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Thursday, February 7

Abortion rates same whether legal or not





Abortion rates same whether legal or not






Study: Rich, poor countries have equal statistics; half of procedures unsafe












LONDON - Women are just as likely to get an abortion in countries where it is outlawed as they are in countries where it is legal, according to research published Friday.
In a study examining abortion trends from 1995 to 2003, experts also found that abortion rates are virtually equal in rich and poor countries, and that half of all abortions worldwide are unsafe.
....
You may read the whole article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21255186/


Are you pro-life or pro-choice and why?

144 comments:

Riley said...

I am pro-choice. I feel that it is the natural born right for women to be in 100% control over the decision of whether or not to follow through with an abortion or pregnancy. I would accept responsibility if I was to be a factor in my girlfriend getting pregnant, however, I would respect her decision whatever it may be. I feel that if a woman is willing to carry something around with her for nine months, go through all the hormonal changes, and physical changes then they are the ultimate choice that really matters. Even though I can put in my opinion I feel as though it is nowhere near the importance of the woman’s opinion. With pregnancy comes many different things and if a woman chooses to want to go through nine months of a variety of emotions and all that is entailed during pregnancy then it is their choice and no one should take that away from them, not religion, government, or individuals. Women should be free to choose and actually make the choice of reproducing. We live in the “home of the free”, so why is it any different to choose freely with reproduction?

Athena Smith said...

Riley, quite a stand! (when you say you would accept responsibility). Unfortunately in most cases of unwanted pregnancies among unmarried girls or women, the man leaves.
A very interetsing case has propped up in Michingan. I copy from the Boston Globe:

"A 25-year-old computer programmer in Michigan, Dubay wants to know why it is only women who have "reproductive rights." He is upset about having to pay child support for a baby he never wanted. Not only did his former girlfriend know he didn't want children, says Dubay, she had told him she was infertile. When she got pregnant nonetheless, he asked her to get an abortion or place the baby for adoption. She decided instead to keep her child and secured a court order requiring him to pay $500 a month in support.

Not fair, Dubay complains. His ex-girlfriend chose to become a mother. It was her choice not to have an abortion, her choice to carry the baby to term, her choice not to have the child adopted. She even had the option, under the "baby safe haven" laws most states have enacted, to simply leave her newborn at a hospital or police station. Roe v. Wade gives her and all women the right - the constitutional right! - to avoid parenthood and its responsibilities. Dubay argues that he should have the same right, and has filed a federal lawsuit that his supporters are calling "Roe v. Wade for men." Drafted by the National Center for Men, it contends that as a matter of equal rights, men who don't want a child should be permitted, early in pregnancy, to get "a financial abortion" releasing them from any future responsibility to the baby.

Does Dubay have a point? Of course. Contemporary American society does send very mixed messages about sex and the sexes. For women, the decision to have sex is the first of a series of choices, including the choice to abort a pregnancy - or, if she prefers, to give birth and collect child support from the father. For men, legal choices end with the decision to have sex. If conception takes place, he can be forced to accept the abortion of a baby he wants - or to spend at least the next 18 years turning over a chunk of his income to support a child he didn't want.

All true. But it is also true that predatory males have done enormous damage to American society, and the last thing our culture needs is one more way for men to escape accountability for the children they father. Dubay wants more than the freedom to be sexually reckless - he wants that freedom to be constitutionally guaranteed. Truly he is a child of his time, passionate on the subject of rights and eager to duck responsibility.

The culture used to send a clear message to men in Dubay's position: Marry the mother and be a father to your child. Today it tells him: Just write a monthly check. Soon -- if this lawsuit succeeds -- it won't say even that. The result will not be a fairer, more equal society. It will be a society with even more abortion, even more exploitation of women, even more of the destructiveness and instability caused by fatherlessness.

And, in some ways saddest of all, even more people like Matt Dubay: a boy who never learned how to be a real man."

The article is

Shirley said...

I am pro-choice. However, I feel that cases of rape, incest, pre-term fetal conditions(Down Syndrome,ect..,)or teen pregnancies are the only cases that would have a right to an abortion.
These statistics are outragous. People are using an abortion as an outlet for sex without proper protection. To detour, some of these illegal acts of abortion, sex education and contraception should be offered to students in nations that can afford it. Although, in poor countries why have a new life enter into a position where the mother cannot support children she may currently have. In this instance maybe abortion is the only salvation for the unborn fetus.
"Abortion rates same whether legal or not," just says that anyone, anywhere, at anyplace can surrender to the choice of an abortion regardless of the law. So legalize and control the issue vs. fighting against and allowing practitioners to perform this procedure safely.
Shirley

mmariem25 said...

I am pro life and pro choice at the same time, and I do not perceive this stance as being inconsistent. On the one hand, I do not think that mankind has the God given right to terminate viable life. On the other hand, medical progress has made it possible for women to avoid pregnancy if they so choose before conception is allowed to occur. No pregnancy should be terminated except in cases perhaps of incest, rape or the possibility that the pregnancy would endanger the life of the mother. Contraceptives and birth control works and is widely available at least in the United States. Women who feel that their families cannot accommodate more children can always practice birth control or get their tubes tied, or even abstain. Late term abortions are particularly abhorrent, and I do not understand how murdering helpless infants who at that stage are considered viable life, contributes to the morality of our species.

MelissaSpeaks said...

I am 100% pro-life. This statement is coming from a person who personally knows someone who decided to have an abortion off of abrupt irresponsible speculations, and she is now infertile. I believe that God gives you a gift to bring children into this world, and by aborting that gift, you are not only damaging the lives of others, but also your unborn child. Teenage girls who become pregnant and think that abortion is the only way out of their problems doesn’t understand that there are mothers out there who (may have permanent difficulties in their reproductive system that causes them to become infertile) are yearning to adopt children everyday. I believe if a woman gets pregnant, she must know of her options before she decides on abortion. I think more people should protect themselves or practice abstinence because abortion is not the answer.

boolah said...

I am 100% pro-life. No matter the circumstance. Whether it is an unborn child with medical problems like Down syndrome, or a child conceived as the result of rape, it is my belief that the child still deserves the chance to live. Just because a child has medical issues, does not mean the child cannot live a great life. As far as rape, I think about myself in that situation, and would highly want to consider abortion; but I know that abortion would not realistically be an option. As these things above would be sad at first, I believe God knows every child before they were created in the womb, so to take that life away, would be highly selfish and against the way of God. If you cannot handle the responsibility that comes with engaging in sexual intercourse, then you should not be participating. And as far as rape(which I do believe is very unfortunate, I do not want to sound anymore cold than I know I already do), things happen. That’s life.

Chicest Set said...

I am leaning toward your body, your choice, your fate with God! Not saying that God wont forgive someone who decides to abort a baby but I am sure that if it will stop a senseless act such as suffocating the baby minutes after it's born like 20-year-old Gina Grinsell chose to do in her sorority house.

However sometimes ones family puts direct or indirect pressure on them which makes that person feel like they have to make that decision and it's more embarrassing to carry the child and have everyone know that you gave up your child-you're not a good person. Therefore they choose to get rid of it. For example a family member may mention on numerous occasions his or her feelings about so many young girls having baby after baby therefore it pushes one to abort the second or third maybe even first baby in order to not disappoint the family members who disagree with young adults having babies.

As for Dubay, I wonder how his proposal would work? If men were so lucky not to pay child support would they have every girlfriend sign an agreement that if she bares his child, that since he does not consent to her having his child then he is not obligated to pay child support? That is a far cry. Then that is forcing the woman to make a bigger choice then him leaving a few dollars here when convienent. She has to make a decision to raise a child alone or otherwise compromise what she may or may not feel is deeply spritual and/or morally wrong. I dont think he will get too far with this proposal.

mdowd said...

Well, this is the one topic that I was anticipating having to respond to, and not exactly looking forward to doing so. A couple of years ago, I was in a relationship with a girl who told me at one point that she was pregnant. I was completely torn. On one hand, there was the fact that I love children, and on the other, the fact that I had nowhere near the level of financial security needed to support one. Add to those concerns the fact that I had reason to believe that the child was not mine, and I was in a tough spot, to say the least. Prior to being in that position, I was closer to being pro-life than pro-choice. I was not 100% on either side of the issue, and I'm still not. I made the decision to tell the girl that I thought it would be better if she were to get an abortion. I felt then that it was better than allowing a child to be born into such uncertain circumstances. This girl already had two children, and I was just not able to provide a proper life for a baby. Was that cowardly of me? Perhaps. Ultimately, I made my feelings known to her and told her that she needed to make the final choice, as it was her body, and her risks to take medically. She did have the abortion. I want to say that had she made the other choice, I would have done everything I could to provide the right kind of life, but that makes me feel weak for making the decision that I did. Maybe it should. At first, I felt like I had done the right thing, even though our relationship was strained as a result, and ultimately came to an end. After a while, I began feeling like I had made the biggest mistake of my life, and had sinned on a deeper level than ever previously imaginable. Those feelings still alternate, more than two years later. When it comes down to it, regardless of the emotions involved, I am glad that professional doctors were able to carry out the procedure rather than whatever the illegal alternative would have been. I feel that it is much better to have clean, sanitary conditions in which to do this than the alternative of a random room somewhere with no aftercare or concern for the woman's health. I guess that makes me pro-choice.

mike b said...

I am pro-choice. i feel that if it is your own body you can make your own choices. who is the government to say you can or can not have a child. I feel that it should be only your choice and your choice only. If they were to ever illegalize aboritons there were be more of teen suicides and unsterial abortion. Not dr. monitored and profesionaly cared for.In my opinion there will always be mixed emotions from people toward this matter an therefore will never be one rite anwser in the eyes of everyone as a whole. But i do believe that there should be a cut off date to when its to late to follow through with an abortion.

Athena Smith said...

Mdowd
Thank you for sharing your personal experience. It is as you described it. A very hard choice.

bassprodigy said...

I am pro-choice. I think that there are certain circumstances where a women should be able to make the decision to have the baby or not. If the women is raped, she doesn't know the genes of the father and what kind of complications that the baby miught have. To have that baby may mean she will have to spend the rest of her life paying for medical treatments on a baby that she never asked for. I do not think that abortion should be used as a birth control method. If abortion becomes illegal, like the article says, that doesn't mean that people will stop having them, it just means that they will do it in an unsafe way and possibly hurt themselves in the process. There is another circumstance that I believe a women should have a choice. If women gets pregnant and the doctor says that there will be complications with the pregnancy and the women could possibly lose her life, I think that she should have the choiice to terminate the pregnancy or risk her own life.

Ashley Marie said...

I am pro-choice. I feel as though it is up to the woman to decide how capable of having and raising a child she is. I feel it is just as wrong to put someone up for adoption as it is wrong to have an abortion, due to the over crowding and future mental issues and behavioral issues a child could have whether it be severe or simply a wondering "why my mother did not want me" I feel there are certain things that give a woman the right to decide whether or not to have an abortion such as rape or if the girl is simply too young. Although, I know people who have had abortions and it does faunt them I do not think they regret it because they had good enough reasons to get it done in the first place. Although I personally do not know whether or not I would get an abortion if the situation ever occured I know I would like it as an option, which is all being pro-choice really is.

ofelia vazquez said...

I read athena smiths post about the 25 year old computer programer who didnt want the baby ,I just want to make a quick comment on that...as an adult you should know that there is that chance of an unexpected pregnacy anytime you have sex.I dont agree with abortions as a quick fix for everytime a women has unprotected sex but Iam pro-choice . I belive that it is your right as a women to make a choice about your body and life.I do belive as responsible woman you should consider every option besides abortion but if that is the best choice for you than you have every right to make it. I think if we made that an option in those parts of the world where they dont give women that right than they would not risk there life to have unsafe abortions.

DaisyDown23 said...

I am also undecided on this subject of life or death as well; dealing with a fetus instead of an elderly person is different yet equally important. If a woman or, in some cases, a child feels she is mature enough to be sexually active she should be somewhat if not fully aware of its consequences. Becoming prengant at a young age is no reason to abort a baby. Its a scape goat to rid the teen of shame she might bring to her family and it also takes care of becoming an outcast among peers. Aborting a baby happens for so many reasons. Unmarried, unhealthy, too young, too old, cant support it, dont want it and the list goes on. If a baby could potentially cause such a burden to someone and they're still wanting to participate in sexual activity then they should take the precautions to prevent it. There are also people who would keep the baby no matter what the circumstance. This could lead to bigger problems like raising a child with a horrible disease or having it grow up in poverty. There are positives and negatives to both sides of the argument being it pro-life or pro-choice but it ultimately comes down to the mother. And to be completely honest, I could say Im pro-life until it happens to me. A full time college student, a full time employee still living at home....I honestly dont think I could take care of a baby when I still depend on my parents for food and a home. I couldnt provide the time a little baby would need.I wouldnt abort it immeadiately if at all but my opinion would now be an option. Abstinence is the only way I know for sure I can prevent that happening to me. Until Im faced with it personally I cant be entirely on one side or the other.

DaisyDown23 said...

I also want to add that protecting yourself during sex is just as much as the mans responsibility as it is the womans. Women who are sexually active should, If possible, take birth control and/or use some other type of contraceptive and men should use condoms. Its the only sure way to eliminate the possiblitity of becoming pregnant, other than abstainence, if used properly.

1004 said...

I am 100% pro-life. As a Christian, I believe abortion is another way of murder. Although the baby might not be born, it is still alive inside of a woman's stomach. Of course there is the argument of "what if a girl got raped and got pregnant?", and well, that really can't be helped. All I have to say is that those girls should be smart enough not to stay out till late at night or at least to be with a group of people if one was to stay out till late at night. Anyways, I am all for pro-life and not pro-choice.

DaisyDown23 said...

Rape could happen at any hour of anyday. It doesnt have to be late at night and it doesnt have to be a woman for that matter. And the probability of getting pregnant after being raped is a little more rare than people would think A womans body becomes stressed and shocked. When paired with the fluke chance of the woman ovulating at the time she is raped makes it POSSIBLE but not as likely as believed. Rape is probably the most traumatizing experience a woman could go through and a baby would make it harder. Standing by your opinion based on faith is strong and admireable but if one was faced with it on a personal basis it would only be natural to question. Not your faith, but the outcome.

Athena Smith said...

1004
Rape often can not be prevented. The vast majority of rapes are committed by people you know.

Athena Smith said...

If one reads the opinion of the Roe v Wade decision that legalized abortion in the US you will see that one of the arguments is that there is no agreement on what separates human life from a human person. Biologists, physicians, theologians simply do not agree, sometimes not even among themselves. Furthermore, the constitution does not define “person” and one concludes that it is meant postnatally.

I copy from Justice Blackmun
"The Constitution does not define "person" in so many words. Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment contains three references to "person." The first, in defining "citizens," speaks of "persons born or naturalized in the United States." The word also appears both in the Due Process Clause and in the Equal Protection Clause. [] But in nearly all these instances, the use of the word is such that it has application only postnatally. None indicates, with any assurance, that it has any possible pre-natal application.

"All this, together with our observation, supra, that throughout the major portion of the l9th century prevailing legal abortion practices were far freer than they are today, persuades us that the word "person," as used in the Fourteenth Amendment, does not include the unborn. This is in accord with the results reached in those few cases where the issue has been squarely presented"

From the other side I copy
Justice BYRON WHITE who dissented:

"At the heart of the controversy in these cases are those recurring pregnancies that pose no danger whatsoever to the life or health of the mother but are, nevertheless, unwanted for any one or more of a variety of reasons -- convenience, family planning, economics, dislike of children, the embarrassment of illegitimacy, etc. . . .

"With all due respect, I dissent. I find nothing in the language or history of the Constitution to support the Court's judgment. The Court simply fashions and announces a new constitutional right for pregnant mothers and, with scarcely any reason or authority for its action, invests that right with sufficient substance to override most existing state abortion statutes. . . . As an exercise of raw judicial power, the Court perhaps has authority to do what it does today; but, in my view, its judgment is an improvident and extravagant exercise of the power of judicial review that the Constitution extends to this Court.”

DivineArtistStevie said...

I am pro-choice. I, personally, don't think that I would ever let myself have an abortion...but I think that women should have the option if they so choose. I think that women should be able to get an abortion if desire it, because: what if they were raped? what if they were under the age of 18? what if they could not support a child? what if it were a high-risk pregnancy? what if it was a drug addict? what if? That's what I think about when I think of abortion. I think that it should be a choice simply because the women that choose this feel that they are doing the right thing. I support choice.

Anonymous said...

I am pro-choice I feel that every women should be entitled to their own decision about what they want to do with their child. However, I would never allow a women I got pregnant to have an abortion, I think that it is a horrible act, and that no child should have to die before having a chance to live. If a women is so concerned about how hard it would be for them to have a child, then I don't see why they would have one. If a women thinks that if they got pregnant they would have the baby killed then they should avoid being pregnant in the first place by not having sex period.

Ro-twin said...

I am for PRO-LIFE! I do not believe in abortions. I think 9 out of 10 people know when two individuals have sex they know the consequences. Most of the time you end up with a baby who did not ask to come in the world. People these days are having sex with anyone exspecially when they meet them in a few seconds. It's not like the old days were you date and get married and than have sex. Women put themselves in this situation. They meet these guys and just have sex with them not even knowing these men very well than when they end up pregnant and these men leave them stuck with a decision to make. Too many women are putting themselves in a situation at a young age and they feel the only way out is abortion when it's not. Abstience is the key. Young women need to enjoy their lives before committing to a relationship that they know is not going to last. Also, if they are dating or conversating with a guy if all he thinks about is sex she needs to kick him to the curve. I know how these women are feeling inside because I was a 20 years old college student when i found out i was pregnant with twins and yes i kept them because i do not believe in ABORTION!!!!!!!!!!!!

countrygirl said...

Well, I do NOT believe in abortion unless it is very special circumstances. I think that rape victims and victims of incest should have to choose because they did not willing have sex. They were forced. I do not believe that abortion should be used as a form of birth control. If you are going to have consentual sex, you need to be prepared for the consequences. If you are not ready for a baby then you need to be using protection or not having sex at all. I know this girl who has had three abortions in the last year. Why can't she just use protection? You can buy condoms at pretty much any gas station or store and you can go to planned parenthood or the health department and get birth control. They are giving sex education in school. They are making it so easy for people to use protection. Why can't people amke the smart decision? I mean I know that I am not ready for a baby. Currently I am choosing to abstain from having sex and I my on the pill just in case. Please make the smart decision.

J_Rambo said...

I've always been pro-choice. I feel, along with others, that women should have the right to choose whether or not to have a baby. It's no one else's say. Of course you can't abort a baby thats 8 months into development, but it doesn't take that long to determine approximately what condition the baby will make her and it's life into. The computer programmer athena talks about DID get screwed there, and should have fought to be completely independent from that situation. That was HER choice, and SHE should now deal with it. Sign papers after the break-up that she wasn't pregnant if you have too. Maybe abortion was illegal where she lived and couldn't rid herself of the baby so she must stab someone in the back to care for it. We can't just point a finger at shelters and say, "They'll take it! Don't throw it away!" Unless you're willing to take in the baby yourself, let the woman choose her own fate.

Jeremy Marshall said...

I am 100 percent pro-life. People say it should be the woman's chocie, but what about the baby that you are killing when you have an abortion, that child doesnt have a say in it. If you can consider assited suicide murder than this should be considered murder too. Say what you will about certain situations as rape and what not, but what about the women who sleep around with loads of guys and have no intention of dealing with what comes after sex? Abortion should be 100 percent illegal, its killing an innocent human being who has no say in what happens.

Chris said...

I am against abortion completely. In my eyes, killing an unborn child is murder. Many people say that if the child has not developed yet (EX. One week of pregnancy) they have not killed a child. I say, no mater how far you are in the pregnancy you are still killing a child. Also many men and women don’t know the things that can result from an abortion. For example, out of 100% of women who have abortions, 70% have died with the child. Also when the women decide to have children after an abortion, the next child is born with serious disabilities.

araya said...

I am pro-choice and pro-life. I do not feel it is right for anyone to say what should be done in this case. I feel abortion is murder, but are women committing murder every time they have a period? I know some girls who have had more than one abortion because they are reckless. I think that is wrong. I think the government should come up with a system of regulating when and how many abortions should be performed. If the fetus is not developing right, or a woman got pregnant after being raped, then it should be allowed after extensive counseling. However, if a young woman continuously has abortions because she is not using contraception then that should be stopped. I know abortion clinics offer counseling, maybe they should make it mandatory to attend a sex education class as a part of the procedure. It is a women's own personal choice of what to do in this situation, but I think sex education should be taught better in our schools and communities. I also think contraception should be easier to access. Everyone and every case is different.

Live Your Life said...

My view has been and always will be towards the preservation and appreciation and each and every individual life. Me personally I will never have an abortion, however, with that being said as much as I am for life and living every moment of it, I more support free-will. Therefore, I do not think that the government should have a say in whether or not abortions should be legal. I feel that if you are against something then thats fine, but don't, by any means, try to force your opinions onto other people every one has a right to decide for themselves. A fetus in the womb does not have a name or a birth certificate, it has no identification, it has never taken a breath of air, by those means it is LEGALLY not a person yet, so an abortion is legally not murder. Don't get me wrong I would never have one of my own but I don't feel it is something that should be regulated by our government.

sweetklo020 said...

I am pro-choice. I believe that women should be able to choose if they want to have and abortion or stay pregnant. Pregnancy can take a big toll on one's body and some women can't handle it. I think that if a woman has been raped and turns out to be pregnant she should be able to have an abortion if she chooses. I couldn't imagine being raped and then carrying the baby full term and the child looks just like the man that raped you. Wouldn't that bother someone everyday of his or her life? I don't think abortion should be used like a contraceptive it should be used wisely. A woman would be wrong to accidentally get pregnant as a teen and then later in life get pregnant again and have another abortion. I think if a teenage girl gets pregnant she should also be able to choose what she wants. It isn't exactly correct to let her make the mistake and get away with it. Although, if the young girl carries the baby for 2 months and decides to abort the baby it will teach her a major lesson because if she has a heart she will hurt. If the girl carries the baby full term and has it more than likely the dad will not stick around. Now, this innocent baby will grow up without a father figure and be raised by a 15-year-old girl that can't even take care of herself.

Tara Johnson said...

I am 100% Pro-Choice I believe that it’s your decision and right as an American to choose what your future turns out like. As far as teenage pregnancy if you make a mistake as in not using the proper protection then, I believe you should be able to choose what to do. It’s your life no one else’s and if that’s what you want then so be it. I don’t think its right for somebody else to be able to tell you what to do when it’s your body. A prime example is rape if a woman is to become a rape victim I really don’t think its right for the state to make that poor lady produce a child that was under such circumstances and plus it would always bring back memories.

Athena Smith said...

Chris
This information that 70% of women die during abortions is wrong. Fronm the Center of Disease Control and Prevention I copy that the mortality rate for known legal induced abortion for 1993 to 1997 was 0.6 deaths per 100,000 legal abortions.

jadams05 said...

Iam pro-life because the baby should beable to live and have a life. Its not the childs fault that the parents were not responsible. Their is other choices for example adoptions and other relatives that might beable to take care of the baby. With adoption their are plenty of couples that dont have the chance to have a child that might want to adopt a child.I believe thy should keep the child alive and keep him/her in foster care.

tquintero728 said...

Personally I am Pro-Life. I do not believe in abortion. Even if the child is unplanned, that unborn child has come into the womb for a reason, there is a purpose. It’s not the unborn child’s fault that it isn’t wanted. The parents should have taken the necessary precautions. Having sex creates a baby, simply stated. If you aren’t ready to bare a child, then you have no business having sex. I know there are many down sides to the decision of pro-life, like if a woman is raped and it results in a pregnancy. I do recognize these horrible circumstances. But, in my opinion the horrible action of abortion itself is far worse then any of the cons of the decision of Pro-Life.

fporzio said...

I am pro-life. I firmly believe that at the moment of conception a child is made. I also believe that there are always alternatives to abortion, such as adoption; however, I do not think that it is my place to tell another woman what she can or cannot do. I feel that life is a gift from God, and that God has a plan for every life. When my friend’s mother was pregnant with her, the doctors told her mother that she was going to be born with Down’s syndrome and suggested that she consider having an abortion; she did not listen to them and wound up having a beautiful, healthy daughter that is one of the best friends I have ever had. If her mother had listened to them, she would have wound up terminating a perfectly healthy baby girl. I also believe that it is not our place to determine if a child has the right to live just because he or she may be born with a disability. I firmly believe that if a woman, or even a couple, does not want to have a child that she can place it up for adoption and allow a family that may not be able to have a child on their own experience the joy or raising that child.

squeen13 said...

I am pro choice. I think a woman has the right to decide what goes on with her body. If she doesn't want a baby them someone or some law shouldn't prevent here from not having one.
I know it is a controversial and some people think that abortion is murder. A fetus is still a cluster of cells and is completely helpless outside the womb. It is not a living thing, but kind of like a parasite. I know it sounds harsh, but it can't be murder if the fetus isn't classified as living.
Abortion should be legalized because then it could be regulated by the government. There would be approved clinics and doctors, and the risk of a botched abortion would be greatly eliminated. It would greatly help to reduce the medical risks and make the woman’s recovery easier.

msjessi said...

I am without a doubt pro-life! I believe that no one has the right to take away another person's life. I have never believed in murder under any circumstance. The way I see it, one never knows just who they're killing! They could be killing the next Michael Jordan (or anyone that could have been famous). Yes there's a flip side and you could be killing the next person that was going to end up throwing their life away, but that's just it, you never know! Why take a life away without even knowing what they could have been capable of? I think the issue of rape and some other circumstances are understandable but I still don't agree with that justifying an abortion. For people who just make careless choices like having unprotected sex, there are no excuses.

M.Gonzalez said...

I am Pro-Choice, for the simple fact that there are certain instances where a woman should have a choice for medical reasons to have an abortion. For example if a women has a severe health risk that could jeopardize her and the child life, also if it is known that a fetus will have a serious birth defect, that will endanger the mother’s life and child’s suffering (ex. Missing lungs or kidneys, etc.). However, it should be closely monitored by licensed physicians and approved by them. Also, there should be psychiatric counseling along with it, because it is truly in my opinion a traumatically experience. I don’t believe it should be allowed for women who are just irresponsible, and don’t follow the proper steps in using the many available forms of contraceptives. I believe those women should be put through the experience and hopefully they will learn and appreciate the miracle of life, and try to be more responsible when having sex.

vulcan925 said...

This one is a bit difficult, simply because I'm not a woman. I have no clue how childbirth affects women. I do believe that women should have a choice, however I still think the process is unnatural. There is no denying that a life will be lost. But, from what women tell me pregnancy is no light-hearted matter, rather an arduous ordeal. There are definately many negative effects that many women would understandably not want to endure for one day, let alone nine months. Women ought to have choice, though the choice should be made with the understanding that unfortunately a life will be lost. If my wife wanted to have an abortion I would be understanding and reason with her, but if she really wants it, I have no say. In fact no one has a say in a womans's choice except the woman. Perhaps it is time that the Church and the State realize that this matter is not a public affair, but a personal one. God nor the President has anything to do with it.

Megan said...

I am pro-life. I was born to a teenage mother while the father ran away from his responsibilities, yet she gave me up for adoption. If you make the choice to have sex you much take care of your responsibilities. If you do not want to have a child protection is available. But killing a living being for your own mistake is cruel, it's murder. Everyone deserves a chance at life no matter what. If a person cannot take care of their child adoption is an option. I understand those who believe young girls who were raped should have a chance to terminate the pregnancy but it was not the child's fault. The child could actually end up changing the world by the things they do. Who says a child will become the same as their parent? Everyone has a choice for who they become. Murdering is killing no matter the age. Why should a child not get a chance at life because their parent made a mistake. Being grown up enough to have sexual relations means being old enough to accept the consequences. Even a young child can tell who where a baby comes from, it is not a secret. My birth mother could have easily terminated her pregnancy and ended my life. I could have never had a chance for life or to even be in the class. Yet here I am because she decided a life was worth it, life is worth it.

HONEE said...

I AM PRO-CHOICE!!! IT SHOULD BE THE WOMENS CHOICE AS TO WHAT SHE WANTS FOR HER BODY. I THINK THAT THERE ARE VERY FEW GOOD REASONS FOR IT THOUGH. PEOPLE ARE LAZY AND CARELESS WITH THEMSELVES. YOU CAN GET FREE BIRTH CONTROL FROM PLANNING PARENTHOOD CENTERS ALL OVER. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR PEOPLE TO NOT BE SAFE. BEING A PARENT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE PLANNED. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE ALOT OF THINGS ARE IN ORDER BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO BRING ANOTHER LIFE INTO THIS WORLD. I ALSO THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS FIRST! THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT CANT HAVE A BABY AND WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP. I THINK I WOMEN SHOULD BE FREE TO CHOOSE!!!

btex said...

I am pro-choice. Just as someone should not be able to tell you that you can or cannot have assisted suicide the same applies here. Having a child whether it is planned or not is a big ordeal for a woman. They have to go thru the hormonal changes, the drastic change in their appearance. The women is the only one who can make the decision whether or not they are ready to go thru that type of life changing experience. Now don't get me wrong I am definitely all for a woman to have a child and don't condone an abortion but I don't believe it is anyones right to tell a woman that they have to carry a child for nine months. I also agree with Dubay that the male should have a choice in early in the pregnancy to have a financial abortion from the baby also if he decides he didn't want the baby but what should also come hand in hand with that he also gives up whatever parental he has to the baby so that a future husband of the mother could adopt the child without going thru the real father, because if you choose not to be financially there he should not be parentally there.I know from a my personal experiences, my brother and his ex girlfriend had an abortion and he was very unhappy with the choice for years to come and it weighed on his mind for many years, so it is not just a simple decision as to have an abortion it does some mental damage to people both mother and father but should always their choice.

kortneywithak2 said...

I am completely pro-choice. However I do not feel that abortion should be used as a form of birth control. I do not by any means feel it okay for someone to have multiple abortion. But if they do, it is our choice. If I were to become pregnant, I would have to say that abortion would be a very possible option. A child to be brought into a broken, unhealthy family is just as bad as ending its life before it ever really had one. It is one thing if you are trying to abort a baby at say 6 months pregnant, that inface is murder. The child has almost completely developed. However if you get it done within the first couple of weeks,t he baby is still the size of a baby pea. It would not suffer. Raising a child in a broken, the child would suffer much more.

mdowd said...

m.gonzalez, at the end of your comment, you said "I don’t believe it should be allowed for women who are just irresponsible, and don’t follow the proper steps in using the many available forms of contraceptives. I believe those women should be put through the experience and hopefully they will learn and appreciate the miracle of life, and try to be more responsible when having sex."

i'm curious about what you mean here. are you saying that women who are "irresponsible" and "don't follow the proper steps" should be punished by having a child that they don't want, and/or can't support? i have to wonder, if that is the case, who you think that helps? i can't see the value in forcing a child to grow up unloved and/or improperly cared for as a means to a potential lesson to a woman. please explain?

Athena Smith said...

I am not sure if you guys read the opinion of the court that legalized abortion.
Very briefly, let me state the core of the argument. Human life is indeed a cell, or a divided cell or an embryo. But is it a human person? How do you define a human person from a biological point of view? The disagreement among doctors, biologists and theologians is serious.

Secondly, consider in vitro fertilization (test tube fertilization). Does this fertilized egg have all the rights of a living person? Does the mother have the obligation to eventually implant it in her uterus? For if she does not, this embryo will be discarded eventually.

Finally, when we have two people inside one body, is it easy or feasible to award them equal rights, or do the rights of the one supercede the rights of the other?
Food for thought... what do you think?

Athena Smith said...

Megan... I am happy you are around!:))

mdowd said...

the subject of defining life is discussed in this article: http://8e.devbio.com/article.php?id=162

a summary of viewpoints is as follows:

* The metabolic view: There is no one point when life begins. The sperm cell and egg cell are as alive as any other organism.

* The genetic view: A new individual is created at fertilization. This is when the genes from the two parents combine to form an individual with unique properties.

* The embryological view: In humans, identical twinning can occur as late as day 12 pc. Such twinning produces two individuals with different lives. Even conjoined ("Siamese") twins can have different personalities. Thus, a single individuality is not fixed earlier than day 12. (In religious terms, the two individuals have different souls). Some medical texts consider the stages before this time as "pre-embryonic." This view is expressed by scientists such as Renfree (1982) and Grobstein (1988) and has been endorsed theologically by Ford (1988), Shannon and Wolter (1990), and McCormick (1991), among others. (Such a view would allow contraception, "morning-after" pills, and contragestational agents, but not abortion after two weeks.)

* The neurological view: Our society has defined death as the loss of the cerebral EEG (electroencephalogram) pattern. Conversely, some scientists have thought that the acquisition of the human EEG (at about 27 weeks) should be defined as when a human life begins. This view has been put forth most concretely by Morowitz and Trefil (1992). (This view and the ones following would allow mid-trimester abortions).

* The ecological/technological view: This view sees human life as beginning when it can exist separately from its maternal biological environment. The natural limit of viability occurs when the lungs mature, but technological advances can now enable a premature infant to survive at about 25 weeks gestation. (This is the view currently operating in many states. Once a fetus can be potentially independent, it cannot be aborted.)

* The immunological view: This view sees human life as beginning when the organism recognizes the distinction between self and non-self. In humans, this occurs around the time of birth.

* The integrated physiological view: This view sees human life as beginning when an individual has become independent of the mother and has its own functioning circulatory system, alimentary system, and respiratory system. This is the traditional birthday when the baby is born into the world and the umbilical cord is cut.

my own belief would most closely resemble the neurological view.

Athena Smith said...

Mdowd
What a bibliography there! Well done!

I read that they refer to the embryo as "human life" or "individual". I gather that some eqaute "individual" with "human person." This where the disagreement lies.

Quite a job Mdowd!

Anonymous said...

This is a very hard subject to discuss, because everyone has their own opinion, but it is a very important one. I am both pro-choice, and pro-life... Let me explain.

I believe under certain circumstances, abortion is ok. Say, rape for instance. If a girl or woman is raped, they should have the choice to abort it. While some rape victims are ok with keeping the baby (I don't know why they would be), I could completely understand why one would not want to keep it.

On the other hand, I believe in pro life. I think you should not be having sexual relationships, unless you are ready to have a baby. Teenage girls who get pregnant should not be allowed an abortion. If you get pregnant due to bad decision making, you should have to deal with the consequences. Now, the girl should not HAVE to keep the baby, but killing it because of a mistake YOU made is just plain wrong.

jmcdonald10 said...

I am pro-choice, and I think that it is very wrong when people preach to girls about what is the right thing to do. When it comes down to it, in most cases, it is the mother and baby who are left by themselves. Since the mother is responsible for the baby it should be up to the mother to decide if she is ready to bring another person in this world. If a girl truly doesn’t want a baby, a law is not going to stop her from aborting it. I think that when a baby is brought into this world it should have all the necessary things to be bought up right, and I don’t know how many young teenagers have that kind of money, emotions, or really anything to be a mother. I do understand that many adults who are marriage have kids and cannot support them fully, but those people are adults and should know better.

jalane88 said...

I am pro-life. I do see the side of women who are raped and taken advantage of and I realize that that would be a very tough situation to be in, but I still feel very strongly about pro-choice. I do not see why another life should have to suffer. It was not that baby's fault that you were raped or hurt. I don't see why the unborn child should have to pay. I just think that if you are under no conditions to have the child, give it up for adoption. There are so many people in this world who can not have children and have trouble conceiving. I know plenty of families who have adopted children because they could not have their own. I see abortion as murder. Once a child is conceived it is a life and if you take that life, I see it as murder.

Lucretia said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lucretia said...

The argument about abortion is such a waste of time. Whether it is legal or not, it wouldn’t really make a difference as to how many people got abortions anyways. There are other options though…
Rape? Unfortunately, it happens. There are morning-after pills, and even home remedies for abortions, even adoption is an option in some instances. It’s a horrible situation to be in; I don’t wish it upon anyone.
Accident? Those happen too. But the circumstances are different. In this case it could be described as an accident that you primarily played a part in. You should be using a condom or birth control in the first place if you are sexually active. If that doesn’t work, there are still morning-after pills, and adoption. Or, if none of those sound good and you just have to abort, invite a friend over and get out a clothes-hanger.
I for one AM pregnant, whether I want to be or not. But I’m not going to be selfish. I may not be financially or emotionally ready, but its time to grow up and take responsibility for myself. I have never even thought about an abortion. I am a perfectly healthy, working woman with a real man who loves me and there is no reason why I shouldn’t go through with this. My life is not about me anymore, and I don’t mind.
I am neither pro-life nor pro-choice. Abortion happens regardless, and it will always be around.

“Massacre the innocents
A slaughter without meaning
Bleed, screaming

Only one remains untouched
Her fate is violation
Vile
Impregnation”

“Torn from your body
Removed while you scream
Dissect to collet, my blade now reams
Pieces of flesh lie by the side
Worn on my body or put on display

Crudely I cut away
All are my prey
Tell me how it feels when your flesh is peeled
You are vain with your art
I desire it torn apart…”

aw6349 said...

I am pro-choice because it is your decision if you want to keep the child or have an abortion. It is my personal opinion though that if you end up pregnant because you were fooling around and forgot to use protection then you should have to keep the child because it is your responsibility to take your actions into consideration. You chose to have sex so it is your responsibility to raise the child because you didn’t think before you acted. Now if you were raped or molested as a child then it is your right to choose whether or not you want to keep the child. If you can stand to have the child then I say go for it; it’s like I always say what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. If you can’t have the child then you should have an abortion because that would be the best for the unborn child and for you because I know that child would be a constant reminder of what happened to you. Some people can deal with it some can’t, the choice is yours. I am basically undecided because everyone makes mistakes and you just have to deal with the consequences. Then again on the other hand you will have more people getting illegal abortions because the government passed the law that you can only have an abortion in special cases. I guess what I am trying to say is that the abortion law should stay the same as it is now. I am pro choice; I guess you could say.

Athena Smith said...

Lucretia,
I think I can speak for the whole class when I say we are happy for you and the baby. Best wishes!

gator_girl26 said...

I am absolutely 100% Pro-Life. I believe abortion is an awful procedure. In the case of teenage pregnancies, I believe that if you feel adult enough to make the decision of having sex, then you should be adult enough to own up to the consequences that may follow. Killing an innocent unborn child is cruel and is also known as murder. There are other options given if you do not want or cannot handle a child financially. It’s called adoption. There are so many couples who aren’t as fortunate to be able to create a life on their own who would love the opportunity to adopt a child and give it all the love and care that it deserves. This is why teenagers should think about the consequences they may face before they decide to have sex.

tampa250 said...

I HATE TO SAY IT BUT I AGREE WITH BOTH TH PRO-LIFE AND CHOICE. bringing life into the world is a beatiful thing but when you abuse by not having safe sex it can become almost ashame causing the erge to want to have an abortion. it depends on what the sitiuation is, some women get rape and become pregnant so now what should she do? its her body and she has to do what she got to do. hopefully adoption will ring a bell but maybe she does not want to go thru with the nine months of being pregnant. not only that some women accidently become pregnant and want to keep the child but cant afford it now what should she do? so its a win and loose sitaution. just practice safe sex if that dont work dont have sex until you are mature enof to understand having a baby is a big step in life. and for the women who cant afford it adoption is there its plenty of people who cant have kids in life.

Karma Chameleon said...

This has always been a very touchy subject. In light of the data, however, I think abortions should be more acceptable – for whatever reason – around the world. Obviously, the illegality of the procedure hasn’t deterred people. To legalize it only makes sense. It would help women by not forcing them to resort to unsafe ways of terminating their pregnancies. I can see both sides of the argument, but ultimately I think I side with the principle that a woman can do whatever she wants with her body – especially if the pregnancy is harmful to her or her baby or is a product of rape.

WhiteChoc said...

I am Pro-Choice! There are many factors that surround the choices of woman who decide to have abortions. Woman should have the right to decide if this decision is the right one for them. In making that decision they should have the comfort of knowing they can get this procedure performed in a safe environment by trained professionals. This is not an easy decision and regardless of the end result it will cross their mind at various times in their life. I do not believe this should be used as a form of birth control, for those who are irresponsible. I cannot imagine why an individual who has experienced this once not learning the lesson to practice safe sex to ensure they do not have to experience it again. It is in the best interest of everyone to have abortion be legal. That allows policies and safety procedures to be in place.

Anonymous said...

I am pro-choice. I believe a woman can do anything she wants to, its her body. No one has the right to tell a woman what she can or cant do with her body. With that said, I believe abortion is wrong. But like i have said, I have no right to tell a woman if she can have an abortion or not.

So what is the solution to the abortion question? Well first there will always be abortions, legal or not. So where is the middle ground between abortion and no abortion? Birth control. If birth control, like condoms and the pill were used more then abortion wouldn't even have to be considered.

Mousie101 said...

I am pro-life. It is the couple’s mistake for deciding the have sex without a condom and they should deal with the consequences. If they truly do not want the baby, then have someone else become legal guardians or put it up for adoption. If the incident was rape, then that is another story. I still believe, however, that you should not kill an innocent, unborn baby. It may not be completely aware of what is going on, but it is still living and growing and deserves a chance, if not with the birth parents but with someone who will care for the baby and give the baby unconditional love. In the United States it is legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy. If it were to stay legal, then it should be legal only in the first trimester, even then, however, it begins to look like a baby just after a couple of weeks. You can see the eyes, hands, fingers, feet, and toes. Who would really want to hurt and kill something that looks that cute?

Liz419 said...

I am Pro-Life. If you did the deed accept the responsibility. It is not the only way out. If a person feels unfit to be a mother for emotional, financial, etc. reasons and simply knows they are unfit to be a parent at that time in their lives there is adoption. There are so many couples wanting to adopt a child there is no reason for this other than a person wanting to hide what they have been doing because they feel ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, etc. This life did not ask to be born. Although I am strongly pro-life and I am Christian and as a Christian I believe God gave us fee will to choose to live our life right or wrong, it is free will. I tried not to judge people because you never know their circumstances, what they've been through what their past is. But I am still Pro-Life.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I am pro-choice on these terms:

"Every woman has, within the limits of nature, the right to choose what will or will not happen to her body. Every woman has, at the same time, the responsibility for the way she uses her body. If by her choice she behaves in such a way that a human fetus is conceived, she has not only the right to, but also the responsibility for that fetus. If it is an unwanted pregnancy, she is not justified in ending it with the claim that it interferes with her right to choose. She herself chose what would happen to her body by risking pregnancy. She had her choice. If she has no better reason, her conscience should tell her that abortion would be a highly irresponsible choice.

"What constitutes a good reason? Since a human fetus has intrinsic and infinite human value, the only good reason for an abortion would be the violation or deprivation of, or the threat to the woman's right to choose what will or will not happen to her body. Social, educational, financial, and personal considerations alone do not outweigh the value of the life that is in the fetus. These considerations by themselves may properly lead to the decision to place the baby for adoption after its birth, but not to end its existence in utero.

"The woman's right to choose what will or will not happen to her body is obviously violated by rape or incest. When conception results in such a case, the woman has the moral as well as the legal right to an abortion because the condition of pregnancy is the result of someone else's irresponsibility, not hers. She does not have to take responsibility for it. To force her by law to carry the fetus to term would be a further violation of her right. She also has the right to refuse an abortion. This would give her the right to the fetus and also the responsibility for it. She could later relinquish this right and this responsibility through the process of placing the baby for adoption after it is born. Whichever way is a responsible choice."

Celina said...

I am pro-choice. I have discussed this topic with many other people and I completely feel that women and men should both have a choice as to the outcome of their pregnancy. I know many people personally who have had abortions simply because of the fact that there have been accidents or there have been times where people are not ready for this responsibility. I understand that this choice may be offensive to others however I feel like I should have complete control over my actions. I would much rather see a young person have an abortion because they are aware they would not be able to provide a good life for their child instead of having it losing out on their education raising a child in often times extremely poor conditions. I feel like just as you have a choice in the clothes you where, the car you drive, the color hair you have you should have a choice on whether or not you are ready to have a child.

Unknown said...

...in other words, a woman has the right to choose what she does with her body just the same as we have the right to choose what we do with a vehicle that we own. Choosing consequences of actions would be like telling a judge what the sentence should be after you appear in court for willful manslaughter with a motor vehicle.

And, if I might be so bold as to add: teaching birth control in schools is like giving out radar detectors in driver's ed. Instead of just teaching people to go the speed limit [abstinence] we would be showing teenagers how to hide their mistakes, encouraging them to disregard lawful behavior [encouraging promiscuity].

APhilibert said...

I am pro-choice. I believe that the freedom of choice is the greatest thing about our country. If a woman chooses to terminate her unborn child, she probably does it for a good reason. If abortion did not exist, and the woman had to have the baby, it would be just that: an unwanted baby that she had no choice but to have. A child is a huge and sometimes stressful responsibility for women who want children. An unwanted child would not receive the proper care and love that is detrimental to developing properly. There is an actual disorder called Nonorganic failure to thrive that results from the lack of parental love. The babies body looks wasted, and they are withdrawn and apathetic. The point is, if a child is not wanted, they are not going to have a good life. The book Freakonomics actually attributes the decline in crime in the 1990’s to the legalization of abortion. They looked at the states with who legalized abortion earlier than the rest, and found that their crime rates dropped proportionately sooner than the rest of the states. They also looked at the correlation between abortion rates and crime rates in all the states. The states with the highest abortion rates in the 1970s experienced the greatest crime drop in the 1990s. I’m not saying that I’m pro-choice because I want safer streets. It’s just that criminals generally don’t come from wonderful caring families who can afford children. I believe that women have the right to do as they please with their body. I know that I definitely don’t want anybody telling me what I can and can not do.

hrad said...

I feel that I stand as pro-choice. It is the women’s right to choose whether she should give birth or not. Whether the pregnancy was caused by rape or unsafe sex, abortions should be legalized. It is better for both the child and parent’s life to be able to have abortions, and this way more children that are born are wanted by their parents. Women who have unexpected pregnancies aren’t ready to start a family. It is not good to see a successful young women drop everything to care for a child she’s not ready for. Children should be wanted and have parents that can and will care for them throughout their life. Sex is part of our culture and a woman should not have to go to dangerous lengths to have an abortion.

khester2 said...

I am 100% against abortion. I believe that it is murder, plain and simple. I completely understand that unplanned pregnancies happened but just because you don’t feel like having a child that doesn’t give you the right to kill your baby. There are many alternatives to abortion, such as, putting the child up for adoption or letting a close relative raise the child. We normally hear about how great abortions are because it makes couples lives easier because they don’t have to worry about having an unwanted child. However, what we are not told is that many women become severely depressed soon after they have an abortion. They never forget what they saw during this horrible experience and they are never the same afterwards. I read a testimony of a lady that had gotten an abortion. she says that the memory of her “baby in a jar” haunts her to this day, although, it has been many years since her abortion and she will never go through that again. I could not even imagine what that would be like. I do not think that anyone should be allowed to put a baby in a jar or to do any of the other inhumane things these “doctors” do to abort babies. Abortions should be illegal and no one, under any circumstance, should commit these murders.

RoxyChic0529 said...

I am torn with this topic. I do think it should be the mother's choice to decide what happens with her body and that of the unborn fetus. On the other hand, i have researched information on abortion and seen photos of aborted babies and felt that it is something no innocent child should suffer. By the fourth week of pregnancy, a baby's brain, spinal cord, heart and other organs begin to form. By the fifth week a baby's heart starts to beat. I give you these facts because some people will argue that having an abortion within the first few months of pregnancy is just killing a "clump of cells" or something. I argue that it is not a "clump of cells" you are getting rid of. Reading the facts on how the abortion procedures are done disturbed me to say the least. We may not know it but buy 8 weeks, a fetus can feel pain. So with partial birth abortions (where the baby is delievered, all but the head and then a pair of scissors are stabbed into the base of the baby's skull. a suction catheter is then inserted and the baby's brains are sucked out) the unborn baby suffers. During a partial birth abortion, the baby has been known to move about up until the brains are sucked out through the catheter. I do not think abortion should be used as a method of birth control. If two people feel they are ready to have sex, they should be prepared to handle the consequences and possible outcomes that go along with having unprotected sex. Many young girls today are having abortions simply because they do not want to be mothers at such a young age. If this is the case, then young girls should think twice before being sexually active. Sex is fun, and feels good, but it also comes with physical and emotional changes and responsabilities that many young people are NOT ready to handle at such a young age. In conclusion, I guess i would say i am both Pro life and Pro choice.

JamesCowan said...

I am pro choice, but I do think that it is a horrific thing to do. I believe fundamentally in people's freedom, after all God made us so as to be able to make our own choices; however, abortion is the worst choice that one can possibly make.

My basis on this is that the Torah tells us that god said: "Anyone who offers their son or daughter up to molech shall be cut off from his kin for all generations." Molech was a bull god usually kept as a statue with a kiln in the bottom and a hole in the mouth where you would put your child. Sacraficing a child was thought to bring Molech's favor. When someone offers their child to Molech, God commands that that man and all his descendants are cut off from the community.

I imagine that a side benefit of sacraficing a child would be in step with our own ideas about abortion. With abortion we free up our own bodies to do labor, we get rid of excess or malformed children so the children we keep have more resources and less competition. Likely, these ideas were on the minds of the ancients when they performed child sacrafice; likewise, God imposes the same punishment, exile from one's kin.

I feel that child sacrafice is a greedy and materialistic approach to life wherein we end one life to aid another. Cant we just practice a little self restraint and abstinence instead of reverting to barbaric child sacrafice?

sunflower said...

I think that women should have the right to make decision if they will give birth to their child or choose abortion. It is women should go through nine month difficult time before they give birth to their child. Also, as mothers, women take more responsibilities for nursing their children than the fathers do. People do not live just for whatever lives, they are perusing happy life. If the mother do not prepared well, she and her children will face many problems. So, women should learn how to protect themselves and know if they are powerful to protect their children before they get pregnant. Same as women, before letting their girls get pregnant, men should prepare too. Men should respect women’s decision. For raising a child, both a woman and a man should take the responsibilities as a mother or a father, not just paying child support.

Pamber said...

This article seems to be addressing two issues, one discussing pro-life and pro-choice and two the discussion of unsafe abortions. I will address both. First off my best friend of 15 years recently encounters this decision. She chose adoration. It was surprisingly very emotionally for me (sadly more so than for her) and hard to be a moral support for her. Not only do I personal have an overwhelming want to have children I know the day I discover I’m pregnant no matter the situation, it will be the happiest day of my life. But, I have chosen to take birth control until I have established a career and can provide for a child. In her situation the pregnancy came about by cheating on her boyfriend and she seemed to care less that she was debating ending a life she irresponsible created but was more concerned about her self and relationship. This is why I couldn’t agree more with mdowd decision and statement, “I felt then that it was better than allowing a child to be born into such uncertain circumstances.” I completely believe in pro-choice from watching my best friend. I couldn’t imagine a person of her nature nor under the circumstances does being able to provide a life a child deserve. In regards to the battle of unsafe abortions being preformed I agree with Sharon Camp, president and chief executive officer of the Guttmacher Institute. “The only way to decrease unsafe abortion is to increase contraception,”.

michelleL said...

I cannot pick a side because i have neevr been in the position of getting an abortion. I am against killing the baby at any stage- I think its wrong in many ways. Once agian I've never been in that position. I would never look down upon anyone who has gotten an abortion since I have some friends who have had abortions. On the other hand I do have A LOT of RESPECT for those young mothers who choose to have the baby !

phillyfan said...

I am pro-life because I think a baby is a baby as soon as the sperm meets the egg. It is not fair for this poor fetus to have its chances for a good life taken away because a careless mother and father have decided not to be responsible and keep what they have made. If by chance a girl was raped and did not want the baby then she should have it and put it up for adoption for a family who is unable to have children. I believe yes it should be the parents to keep the baby for their own but its not their choice to kill the child. The nine months of emotions the mother may go through should be a small price for a wonder miracle, that is life. If a woman fins out shes pregnant and she wants to keep it, it is then felt like a baby for her and the people around her. If one month later she breaks up with her boyfriend and now does not want it, it then is concidered a fetus not a baby. Is this right? I dont think so do you? When is a baby a baby?

Jackedupballerina said...

Did anyone think of the movie Juno when they read this? Anyways..I lean more over pro-life. I dont think anyone has the right to end life. I understand some people are victims of rape, abuse and so on. The baby/life growing inside has no fault of what happened to you. If you dont want to be responsible for that life theres always adoption and people who can't have children willing to give them a nice family and home.
If you don't want to have children be safe and use some kind of contraception and avoid this whole "problem" if thats all you can think of when this topic comes up. Believe me when I say accidents happen, but you've got to step up and do what you got to do to make sure the life you created is well off with you or without you.

Athena Smith said...

Stevie_d
Well, I think that a radar protects you against getting a ticket, not against having an accident. Therefore if a driving school were doing only that then it would not be achieving anything.
Since we use analogies, let me continue on the same path. What protects you against an accident and possible injury is not only respecting the speed limit, but also ABS, seat belts and air bags.

catlvr42 said...

I am pro-choice. I believe every woman, no matter what the circumstance was that got them pregnant and their reasons for not having the baby, should have the right to a safe legal abortion. If we made abortion illegal we would be doing an injustice by inreasing the number of unsafe abortions and unwanted children in the world. I have known women that have had abortions and in each case it was a hard decision and afterwards it was a devistating feeling of loss. Abortion is not always about rape or carelessness. Some women who have planned pregnancies that just go genetically wrong. In cases where woman have a severly deformed fetus it may be too emotionally and physically straining to carry these babies to term. As difficult as it may be, I can't imagine being stuck in a situation without an option.

Dawid said...

I personally am pro-life and believe and agree also with the statement by Shirley.That she felt that cases of rape, incest, pre-term fatal conditions or teen pregnancies are the only cases that would have a right to an abortion. But at the same time i dont agree with abortion at all and I strongly disagree with it. Simply because two reasons, with abortion no matter what at the end of the day its taking a life and we have no right to do that why just ask yourself how would you feel if your parents did abortion with you, my second reason is that feel God gave us his love and a gift and that gift is our children or the gift of producing children and by not accepting our children and condon abortion were saying we dont accept God's gift or even him.

gjones17 said...

I am pro-choice. I believe women have the right to choose what they want to do with their bodies. It is the women who have to carry the baby around for nine months; therefore, their decision on whether to have the baby or not should be their decision. However, I think women should really only have abortions if they were raped, if it was incest, or if the women knew that the baby was in bad condition to where it wouldn't live a normal life (ex. disease, down-syndrome, or fetal conditions). Women who are extremely sexually active, or pregnant teens who do not do anything to prevent getting pregnant shouldn't look to abortion as the answer.

pink blossom said...

I am 100% pro-life. I do not believe in abortions. Life is a gift from God and every child deserve a chance to live. We are no one to judge who lives and who dies(in the eyes of God). I don't think that just because you have an unborn child with Down Syndrome that you should terminate the baby. I work for OB/GYN and I see this all the time. I translate for spanish speaking patients in the clinic and believe it or not 4 out of 5 terminate the baby due to Down Syndrome. That's very sad. I also believe that God know every child before they were created in the womb. People don't realize that having an abortion can effect your body for the rest of your life. In my opinoin give baby up for adoption. There are alot of women that can not have childrens that want to adopt.

JC_Lims said...

I am totally pro Life. Honestly, It is just sad to see the majority said they are Pro-choice; more over, it is heartbroken for me if women said they are pro-choice. An abortion is a murder to the innocent life after all. Being born as a woman, I am still consider that later I will become a mother. No matter what circumstance that make women become pregnant, they should get the “feeling” as a female. Having sex with
Protection or not , people should take the consequence from what they have done. In the case of rape, incest, or teen pregnancies I believe that something happens because a reason. These unborn babies deserve the right to life, for they are like a gift from God. Abortion is not the best way to solve the problem because there are many alternative like adoption, and giving the baby to be raised by relatives. It is based on what I have thought and seen that many young teenage just take the easy way to get rid from their pregnancy without looking to the outside that there are many women having trouble in conceiving want to have a baby.
I took example of my aunt, she has been married for almost 7 years but still does not have a kid. Many ways she has done but the result is still negative. It is just hopeless to see how women take the baby away from their womb without regret it, on the other side my aunt does all the things to get this God’s unique creature.

FDLE:OnlyPlace4Me said...

I am Pro-Life, If you have an abortion you are killing your son/daughter. For those of you saying women should have the choice, they did have the choice. they choose to have sex,which in th end produced a baby. They commited the action now face reality. In the topic it stated that we need to legalize abortions because several people die doing them in illegal countries in unsafe areas for example. In my oppinion this thought process is 100% wrong! Thast the same thing as saying: my wife took some extacy and died because it was laced with some poisons. then the government saying oh we need to make it legal so its tested and safe from lacing. Not the best example but im sure you get my point. When people refuse to obey the laws they must be punished, You are responsible for your actions whether it be your life, or his/her life; Deal with it.

Alex said...

I Feel Abortion Is Right In Some Cases. Many Bad Situations Happen In This World Like "Rape" Or "Incest" And The Girl Ends Up Getting Pregnant From It. Did She Want This? No And That's Why I Feel If Any Woman Should Even Consider An Abortion, It Should Be Dealing With One Of Those Tragic Happenings. Getting An Abortion Though Because It Was Just A Mistake With Their Partner Is, To Me, Wrong. I Mean You Have To Realize The Kind Of Pressure Being Put On The Girl And The Possibility Of Injury Or Even Death. Abortion I Think Is Just An Easy Escape From Having To Care For Another Person. If Someone Has To Get An Abortion, It Just Shows That Girl Can't Even Take Care Of Herself. Why Take The Chance Of Having Possibly Unprotected Sex, If You're Not Willing To Care For The Consequence?

awal said...

I probably lean more towards prochoice. I think that the woman should be able to dedcide whether not to keep their baby or not. BUT I do not think that the prochoice decision should take people off the hook of worrying about contraception. I do not think that an abortion is another easy way out birth control method. I think that the woman should have to prove that she was trying to prevent the pregnancy she does not want, whether that be by showing proof of birthcontrol pills or what not. I think that the prochoice decision if beneficial in ways that if a woman gets raped, she can get rid of the unwanted baby that was concieved under not so good terms.

roxanita said...

There is nothing free in this world. Yes, your body is yours, you should make your decision, but once you have made a mistake (that's when people tend to take action and point fingers) it was the responsibility of both partners to have the decision of having sex with or with out thinking of the outcomes, with or with out protection, not just for pleasure and small talk. If this was a century ago or more, people wouldn’t have the mentality they have now about abortion, they would have to take it either way, so because we are more advanced now does that mean it’s right to have an abortion? Or is it because you don’t want to be looked at the wrong way? I am pro-life.

KathleenB said...

Weather Abortions are legal or not, women have found away to get one if they really feel that is what they must do. Right here in the States Abortions were not always legal, as a matter of fact women in the 1950's would go to a "Garage Doctor" and have a "close-hanger abortion" or worse they would try to do it themselves, many died.

Morally this is a very difficult decision, In 1983 i found out I was pregnant, I was only 15 at the time and a year away from graduation. I was lucky my parents was behind me 100% no matter what I decided. That was (even after 27 years)one of the hardest decisions I have ever been through. Even though my parents did not say anything, I saw the hurt and pain they felt. My Father used to go to church every Sunday, until then...

On a deeper side you never forgive yourself for having to make that kind of decision. Before my Son was born I carried a lot of guilt and hate, I was mad at the World. When God gave me another chance and and Blessed me with my Son, that is when my life really started. I could feel feelings again...

By not offering a clean safe place for these women, you could not only lose one life, but maybe two if the patient dies. Instead of judging someone for doing this maybe you should pray they will find their soul again.

lidget33 said...

I am pro-choice. Having a clinic where you can get the abortion done by professionals is necessary. It is sad to see those figures of women who die because they have to go to illegal untrained clinics. It is a very difficult decision to make and there’s not a lot of time to think it over. I think after having one there is a lot of mixed and confused feelings but it is definitely a decision we should be able to make. The decision should be up to the person carrying the baby and no one else. Obviously there will be abortions whether it is legal or not so it is best to just have safe clinics available for women to go to.

heather said...

I am pro-choice. I think women, and their partner, if not single, should have the option of abortion if for some reason they aren’t ready. That does cause a bit of a problem for couples who disagree on the subject and ultimately it’s up the woman to decide. Majority of the people that get an abortion are teenagers and single women though. However, I’ve recently been put under circumstances to where I realized I couldn’t personally go through with having an abortion. I contemplated the idea, but it didn’t take but an hour to come to the conclusion of keeping him/her. I don’t think it’s the “right” choice to have an abortion, but at the same time I feel that who am I to determine someone else’s decision. Many people above are”100% pro-life”, I would love to see how they would react if they found out they were pregnant. Its not an easy decision, its extremely hard and no matter what you decide to do its still emotional either way.

Athena Smith said...

Heather
I thank you for the personal story! I wish you all the best!

figlio della lupa said...

I admit I come from a more conservative catholic background. It always seemed wrong to me. However, it is different until you actually get in the position yourself. About 3 years ago while having an "intimate" moment with my girlfriend at the time, there was a ripped condom(thank god for the false alarm.) But it made me realize something..that the first thing that came to my mind was abortion. I felt like a big hypocrite, so now I am pro-choice. We were both young and it would have been very very tough to have a child. However, having been at the other side at one time..I can understand why some people can be pro-life. The thought of ending a life that way is still haunting.

AlyssaBeene said...

I am very pro-life. I believe that if you make the mistake of getting pregnant you should not kill the child you created. If you do not want the baby or can not take care of it there are plenty of options out there for adoption as most people that want to adopt, want to do so with a baby not a toddler or older child. Sometimes you can be set up with a couple that will pay all of your medical expenses during the pregnancy and birth as long as you and the baby are healthy. If it is too much of a burden to deal with this kind of situation then you shouldnt be having sex. Accepting responsibility for your actions is key.

BucFan1984 said...

I would have to say I’m would lean more to pro-choice the mother needs to be able to make the decision on whether they want to keep the child and if they are able to support it. I do see the point of the pro-life argument it is a life that is being extinguished before it has a chance to shine. It is one of those things where the child could be put up for adoption but the mother may have gotten pregnant at a bad time for the mom. She could be in her sophomore year in high school and doesn’t want to carry full term to put it up for adoption. There is also the adopted child who years later want to find their biological parents and find out why. So I think that it is up to the mother whether they want to go through the whole process.

Athena Smith said...

figlio della lupa
I think you are one of the few who saw both sides of the debate.

Avon said...

I am pro-choice and pro-life. I think that you should have the choice to abort a pregnacy if their is need for this. If a women is rape she should have the choice to abort the baby. I also think if she is not to fall along she should have the choice to stop the pregnacy. I think if she more than a few months she should have the baby. If she decide that she don't want the baby she can give the child up for adoption. I think if you know that the baby not going to be health,than you should have the choice to abort.

Unknown said...

I am going to stick with pro-life. I dont think its right to take the life of someone away if you started the situaton to begin with. If you decide to have sex with someone, no matter what the situation may be, you are agreeing to all the consequences that might occur. Its like signing a contract, once you have sex you are taking the responsibility of getting pregnant, or any thing else that may come along. Like when you sign a contract with a cell phone company, you have a certain plan and are entitled to so much usage, and if you make any overages, you got to pay up!! I am a firm believer you have to accept it, you made the choice to have unprotected sex, so you need to man up!
I have a friend which had this procedure done about 5 or 6 years ago. There isnt one day that goes by that she doesnt think about it. Its a very emotional situation to go through and a very hard process to get over, if you ever do. She regrets having done, but at the time she was so young and really didnt put much thought into it. You have to remember, having an abortion comes with a lot of depression, its not just you get the procedure done and thats it. Thats something that you will have to live with always, and just do nothing but wonder, "what if?"...She is accepting to the fact that she did it, but would never do it again. She was really young at the time, and if she would have known more then about abortions than what she does now she would have never gone through it then. Luckily it was a safe procedure and she is able to have children.
In cases like rap or incest, I understand the woman didnt make the choice, but thats why there is such thing as adoption or having someone else raise the child for you. You have to remember, that child has no clue about how it happened and is no way at fault....

Petit Monde said...

My stand is for pro-life and I absolutely do not believe in abortion. I consider having the ability to bring life to this world to be a miracle. It really hits a nerve hearing news about abandoned newborns found in dumpsters, bathrooms or schools because mothers or fathers decided not to take responsibility. I remembered being very upset when I stumbled on an article about this teenager who gave birth during her prom night and ended up killing the baby. What occurred was inexcusable in every angle, regardless if the pregnancy was unwanted. I sympathized to those who were victims of rape and understand reasons of not wanting to have remembrance of the horrible crime, but what happened was not the baby’s fault and therefore should not pay for it. I am aware that going through pregnancy and having the baby is expensive. Some people find that as a reason not to keep the child, but there are other options. The government has programs to assist with some of the expenses. Also now, you can drop a newborn to a hospital, no questions asked. There are a lot of couples out there who are unable to have a child on their own and thus find hope in adoption. The opportunity to care for a child in my opinion can be very rewarding, so if I were to get pregnant planned or not, I will definitely be happy about it and accept it.

Rashera88 said...

I am Pro-life because I believe that a unborn child is a living being that killing it would be murder.When a woman goes through with the abortion she does not only suffer with infections but with emotional turmorial.The fact that the unborn child is there you feel that its the unborn child's fault that its there when you should be blaming your partner and yourself or if you were raped then blame the rapist.The unborn child is a part of you so tell me this are you willing to kill a part of yourself in order to take a load off your life. Are you willing to throw away many years of happiness? Can you live the rest of your life knowning that you killed a child? you shold ask yourselves these questions and there is many more. Just keep this in mind everytime you have an abortion you are limiting yourself to having any kids in the future. So there may be a possibility that you may never see your child's first step or hear their first words. I wouldn't get an abortion because I believe that a child can save a life rather than destroying one.

DLandon said...

I am pro-choice as long as it is during the first 6 weeks. I think that if a woman wants to terminate her pregnancy, for whatever reason, she should have a choice. If she does make that choice, she should have a safe clean place to have it done. However, if it is done after six weeks, at what point does it become murder. At the end of the first trimester, the embryo becomes a fetus. At 23 weeks a fetus fells pain. At 22-26 weeks, the fetus reaches the age of viability, which is when a fetus can first survive on its own. In the United States, abortions are legal up until the 5th month. At the fifth month, if he/she was born, they could survive. In order to abort the pregnancy at this point they do a partial-birth procedure, which involves pulling a living baby out of the womb, feet first, except for the head, puncturing the skull, and suctioning out the brain. Just writing it is making me nauseous. The majority of partial-birth abortions are performed on healthy babies and mothers. If the baby can survive and feel pain, how is it not murder? Life is full of choices and that is not the only choice! Furthermore, if you are one of those women, who was not raped, who is not getting an abortion due to medical reasons, who is just using abortion as another irresponsible choice, because neither one of the parties involved could use proper contraception, I have another choice for you. Adoption! And on a personal note, I was one of those teen pregnancies we discussed last week. And John, who is now 14, is the best thing that ever happened to me. He is in honor classes, he is sweet, and he is one of the most remarkable people I have ever had the privilege to know.

Athena Smith said...

We are getting more and more personal testimony on the subject. A true ey-opener! DLandon, John sounds like a true joy to me!
Keep up the good work!

lil_princess86 said...

I believe that abortons are like murder. I would never get one unless I was raped. I know how hard it is to be a parent, and when you are not prepared for it. Kids are alot of work but they help you look at life differently. Teen pregnancy is very overwhelming but its not the baby fault its yours and if you are mature enough to have sex; I think you are old enough to pay the consequences. I believe that if you really believe in your heart and you cant do it then I think you should be able to make that decision on your on to get an abortion or not.

Qt said...

I am Pro-choice because I feel that women should have the option of having a baby in certain circumstances because a baby changes your life forever. Sometimes people make mistakes and I think they should have the choice to fix that mistake but they should learn after the first time. I do not believe, however, in women having multiple abortions. A lot of young people are getting pregnant and not many of them are financially able to support a baby, let alone mature enough. Sometimes, the life that the baby would have is worse than if he were never born.

"Hey Man" said...

I am pro-choice; I feel that it is the girls choice whether or not she wants to have the baby. It is her body and it is her life, but I think that it shouldn’t be just the girl’s decision. The guy did just as much as the girl did and if she decided to keep the baby against his will, then why should he still be responsible for the baby? I don’t think that every girl should be able to go out and get an abortion, there should be guidelines restricting who can get abortions. I think that option should be open for teenagers, rape victims, and in pregnancies that either the mother or the babies are going to be injured.

Athena Smith said...

Hey man
It is not clear what you mean when you say abortions should be restricted to cases when there is no injury to the mother or baby... An abortion terminates the existence of the fetus.

Also you seem to be implying that although there should be restrictions, and thus certain women should not be able to get them, on the other hand, if the guy did want her to abort, then he should be scott free....
Can't have it both ways....

Silly puddy said...

I guess I am pro-life and pro-choice. The reason I say that if you look at abortion from a religious stand point of course you would be pro-life. Murder is a sin unless you are in a time of war or self-defense within your own home. But for pro-choice, you figure that if I am an individual who is in the ages of 15-19 and I am going to have a baby without even seeing the world or experiencing other avenues, then of course abortion is the way to go to avoid long term problems.

kel1ove said...

I am pro-life. I think it is wrong to even consider abortion. Most people think of it from the mother's point of view("she was raped" or "we aren't financially ready"...), but what about the baby. Yes, the BABY. I know a girl whose mom almost aborted her, but decided not to last minute. If she WAS aborted she would not have been a captain on her dance team, a best friend to confide in and have people look up to her for help, a future lawyer, a possible difference in someone’s life. A child can be a blessing in the most awful situation, but if you never give it a chance it is just a shame. Abortion just makes my stomach turn and sad… What if YOU were aborted. YOU would not be that little girl’s mom, YOU would not be a student at HCC, YOU would not have the family you have now, YOU would not be that teacher everyone loves. What if that BABY was YOU? I am pro-life.

jliebler said...

i cant/havent really decided whether i am pro choice or prolife. The reason being is because i believe that accidents do happen, and if an accident occurs and a female gets pregnant without the intestions of dong so, then i dont think that the women should be forced to have her child. Many people say that if two people are having sex then they must be responsible enough to have a child, which i think is entirely false. Teenagers and young adults have raging hormonese and sometimes are unconytrolable. Yes it is stupid not to use protection but by getting a girl pregnant at such an early age (accidentaly) just goes to show that a boy and girl are still immiture and are NOT ready to have a baby. Rape also is a factor we must consider, why should women be forced to have a baby from a man that raped her and of a man she may not even know? Although these few points are pro choice, i also believe that is is sad and wrong on a few levels to take another human life just because of a mistake their irrisponsible parents made. Taking the life of these babies could be changing the world, in the sense that for all we know, that baby could have been a US president someday, or the next Billy Graham. so i am on both sides, if that makes sense. Both pro choice, and pro life.

Unknown said...

"Abortion" that is such a hard topic for me to discuss. What I'm about to say may sound hypocrite but I am pro-life. I have always been pro-life but at one time I went against all my believes. Here is my story. I grow up in church and that being said you know I have always believed God gives us life so he should be the one to take it away. When I was 21 and unmarried I got pregnant with my son. He's always been a wonderful boy but raising him by myself its been difficult. I had gone to a lot of financial difficulty because I did not received any child support, also because I did not finish my college degree I was not able to get a better paying job. When I was 26 I was weeks of getting married when my fiancee and I had broken off, I was also pregnant. When I found myself alone again with my son and of course pregnant, I went into a deep depression because I did not know how I was going to handle being a single mom of 2 children. All my negative thoughts overwhelm me and took a decision of terminating my pregancy. I thought at that time it was the best thing to do. Once I did, I was more depress than ever. I cried for weeks, I had regret that decision I made. For a while I convience myself I had not choice and that I had to do the best thing for that baby, my son and I but now I know I was wrong. If could do it all over again and I would of had that baby and if I could not afford it then I would of found a good couple and given it up for adoption. I am not GOD, only God can't take peoples live away. I have to live with what I did forever, but I asked God for forgiveness and I know he forgave me. We all deserve to live, including unborn children.

COWABUNGAAAA!!! said...

I'm 100% pro-choice. I just think that a child should be born as something a coulple or even just a mother really wants and can support. No child should be considered a mistake and treated like crap for their whole life. I also think that two people should be financially stable before they have a child because babies are pretty expensive. Plus there's the dreams and goals of the mother and father. I know at this moment, if I got pregnant, I would probably want an abortion because there's so much I want to see and do. Like going on tour, finishing school, and starting my career.
Not only are there these reasons, but also the fact that's it's really none of my business in the first place. Let a person do whatever he or she wants and not have so many people looking down upon them.

kirsten austin said...

My mother had me a month before she turned 18. You can
imagine how this went over with her family at the
time... the panic, the financial insecurity, the
glares, the dreams that fell through her fingertips...
But in the middle of it all, she just put her hand to
her stomach, and knew that with or without money, a
father, grandparents... If they stayed or not, I was
hers. Her blessing. I was a part of her, and still am.
I know if I were to get pregnant, man, it would be so
hard to abort. To give up something that could grow up
to be so beautiful, to destroy something that I
created, it would really and truly be killing apart of
myself. Is abortion murder? Well, yeah. Just because
you can't see their face or hold them doesn't make
them any less of a person. But I am pro-choice, all
the way. When you look down at that pregnancy test,
when that timer goes off, there are one of two
reactions that occur. Either: "Awesome! I'm pregnant!"
or "Shit... I'm... Pregnant..." If I were waiting for
that timer to go off... I would want to know that my
reaction would be one of happiness. Of joy. Of
excitement. I want to be ready. All of the people who
abort every year, all of these statistics, these
numbers, these women who risk their bodies and their
chances of future pregnancy and go ahead and abort...
They're not ready. There is a reason for every
"murder" that these women commit. And really, it's for
the best. Every child should have the oppurtunity to
be welcomed with nothing but love and pride into this
world. To have a parent or parents who are comfortable
and ready to take what life comes at them. I am
pro-choice and in doing so I have nothing but the best
intentions for children and mothers alike.

Athena Smith said...

Chiquita, Kirsten
What powerful accounts!Thank you for sharing your stories with us!

twin2 said...

I can say without any hesitation, that I am a pro-choice person. I beleive that every women should have the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. I don't however think that women should be using abotion as a form of bith control. We all are aware that there are many forms of birh control available to reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy. Both the man and the women need to take responsibility in using some form of bith control. However, they are not all 100% sometimes things happen. And at these times, I beleive that a women should have an option. Sex is a natural part of life. It is sad that so many young people are having sex either protected or unprotected. This I blame on how our society has made sex such a casualy thing. The information that our young people are seeing on tv, ads and movies has given such a false idea of what sex is all about.

superbright said...

the question is do I believe in abortions no not really so I would life to say I personally am pro-life but I am also a firm believer that it is not my choice what someone else does with there body because it is there body and I know there are so many different circumstances that I know under pressure wouldn't know how to react, also in reality it feels like its almost imposing on people's human rights I guess it should be a choice if you want to reproduce or not I wish the men would have more of a say in it but I guess thats the way the cookie crumbles

bb521 said...

I do not agree with abortion but I support it being legal. Under no circumstances do i believe that having an abortion is right. That really has nothing to do with whether it should be legal or not. You must look at the consequences of making it illegal. Does making it illegal stop the problem? No, research shows that making it illegal actually makes it worse. People are going to get abortions whether it is legal or not, it is just a matter of how are they going to do it. Some will fly to another country to have it done, but a lot of people are going to do it themselves using unsafe ways of doing it. People need to get over whether they believe abortion is wrong or not and look at the big picture and think about the consequences of actually making it illegal.

thechase16 said...

I am pro-choice. I feel that if a couple or maybe even a single mother to be feels that they need to have an abortion for whatever reason, then it is there choice. There are also so many different situations in life that it is hard for me to understand why any nation would have abortions outlawed. If a young lady is raped or can barely afford herself let alone a child why give birth to the child, you would be giving it a life of poverty. Adoption is an option that i would prefer to use but forcing people to give birth and put the child up for adoption would not be pro-choice. I feel it is the people who should decide what is best for them, whether it be adoption, abortion, or keeping the child.

arlaince said...

I am both; I believe that the choice is only up to the mother and nobody else. Yes I believe it’s extremely wrong to kill an unborn child. You should know that what you were doing would have some consequences. But at the same time if a woman was raped and became pregnet she should have the choice in deleting or erasing that mans child. No woman wants to bear a criminal child. It all depends on the situation the women’s situation. Things do happen I can understand that but I believe that the world is abusing this opportunity.

Aries said...

I am pro-choice. I understand that morally abortion is not the best answer. If a women is pregnant, she needs to make a decision that is best for her. She should have the legal right to make that decision as she will be the one ultimately having to live with that decision. We live in a society were there are more single parents, young teenage parents and many children being abused. We also live in a society where we teach sex education at an early age in school to prevent diseases and pregnancy, because they are not being taught at home. Many young women that are sexually active are embarrassed and afraid to come forward to get birth control. Not every female that is pregnant is ready to be a mother or is capable to emotionally giving up their child. I truly believe, that a child that is brought into this world should live in a loving and moral environment, have access to health insurance, and be educated. I worked as an investigator for child protective services in CT investigation child abuse. I will put it very simple, because till today I am haunted by what I found… many women should have had abortion instead of bringing these children into the world and scar them with violence in the hearts and soul. ( mentally/physically abused and sexually abused ) So you see that every life that is brought into this world doesn’t have a chance for life.

Athena Smith said...

Another strong personal account from Aries...

Lanlande said...

I am pro-life. No matter the outcome of people circumstances, I believe abortion is wrong and unlawful. whether an individual had an unplanned pregnancy, or was rape; abortion should not be and option because it's calculated murder. Moreover, the child is innocent and being punish for a crime he or she did not commit. If a young women were to become pregnant, and she is not able to take care of the child. the governtment will provide assistance through food stamps, welfare, or some other types of financial grant. In the long run will hold the mother and child in their dilema.

When an individual feels they are ready to get involve in sexual activity; they should be responsible enough to take care of their outcome. I feel part of blame should be pointed in the direction of the lack of morals of our country. Statistic show our country has the highest rate of abortion and teen pregnancy. The school system needs to teach our teens about abstinence or safer sex practice. In other word, informing them about unsafe and negativity of having sexual relations at a young age.

I think as parents we should educate our girls of the dangers and risk of having an abortion hopefully through educating the young women, maybe light bull will go off in their heads of the dangers of abortion. the traditional american dream consist of marriage and then a baby. In a twist of events, now its been switch around to pregnancy and then abortion. Most women who follow through with abortion, suffer mild or heavy depression for years. Additinally, later during their next pregnancy, there seems to be complication or deformalty. In conclusion, i think we should educate our children about safer sex, or praticing abstinence. Moreover, become more traditional and having pride in our values and morals. However, for the rape victims I suggest keeping your child, because you'll never know the future of that child inside of you. He or she could be the one to save many lives or even the world.

frankthetank said...

I am pro-life. Aborting a fetus is killing a child- some people may argue that it isn't an actual killing. Then how do you explain the baby being there one day and gone the next? I understand that it's a womans choice to have a child- but what about the child's choice to live? That child never ASKED to be conceived- that child never ASKED to be born to an unresponsible teenage girl who has no buisness having sex in the first place. Or even born to a woman who is too selfish to use a method of birth control. Sex is not just for pleasure people- that's how babies are made! That's what intercourse is for. If you're too young to raise a child, guess what? You're too young to be having sex. If you simply don't want children then use a birth control method. And if you still end up pregnant, it's your own fault. You think it sucks for you to have a child? It's worse for the kid who ends with a young mother who can't provide for them or even worse, a mother who doesn't want them.

Girl_in_the_Front said...

i would have to say i am against abortions and for abortions, now to explain that... i am not confused or anything, i just feel that every body makes there own choice. ok i am against abortion because i feel like if you were able to have unprotected sex without a condum you should be able to raise a child. everyone knows the risk in having unprotected sex. they know that a baby could come with it. so if u dont want a baby STOP having unprotected sex. the reason why i say i am for it, is because some people who take the pills are still at risk at having a baby so in that case i think a female should have an abortion ONLY in that case. some people have unprotected sex for the fun of it, knowing that they can get an abortion , so that's why they do it. but my first thought would be not to have an abortion.

JohnnyD813 said...

I am mixed on the situation. Personally i think that i am more pro-life because i dont think you should have to take responsibility for your actions. I mean now-a-days there are so many types of protection and so many dieseses that people should always think about the consquences to their actions. I mean thier are some cases that chage my mind. For instance if a young women gets raped or has sex without her consent is totally wrong and abortion should be totally legal if she feels like she does not want to keep the baby, but to knowingly get pregant and then just have an abortion after is totally wrong becuase your killing a human innocent life, that never will get a change to live in the wonderful place we call earth. It is not just the mans fault it is the womens as well, but it would be a shame if the man didnt want a kid and alot of times leaves the women because they are not happy and that would be unfair, But like i said earlier people must take responsibility for thier actions no matter what.

EUrban said...

I believe in Pro Choice there are many woman who are raped and should not have to birth a child when they did not ask to do so. Another incident where a woman should have the right to choose is in the case of teenage pregnancies. A child is not ready to bring a baby into the world; most teenagers cannot even take care of themselves. I do look up to those people who give their children up for adoption in these cases that is a very difficult thing to do. As for plain stupidity by not using birth control methods, yes it is wrong but a child should not be brought into the world and be forced to live a terrible life if there is not the right providing for the child.

hurricanes520 said...

tomtrentler12

hurricanes520 said...

I think that all children have the right to live. I’ve talked about this topic before in different classes and I have gotten many different answers. Some people are so against abortion and others are for it. I always said that a woman should never have an abortion unless there are extreme reasons behind the choice. I say that if a woman is forced into sex in a non-consenting matter then the choice is up to her. But I believe in life and that a child is a living person and an, abortion should not be a way out of raising a child.

SocialButterfly said...

I don't like this topic... I believe I am pro-choice---at a certain level. If the baby isn't considered a baby yet, (it is still an impregnated cell) then the women can ask for an abortion. But I've heard of some women getting an abortion around three months. That, to me, is a baby and is murder. A part of me believes a women should still keep the baby because that could be someone whose does great things with their life and deserves the chance to become something great. But as hopeful as that sounds, the world is not too kind and things become difficult. Like certain circumstances; finacial reasons or rape. These things make a complex decision about whether to a keep baby. But for not very bright teens, who are warned about preganacy and think, "Oh, well, there is always abortion.", that bothers me so much! But nevertheless, this should still be a womens choice, if they can understand and handle the consequences.

TMyers1087 said...

I am pro-choice on the issue of abortion. In my opinion, the woman is the one who is going to be taking care of this child for the rest of her life and believe it is her choice to decide whether she wants the pregnancy to go on. There are other alternatives, such as adoption, but this might make the mother worry about all of the bad things that could be happening to her child or maybe make her feel regret about the situation and want the child back. I also think that before deciding to have an abortion, the woman should really think about if it is the right decision to make. In conclusion, I believe that under the right circumstances it is alright to have an abortion, but think it would be better to consider the many other options available.

Jenna said...

I can see both sides to this controversial argument, but I would have to say that I am pro choice on this topic. I believe that the government should not have control over a woman's body. There should be restrictions, however, pertaining to when the procedure is allowed. You can not really compare several cells to a developing baby, so I think it should only be allowed during the cellular stage. I personally could not go through with an abortion, but I say that as a choice, just as every woman should be allowed to have that choice concerning her own body.

juz10 said...

I believe a women has the right to choose an abortion. Although I do feel that some people are to careless with the matter , getting up to three and sometimes four abortions in their lifetimes. Never the less I feel it is a womens right to choose. All of this christian "Right to Life" people act like everyone who gets the procedure doesn't take it seriously, while granted some people see it as the equivalent of going to the dentist most people take it very serious and use it only when all other options fail. Everyone who scorns someone else for their decision regarding abortion should try to walk a mile in their shoes. Everyone of these christians with their signs standing outside the abortion clinics of America know exactly where they would be goning if they were in the unfortunate situation of being raped and subsequently impregnated. And its not to church to pray, it's to the same clinics that talk about in disgust. So in conclusion an abortion is something that a women should have the right to choose. But on the other hand with all the other options such as the morning after pill, regular birth control shots and pills, and the good old condom this should definetly be a last resort, but sadly I feel that it is some irresponsibke peoples first choice again ,and again.

mndz05 said...

I guess I’m more pro-life than pro-choice for the simply fact that I don’t believe any women should have an abortion. For one thing something can go wrong and you can die or either loose that chance of having children in the future. Also you should know that anytime you have unprotected sex you have a possibility of getting pregnant and if your not ready to make a commitment in raising a child you should be protecting yourself. But then on the other hand if a women is raped and they become pregnant then maybe they wouldn’t want to have that child because they wouldn’t have a father, or maybe because they just weren’t ready to begin with. So that’s the only reason why maybe I would consider having an abortion. So I guess that makes me pro-life and pro-choice.

wmp8807 said...

I am definitely, one hundred percent PRO LIFE! I recently wrote a paper on how a fetus develops and in my research i learned not only that as soon as the sperm hits the egg the baby starts forming, but also that a baby's heart starts beating about 3 weeks after conception takes place. Now most women don't find out they're pregnant until 3 weeks or more has past and then they decide to make a choice of abortion or not, but at this point the child is breathing. Aborting the baby is just another way of saying your killing it. It's ALL murder and it's wrong!There are sooo many other choices out there. Even if you don't want the baby there is always someone who does.

Goob07 said...

Abortion is a choice that only the woman can make! Many people will stand up and say that is immoral but when you stand in the other person's shoes it is different story. Whether the pregnancy was an accident, or intentional the choice ultimately remains with the woman. Of course it is best to have thought through all the other options...When a woman is raped though...I could not imagine knowing that I would be having a baby from a man that had done something so awful. Those that do are in my opinion are some of the best among all of us. We are given the ability of making decisions for a reason. Although this it not a decision to be made lightly. In the end it is still a choice!

googleit@yahoo said...

I am pro choice to the fullest. I think that sometimes accidents happen and parents should have a choice if they find themselves in this situation. I feel that if someone knows they can’t take care of a baby then why not stop the development of that child before it knows what is going on. I know through history that mothers that are pregnant have other ways to “abort” the baby so why not give them a civil way of doing so. I don’t think the law should have any say so on if a mother can or can’t abort an unwanted baby. I know people regret things that they have done but I think that is something the parent needs to think about before going through with a life changing procedure. I know some people are pro life so I think those people should be the ones that don’t get an abortion while allowing others to make that choice on their own.

trevorb said...

I feel that it up to the parents of the child to make the choice. Some may not be ready for a baby; they were not ready for sex either but people make mistakes. I don’t feel that it is anyone’s place to tell others what to do with their life. All that being said, if I were to put in the situation to make this decision I would have a very hard time not having the baby. Even if it were to happen tomorrow I would still make my life devoted to giving the baby a life of opportunities. Luckily it wont happen tomorrow.

Tink1213 said...

I am pro-choice. I feel that it is a woman’s right to choose whether she is going to go through with a pregnancy or not. If a woman is raped or found out that continuing a pregnancy could be potentially fatal to her life, then I don’t think a woman should be forced to follow through with that pregnancy. I don’t however think that just because some one was careless and chose not to use any protection, that abortion should be their means of birth control. I also don’t believe in partial birth abortions. After the first trimester, partial birth abortions should ONLY be performed if there is a medical condition that could be fatal to the mother if the baby is carried to term.

tinabeana said...

I am pro-life. I think that if you made the choice to not use any type of protection then you shouldn’t get to choose to end someone’s life. It is a beating heart which means it is alive and you are killing the baby. I think that there is one exception to an abortion; if the woman was raped and as a result she got pregnant. She didn’t choose to have sex; she didn’t choose not to use protection. It would be a very tragic event if it was to happen and I don’t think the women should walk around for nine months with a daily reminder.

tennispro said...

I am pro choice because in my opinion abortions are going to happen whether its legal or not. People will find ways to have abortions, and if the way they chose is not by a actuall doctor then the woman having the abortion is at a much greater risk. I have no problem with anyone who is pro-life, I think everyone has the right to make there own choices. If you are pregnant and chose to keep the baby thats great but the moment you tell a woman she cant have an abortion you take away her right to make her own decisons about her body.

dwtc said...

I am prolife for many reasons. Although I see the arguments of prochice, I don't believe it is the right way. I think that once innocent life is created, who should have the choice to destroy it other than God? I think that a fertilized egg becomes alive when a heart beats and a mind can process. Life is a sensitive thing and needs to be monitored carefully. As most don't think about this approach, please think about it as I propose it. If abortions were a regular occurance, then safe sex would not matter as much anymore because people could just have sex whenever they wanted. The decision to have more unprotected sex would then lead to more STD's and other disease. So then, that is just one more approach in the defense of prolife.

Steelers88 said...

I am 100% Pro-choice. A woman who is pregnant should ultimately have the choice whether or not to have an abortion. Having a baby could even go as far as ruin lives, such as the mother and/or father cannot support the baby, physically and emotionally. The baby will be raised miserable. In cases of rape, the mother must have the choice to choose abortion. If not, they baby may be a constant reminder of the rape event. In sociological means they mother may go as far as disowning the child. Abortion should diffidently be legal and practiced among women safely in America.

pcgirl said...

I do not believe in abortion but I do believe people should have a choice. If it becomes illegal then mother will just go to unsafe places and have a stranger perform the abortion, then we have may have two people dead. In the world we live in we have the right to choose just about everything we do, so why not allow mothers to choose if they want a child or not. It may be in the best interest of the child. As others have noted what about rape. I do not see why a girl who has been rape should have to carry and care for a child that came from a monster of a man. Let women have a choice, it is not your body, so you do not get to decide what happens to it.

sunshine said...

I personally am pro-life. I'm a very self dependent person and feel that if the father is going to punk out that is fine with me I will pull my weight alone. On the other hand I feel that a woman should be able to do what ever she feels is best for her. No one will be stuck with the baby but her. If the father decides that he wants the girl to have the baby so he can keep it what are the chances of him revoking his decision. What if 3 months later he feels that he doesn't want it. Will he turn around and give it back or put it to adoption for a way out. A big thing that has to be kept in mind is there is no refunds once the baby is born that's it there is no going back.

Mony88 said...

I’m definitely pro-choice when it comes to abortion. Women definitely should have the right to choose whether or not to have a baby. Since they are the ones having the baby they should decide. It also depends how far the baby is along, if the baby is almost fully developed, they should definitely not allow it. When women decide not to have a baby, I hope that they are making a very well informed decision. Also, having an abortion should be that resort, if the women knows she can not handle a baby, or will be depending on child support from the father they should not have the baby.

Mony88 said...

I’m definitely pro-choice when it comes to abortion. Women definitely should have the right to choose whether or not to have a baby. Since they are the ones having the baby they should decide. It also depends how far the baby is along, if the baby is almost fully developed, they should definitely not allow it. When women decide not to have a baby, I hope that they are making a very well informed decision. Also, having an abortion should be that resort, if the women knows she can not handle a baby, or will be depending on child support from the father they should not have the baby.

diana25 said...

I am prolife. I am against abortion I do not believe in it I know alot of girls get pregnant and they feel they are not ready to have a baby at that time in their life but they should have thought of that before they had sex irresposibly I am 18 and pregnant I just got out of highschool last year I got married but I wasnt planning for my life to be like this I didnt even plan on getting married till after i was 25 and done with college and i didnt want to have kids till i was like 28 but everything ended up different i could have chose to abort my son who im am now 6 months pregnant with but i decided to be resposible and keep my baby i went to a private christian school where i didnt get one day of sex education so yes i do believe if girls are educated better on sex the statistics on teen pregnancys would go down this is just my opinion and I am pro life I just couldnt imagine killing a little baby be cause I always think of the potential they have in their future and who they could be.

phildo888 said...

I am pro-choice and this is an easy reason. Women should be able to do whatever they want to. why should someone else tell them what to do in America the so called land of "freedom." It is absolutely ridiculous that people should even be debating this issue. It's not wrong if a guy masturbates but isn't that killing millions of possible lives. This issue will never come to a rest because it is impossible to tell when a life is actually a life. Nobody should be told they cant do somethings unless it is illegal. Come on people, why must we argue such senseless and endless arguements.