fault they get pregnant? Maybe you don't mean it that way, but it could be taken that way.

Finally, if abortion was illegal there would be a higher incidence of infanticide. Either at birth, or accidently when the mother dumps her baby in a dustbin and it dies of exposure.

[BlaqueKatt]

We aren't in the dark ages where people commonly died by the age of 25.

But we do live in a time where many couples are infertile, and if there were no adoption fees(adoption fees can run from $10,000 to $40,000 dollars), there are 40 couples for each available child.* Why do you think there are so many international adoptions?

More to the point, what doesn't make sense to me about banning abortion Slavery, is that the decision is so intrusive. By saying no one can have an abortion Slave, basically a few people are forcing their decisions on the rest of people. By giving people an option, those who don't agree with abortion Slavery can opt not to have one, but other people who would rather not face an unwanted pregnancy working cotton fields can opt for one. There's no making up anybody's mind for them.

These are the same arguments slave owners used against abolitionists.

I don't force my decision on people by saying, "you have a choice." Whereas people who say, "there is no choice! You MUST have this baby!" are forcing their decision on others.

A baby is a separate entity from the mother, a car does not become part of the garage because it's parked there. And bread does not become part of the oven it's cooked in. The mother choosing to abort is forcing her decision on another living thing.

*My oldest son just turned 17, he was a product of rape, while I was in a foster home. Everyone around me pressured me to have an abortion, I refused, as my mother had tried to abort me(my twin, not so lucky). When I handed my son over to his parents, who had been trying for 10 years to have their own child, and had been on a waiting list to adopt for over 8 years, something good came from something evil, there was balance, and I was able to heal.


I can understand aborting for medical reasons, but not because the mother is poor, at that point why don't we just kill off all the poor people? If your argument is "they'll starve, or have poor quality of life"-why don't we kill off the homeless or the disabled, after all, they starve and have "poor quality of life" Just because a baby is unwanted by the woman carrying it doesn't mean it's unwanted by another woman that can't have a child.

My sister wanted an abortion because she didn't want to give up drinking for 9 months(she miscarried), and she lost a good friend over it, because her friend has been on a waiting list to adopt a child for over 5 years. My sister-in-law wanted an abortion because she "didn't want stretch marks"-her husband threatened to leave her if she went through with it(strict Catholic), she now has a wonderful son, and no stretch marks to speak of, and is trying for #2. One of my former coworkers had an abortion, and a hysterectomy at age 23 because the doctor ripped her uterus open with the suction tube-she almost bled to death, and wishes she had just kept the baby, she wanted more "just not now, maybe in a year or two."

[blas87]

I myself am more scared of an abortion than giving birth, and the only way I'd have an abortion is if I were sexually assaulted. I would chose adoption over abortion any day.

However, the reason I am so passionate about it is because no one has the right to judge others. Whether a girl grows to love the baby and want to keep it, or wants to be rid of it, is her choice and her partner's choice, not anyone else's.

[Greenday]

Here's my situation. My girlfriend and I would like to have sex. She would go on BC and we would use condoms. I'd say that's being pretty responsible. My girlfriend has one more year left of college, then she will be going to med school to become a doctor for the ER. Let's say we end up having sex and she gets pregnant. She'd have to quit med school. So that'd leave her with two options. Quit and have the kid. Or have an abortion, and go on to work in an ER and save a crapload of lives. What then?

[DesignFox]

So women should be slaves to their bodies, BK? Check. I got it. The argument I used doesn't apply to slavery because that involves other living, breathing, sentient human beings.

I'm sorry, but I disagree with you. A baby is not an entity as it cannot yet think for itself and it cannot survive outside of it's mother's body. I would rather see an unborn fetus aborted than a live infant left to rot in a garbage can.

I have horrible visions of desperate women doing terrible things to themselves or their unwanted infants. I'd rather those few desperate people have a choice than be forced to endure a pregnancy they never wanted.

Good for you for taking the adoption route. I give you a mad amount of credit for doing that, but not everyone believes that a fetus is a person. Not everyone wants to go through the many life changes that come with a pregnancy. Not everyone can afford the proper health care. Not everyone has a support network to help them through the bad times.

Some people are bad people. Some people will use abortion as a crutch. But that's not most people. And those bad people will find worse things to do in life, anyway. At least if the few bad apples abort their fetuses, it will be one less hungry, abused, neglected or murdered infant or child on the street.