Sam, I disagree with you about abortion. I am very sorry that it is so prevalent, and absolutely would support laws to make partial birth abortions illegal except if the fetus is dead or the mother's actual life is in danger. I would never have one, and would discourage (but not prevent) my daughter from having one. The truth is that many women mourn their aborted children forever, and later regret the procedure. It is NOT simply minor surgery.
I also believe that since there is absolutely nothing which happens after the moment of conception, that life begins at that point. I simply believe on a practical level that any women who would seriously consider an abortion is fairly incapable of motherhood, and think that abortion is a lesser evil than bringing children into the world who are more likely to be neglected or abused. In the case of women with several children who then abort a pregnancy, they are deciding they cannot properly nurture another child.
I wish abortion were much less frequent. I believe all pregnant women should be made to understand exactly what an abortion entails, and that they are aborting a baby, which moves, sucks its tiny thumb, etc. I think they should have psychological counselling as well. But ultimately women must be in charge of their own reproductive organs. The fact that throughout history women have risked their lives for this procedure indicate there are compelling reasons for abortions, and I do not think men should be able to dominate over this essential right.
At the same time, sex education and easily available contraceptives would lower the abortion rate considerably. The very people who want to stop abortions also want to stuff the whole issue of sexuality under the rug as well. If their real goal was lowering the abortion rate instead of controlling women, they would be staunch advocates of sex eduction and contraceptives. |
