Pro-Life or Pro-Choice ?

[Andreina]

Just asking the question: Pro or Against Abortion?

In some Western countries abortion is still forbidden, are you for or against the abortion?
If yes, do you have any conditions?
If no, why are you against letting the mother make the choice?
What would be your alternative?

Should the mother have to do counselling prior to her abortion?

Until when should an abortion of non-medical reasons (i.e. unwanted pregnancy) be allowed? Up to 26 weeks (i think thats correct) in UK or up to 12 weeks like in most European countries?



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I'm pro-choice, but against termination up to the 26th week like in the UK.

 

[SINthysist]

I'm other. I don't want to meddle in other people's lives or infringe upon thier freedom to make choices.

And before I get bashed about the sanctity of life from the social conservative element, let me say that being now in my mid-40's, I have come to have a lower and lower opinion about the value of individual lives. We spend so much time focusing on what individuals do that we have forgotten to focus on what we as a whole are doing.

 

[bluespoke]

You've picked a real humdinger of a thread.

Peronally, as a mere male of the species, I think it should always be the woman's choice. Its her body, her choice.

I respect the opinion of those who are 'pro life', I would just disagree on their definition of life.







[lowers head below parapet and starts running]

 

[Wiggles]

I just knew this was going to pop up pretty soon.

I'm pro-choice, and of course the women should be counselled before hand.

The number one reason I'm pro-choice is this, if abortions were illegal people would have them anyway. The methods would be less supervised, dangerous, and hard to come by.

If we ever made abortion illegal, again, it would result catastrophy.

 

[Vivacia]

I believe that it should be a choice thing, I mean there may be good non-medical reasons that the girl/woman may not want to keep the feotus. i.e concived by rape, she's too young, etc

I am not saying that it should be allowed to "run riot" but if there is firm evidence as to WHY they want it terminated and it is valid it should be up to the parents (ultimately the mother)

I know this view isn't gonna be shared by all so please don't flame me for anything I have said, it is my opinion nothing more nothing less...

I am a firm believer that it should be closely monitored so it isn't just used as another somewhat drastic form of contraception.

Personally I wouldn't terminate except for medical reasons.

 

[lobito]

Yet another thread that will offend some, and not others. People just like controversy here at Lit, I guess.

I'm not saying HOW I voted, becasue it's my belief, and no one can convince me that I'm right or wrong.

 

[Guest]

I voted "other" because I could not have an abortion, but I do not wish to impose my beliefs onto others. I take full responsibility for my actions. I can not do the same for others. So, it should be their choice.
In a nutshell, I am pro-life for my own situation, while pro-choice for the rest of the world.

 

[Pokerman]

I agree with what Bill Clinton said once: Abortion should be "legal, safe, and rare."

 

[bluespoke]

If only the rest of the world were as non-judgmental as raindancer.

 

[Skibum]

I know that I am in the minority here, but I can't see the difference between abortion and infanticide. Why is the fact that a baby has emerged from the womb relevent?

I am in favor of a woman exercising reproductive choice, but she should exercise it before conception.

 

[P. B. Walker]

I'll abstain... bascially because I feel it's ultimately the woman's choice. If I were in the situation were a woman I had been with became preggers from a night of passion with me, I would give her my input and then let her decide.... so I guess I'm pro-woman! Yeeaaa me! lol

- PBW

 

[Cath!]

I am definitely in the minority as I have always believed in Pro-Life as a PERSONAL decision. If, at any point or age, I had gotten pregnant I would have given birth. That doesn't mean that I would have been emotionally or financially able to keep it and care for it as a baby needs to be cared for. BUT I would have given birth to a healthy child.

I am the ONLY one in my family that believes in this so I have gotten flamed for it many times over the years. As a matter of fact, my mother always voted Pro-Choice at the hospitals and I always voted Pro-Life.

As lobito said...it is a PERSONAL opinion and noone can tell you whether yours is right or wrong.

 

[Kandi]

pro choice

abso-fuckin-lutely

which is not to say i could choose to abort
or could do so easily

but i am rock solid
that it's nobody else's business

 

[april-wine]

For me I couldn't do it personally....

But I don't believe it's any of my business what anyone else chooses, and it is THEIR choice.....

Pro-choice here.........

 

[Elizabeth]

Pro-Choice. I don't know if I, personally, could have an abortion but I sure as hell wouldn't try to press my opinions on another woman. It is an individual desision...and it should be between a woman and her doctor. Safe and legal.

 

[Weird Harold]

Another other here.

Other -- because I refuse to be associated with the rabid, unthinking, "I'm right and you're going to Hell," people who accept either the "pro-choice" or "pro-life" labels.

Each and every conception is different. Only those intimately involved know all of the facts and circumstances that would make abortion an option, and ONLY those intimately involved have any say in what decision is made.

 

[Summery]

Pro Choice

I never take for granite and feel grateful everyday, that as a woman I have a choice. And just because I am pro choice, doesn't mean that I believe in using abortion as a form of birth control. Sadly enough, I knew someone once that thought differently. These are my beliefs, and it doesn't matter what other's think of them...they are mine after all. Just as I accept the fact that many female relatives in my family are Pro life.

 

[TheOlderGuy]

absolutely pro-choice

 

[MidnightAngel]

so I guess I'm pro-woman! Yeeaaa me! lol

- PBW

PBW, that's a great way to put it!!


I'm Pro-Choice, BTW.

 

[Ezzy]

Pro choice or pro life...

The sad part of this whole question is the refusal of each side to see any of the other sides view.

The pro lifers should be slapped up the side of the head until they reluctantly realize that pro life is a choice.

The pro choicer should be slapped just as hard up the side of their heads until they are willing to admit that, to terminate or not is not only a choice but it will effect not only any life they terminate, but will also effect both the unborn and the living and not only those who would have been the mothers.

I sit firmly on the fence on this issue but I am willing to agree with both sides that some aspects of the other sides point of view may be wrong.

One thing I am against is those who are willing to shoot or bomb those establishments and people doing a legal job and trying to help people.

If you want to call abortionist murderers that is fine, but if you want to murder them to show them they are taking a wrong stance, I find your actions against the principles of being supossedly pro life and hypercritical in the extreme.





EZ

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

If no, why are you against letting the mother make the choice?

For one reason; I believe the unborn child to be a human being with the right to live.

Granted, there are all kinds of arguments against that view, and some of them I have problems dealing with, like the fact that 3 out of 5 pregnancies end in a natural abortion, often before the woman knows she is pregnant.

Even if I was pro-choice I wouldn't support abortion as a means of birth control.

What would be your alternative?

Adoption if the mother truly doesn't want the baby.

 

[Andreina]

i agree with summer rose that abortions should never be a form of birth control. i would also like to say that im not a radical, that i dont condemn those who are pro-life or pro-choice.
one of my friends had her baby with 16, the other one an abortion with 14. i understand both sides.

 

[*ladylove*]

Man thats a hard decision to make! I value life! That is my opinion, my belief. Does that mean that I feel I have the right to press my opinion onto someone else? Absolutely not. I do not think though that a minor should be able to have an abortion without parental involvement. That is something I hold strong to. Adolescents just have not developed the cognitive ability yet to make this decision and base it on how it may affect their future emotional health and well being.

It is very hard for me to understand why someone would opt for an abortion, because of the many number of couples who would love to adopt. (Not considering medical reasons of course) But here again, I would not press my opinion onto someone else simply because I do not understand their reasoning. I can only speak for myself.

As for making it illegal, that would just create a total mess now that it has already been legalized. But counseling, the real kind not a half hour of discussing why, should definitely be in order. Both before and after the decision is made.

*ladylove*

 

[Gilly Bean]

I voted Pro-Choice, as I firmly believe it is a choice to have or not have a child.

I myself would never have been able to do one, but I don't feel others should suffer my belief.

I agree that if a medical reason were there, I would understand it better.

I have a cousin who is a few years older then I am. She has 3 children. She also has rather bad diabetes. With her first pregnancy, she was on medical alert the entire time, because he blood suger level dropped so fast at times that she would pass out cold, or go into a diabetic coma. She was hospitilized several times.

Despite this, they chose to try again a few years later. That pregnancy was even worse on her, and in one instance, she was home alone with her son when she passed out. He was only 3, but was able to call 9-1-1 for her. After that pregnancy, her doctor STRONGLY recommended that they get a tubal or vesectomy done to prevent it from happening again, because the strain on her body would likely leave her hospitilized through a good deal of it.

Well, they opted for the vesectomy, and had it schedualed for 2 months after her 2nd son was born. In the 2 weeks between, she wound up pregnant again. Most people suggested they abort it, her doctor included, for the medical reasons. She didn't, and has a little girl now that she would not have otherwise had. However, she was very bad off during that pregnancy. If it were something like that, I could very well see why someone would want to not go through that, not only for the physical stress and strain on a mother, but also on the baby inside the mother.

When I was 17, and found out I was pregnant, my parents offered me every choice available. Abortion, Adoption, or keeping the child. Abortion was ruled out immediatly, but adoption wasn't so quickly ruled out. I had a dance instructor who at the time had been trying to get pregnant, and they had no luck in doing so. She offered to adopt, and wanted me to seriously consider the two of them as canidates if I was willing to go that route. I ultimitly didn't, but even if I had, I am not sure I could have done an open adoption like that, where I would be seeing my child grow up with someone else.

Luckily, they managed to get pregnant with thier son at shortly after, and he just turned 5 this past fall.


But, that's my experiance with choices. I still think it's up to the parents to decide, even though personally, I would not be able to myself.

 

[Unclebill]

Pro-choice or Pro-life,

it's the same choice.

The woman has the responsibility to bear the child and to care for it post-partum. Thus the choice is hers alone.

This is a right in a free society and does not belong in the political arena. Rights are absolute and inviolable in a free society.

Here are a couple of links that address the idea philosophically and look at the flaws in a Supreme Court decision regarding same.

http://religion.aynrand.org/abortion_prolife.html

http://www.aynrand.org/medialink/absolute.html

While counselling might be a very beneficial thing, it must NEVER be forced.