A Day Over 35
And holding up, really, quite well.Yesterday was the 35th Anniversary of the SCOTUS decision in Roe -v- Wade and, while I didn't hear a thing about on it the radio news, and saw very few headlines on teh internets, I did manage to get in a little celebratory volunteerism down at the NARAL ProChoice Ohio office. Man-O! There's always so much to do and I am not, as I've prolly pointed out a dozen times or more, the most organized of gents. Still, progress was made and more progress planned 'pon. So, all's well for now and plans made for later.
'Tany rate, I wanted to post the scan cuz I think those 2 buttons on the bottom are teh cute! =]
Choice isn't something many folks want ANY of us to have. It is something we've got to protect, share and defend via the political process. I did catch one article which reminded me of how much the idea that women should be the only folks responsible for there own internal processes, so here's a bit from it.
G'day!
From yesterdays CNN dot com.
35 years after Roe: A legacy of law and morality
....
"The American people and many political leaders have already made up their minds about legal abortion."
Public opinion on abortion has remained remarkably stable over the years. A CNN/Opinion Research survey in October found 36 percent of Americans think abortion should be legal in most or all circumstances, 40 percent believe it should be available in a few circumstances, such as to save the mother's life, and 22 percent say abortion should never be legal. That is almost unchanged in the past 15 years.
The Roe decision did not prompt "abortion on demand," as many opponents of the procedure predicted it would. Nor have various legislatures or court rulings restricted access as much as some supporters claim.
New research from the Alan Guttmacher Institute found the rate of abortions is at its lowest level since Roe, and the total number is also in decline, about 1.2 million in the year 2005, down 25 percent since the all-time high in 1990.
For the Supreme Court justices, Roe reflected earlier cases involving the right to privacy. That "right," wrote Justice Harry Blackmun in the main opinion for the court, is "broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy."
Remember. Honor. Be Glad
I, for one, am among the 40% that feels abortion should be legal for the few circumstances such as to save a mother's life. Being a Christian (and proud of it), and valuing such things as life, it ticks me off when I see people use this as a form of birth control. I have known a couple in my lifetime who have done so (one person had 5). What happened to having protected sex? How about other options such as adoption? There are so many couples out there that would love to have a child, but for whatever reason are not able to. In some circumstances, such as rape, I could understand and have empathy for a woman that would choose to have an abortion. Carrying through with a pregnancy under those circumstances is quite more difficult and a greater emotional strain than a "normal" pregnancy. Still, when one chooses to have an abortion, they are choosing that the life growing inside them does not have the right to grow, learn, see the ocean and other beauties of this world, have desires and passions, and have all these "equal" rights that we so desperately find ourselves in turmoil trying to protect. We have proven to be a selfish society. Always wanting bigger and better...always wanting to be number one. Always thinking about what is best for us. We are just always thinking about "me". How would this effect me? What is this going to do to me? What would happen if we would think outside of our little "me" realm? So, we are not prepared to raise a child? If we are not, there is someone out there who is. What about them? Do we have the capability to possibly think about someone else? To think that maybe if we make a life choice for the unborn that we could be fulfilling someone else's dreams? That even though the only part that we may have is to go through a pregnancy and birth of a child, which I know is not easy, that it is an intricate part to bringing complete joy and happiness to another human being? Choosing to end life effects three...the mother, the father, and the child who never gets to live...choosing to give life effects so many more...a man and woman who have love to share, the child who has yet the life to live, and all those who may have known this child and benefited from its love had it had the chance to live.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, those percentages mentioned only total 98%...what about the other 2%? :)
Channon
I've know girls who've done the Abortion as Birth Control* as well, and the Soviet Union was way into it (though not as broadly as the MSM used to claim, of course.) Thing is, our ops on it only matter politically where a Public Health Risk is the issue. For the most part, that isn't the case, especially not given the numbers utilizing the procedure.
ReplyDeleteMoral issues are gonna have different answers for different folks and that's why Legal - political - answers have to be based as best as possible upon the empirical information. Abortion is about individual women deciding, Not what to do with their Children, but what to do with Their Own Body's Processes; ie, pregnancy.
That's why the SCOTUS has gone with the 3rd Trimester's a No-No approach. It's only at that point, sans incredible technological assistance, that proto-peops start becoming an individual and are able to survive outside their mum, and then only under relatively ideal circumstances.
I hate the AABC* phenom as well. But that's emotional and My Opinion. It's not my right to make someone else forgo it unless the phenomenon becomes widespread enough to endanger the health of folks outside that very personal loop.
Oh yah! And the remaining 2% could be just 'bout anything. Is a result of polling methods and how folks answer the questions. Hekk! The percentage of respondents could've added up to 105% and still been an accurate reflection of folk's ops.
:-) :-x ;-}
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure where I stand. I do think that abortion should used as birth control. I will judge the women that have used it as such, but in my mind that is not right. I guess I am saying if you do not want a child, either do not have sex or use birth control other than abortion.
On the flip side, I am a survivor of rape. I am pretty sure had I gotten pregnant, mentally wise, I would not been able to handle being pregnant with a child by the rapists. I probably would have lost my mind; rape is hard enough to deal with. Now I know some would say it is not the fault of the child. I believe this as well. But if the mothers health is in harms way, well, it is something I would struggle with.
Nice post.
T
I was not saying abortion should be illegal...I am not even saying that a woman does not have the right to make her own decisions about her own body. However, when something is implemented to either protect or help those who are in need and then it begins to be abused by people, that is what I feel is not right. We have so many great programs that exist in our government, yet there are people out there who abuse and take advantage of these programs that it ends up hurting those who actually need it (not to mention how the government has possibly hurt these programs as well). I guess it does boil down to the woman's choice since it is her body...but why isn't the man involved or allowed to be involved in the decision? I mean, when a woman becomes pregnant, she has made the choice to share her body (rape cases excluded), so why can't she share the decision? I know of one couple that was faced with the decision, and the woman did not want to have the child but the man did. She went through with the pregnancy and when their little boy was born, she gave full custody to the father. Again, I am not saying I am against abortion 100%...I am just against it when people use it as their form of birth control. There are so many options available for birth control and so much information out there, that I guess I just don't understand the carelessness or laziness of not trying to use at least one of them. Abortion was made legal to help those women whose health and/or welfare was in jeapordy...it was made legal for women (and young girls) who became pregnant through rape and incest to give them an option where they could possibly survive their tragedy emotionally...it was not made legal to be used as birth control.
ReplyDeleteTo T - I commend you for surviving the rape you experienced. That is an ordeal that not only attacks and invades your body, but it attacks and invades your emotional well-being. Thank God you did not become pregnant and did not have to make such a decision. Trying to survive and heal from rape is a long and gruelling process without the added emotions of becoming pregnant through such means. The pain, anger, depression, self-doubt, and in some cases, even guilt, can often be too much for one to handle. It takes a strong and courageous woman to share such a personal moment and tragedy in her life - I commend your strength and courage - thank you.
Back to you Michael - you of all know where I stand...after all, there is a beautiful, intelligent, and talented 17 year-old girl that can show the benefits of the alternate choices of abortion... :) ...
:-) :-x ;-} XO!
Channon
it is strange to me how wrapped up in this issue america seems to be.
ReplyDeleteit really is a non-issue here. only a very few people object to it strongly.