The Silent Issue

I absolutely agree. Although I am pro-choice, I have many negative feelings about abortion itself. I've long felt that education and assistance are key to lowering abortion rates. Condemnation and legislation are not the solution to the problem, they are just the most lazy ways to be critical of the issue. Also, as it has well been pointed out, by outlawing abortion we will only force these procedures "underground", and that poses an even far greater threat.

It has been my experience that most of these pro-life people have an unbearable air of self righteousness, and are completely incapable of any middle ground; it's perceivably why they have made no inroads on the abortion issue in years, and why they will continue to make no inroads. It seems to me that even gays and lesbians do more for the pro-life movement by providing needed adoptions for those who may not want their unborn children. Time for the religious-right to take a good hard and long look into the mirror.

I am mostly a liberal on social issues, but I am no fan of abortion. I consider it a tragic episode in a woman's life. She got pregnant at the wrong time., maybe by accident, maybe partly on purpose, and now everyone involved is mad at her, or disspointed, or just really grim about the road ahead. Making abortion illegal won't solve the problem, it will just drive it underground. The solution is families and society coming face to face witht the real issues, children are expensive, parents want grandchildren but won't admit that their child is not ready, young women want marriage but won't admit their guy is not ready, clergy want more children in the congregation, but won't admint that that is itself is not a valid goal, one spouse wants more children and the other does not. Large families can be a good and loving thing, but overpopulation leads inevitable to suffering. Sex is a powerful force, saying no doesn't work well for most people, birth control works well if available, inexpensive, and used properly by both parties with a clear goal to prevent pregnancy. This is the dialog that the conservative churches need to engage in with liberals. I would love to engage in a rational discussion about abortion, but when I see conservatives talking about banning birth control, as well as abortion, I think, they are just completely out of touch with reality. Do conservative Christians want women in desperate straights who choose an illegal abortion to die? As a punishment for a sin? The sin of what? being terrified, alone and ashamed, and making a dangerous and bad decision because of it? Because that is what happenned in the past, and will happen again if abortion is made illegal. I think it should stay legal, and strong efforts should be made to prevent unwanted pregnancy, with a realistic view to what really goes on in people's lives with regard to sexuality.

Why the recent silence on the issue? One - the faithful are already converted. More importantly, the voters who aren't "single issue" on the subject are beginning to realize that, with the move to legally establish that life begins with conception, the target isn't just abortion. It's birth control. Most birth control metiods don't prevent conception, they prevent implantation. Therefore, the right to terminate a pregnancy is just the first target. The rest you get to find out later.

I am glad that previous commentor sees that a serious moral issue is in place at least after 12 weeks. HOWEVER - it is not true that heart or brain tissue is only present after 12 weeks. The nureal system is the first thing formed and the heart starts to BEAT at approximately 3 to 4 weeks. I have pictures of my child at fertilization, 6 cells, and the day her heart started to beat - approximately 23 days. The number of days is very clear due to IVF. Look at any photograph of a 12 week gestational age unborn child -available quickly on the internet. AND, logic defies this train of thought anyways. What makes someone human? One more day? One more cell? THIS IS NOT A RELIGIOUS ISSUE, IT IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE! The secular state has an obligation to the human rights of its most vulnerable citizens - children, born or unborn. Freedom of Speach? Freedom of Religion? Right to Privacy? These are impossible to acheive without being allowed THE RIGHT TO LIFE! (And no, it couldn't have been a fluke natural pregnancy - I have no fillopian tubes and my daughter was a dontated embryo - from a loving, pro-life couple who had been IVF successful and did not want to throw away the 'extra babies' - also, a pro-life, highly successfull infertility clinic/doctors).

Why don't the pro-life activists stand outside a clinic and offer a woman food, shelter, and proper medical care in return for adopting her baby?
I see ads in my local paper "loving couple looking to adopt." These couples are doing more to stop abortion than the Christian Right.
T

The decision to have a child is also a difficult decision, and one that should be looked at from all possibilities. "Am I prepared to accept whatever this pregnancy may bring?" should be a question that much thought should be given. Not, "I'll just get pregnant and abort it if it isn't perfect." Maybe if you aren't open to accepting a child, whatever issues comes along with him or her, you shouldn't be considering having it.

What about prenatal testing? There has been a recent decline in teen pregnancy and an recent increase in abortion for people over 40. Should people be forced to bear children with birth defects - often severe?

I'm sure this has been said many times already in this thread, but the Democrats' stand on abortion is to make it safe, legal, and RARE. That means sex education that works, and a full range of family-planning strategies - birth control, condoms, etc., that are AVAILABLE. No one is pro-abortion, and Dobson is dead wrong (and he knows it) when he says there will be more abortions under President Obama. Mark my words: there will be intelligent reproductive policy, and fewer abortions.

The decision to have an abortion is very difficult, and never taken lightly. Teen pregnancy rates have declined in recent years and there has been an increase in abortion in women over 40 - often related to prenatal testing. Should people be forced to children with severe birth defects?

"Before 12 weeks a fetus has no heartbeat?" I heard my children's heartbeats at 9 weeks of pregnancy...and their hearts were beating way before that. That was simply the earliest it could be heard with a dopplar device. Perhaps you should do a little research, reallynow. And of course those who are pro-life support help for these mothers seeking to abort their babies. There are ways for all those involved to get through these difficult times...including the unborn children.

Science verifies that before the 12th week in pregnancy,there is no life,there is no formation of brain or heart.

The embryo is still a formation of a woman's body.like a kidney.

After the 12th week,there may be an issue,a serious moral one.

But till the 12th,there is no issue,in a secular state...

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Pro-Life/Pro-Abortion is not a religous, conservative or republican issue. IT IS THE MOST BASIC HUMAN RIHTS ISSUE! The loss of any human right is serious. However, in this case, one loss is temporary, one is devistatingly permanent. Yes, a woman does have a right to her body/privacy. But the right of the child to life must take temporary presidence. WITHOUT LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ARE IMPOSSIBLE. When life starts, and therefor when human rights logically begin, is no longer a question. Science has clearly proven that life begins far before normally completed gestation. THE UNBORN CHILD IS A HUMAN and an AMERICAN CITIZEN! The child who dies before coming of voting age is BY FAR THE MOST DISINFRANCHISED. Which party represents them? Which party should? What is the message to all children living in difficult, or even horrible situations? It would have been better if you hadn't been born at all? It is no wonder that this culture of death is seeing more and more child abuse, elder abuse, infanticide, human trafficing ... Feminists and Minority Activists in particular should rethink this issue. More female and minority children are aborted than any other. It is exclusively women, and a disproportionately high number of minority women that have abortion inflicted upon them. This comment is posted by a white, poor female, raised by atheists as pro-abortion, assaulted thru abortion, and who has converted to pro-LIFE.

Politically,so many women are driven away from the Reps,because in their independent spirit they regard the Reps as misogynists & prohibitionists.

This election is a wake-up call for the Reps.

We will go back to the dark ages of socialism,with ..." Great Society " programs,high taxation,criminal loving,gun prohibition,Illinois-style...