Abortion Survey...

[Teri]

Wow, the debate is really good...somewhat strayed from the original question but I understand and appreciate people's views...just so that u guys kno its just a question at the moment i'm probably---prochoice although personally for myself my choice would be anti-abortion. However, I chose this very sensitive topic because i wanted to kno whether people take into consideration the psychological issues from something as unfortunate as rape. Especially from those who are anti-abortion because its pretty obvious a pro-choice person may just say sure go ahead have an abortion. But an anti-abortion person may change there mind due to the circumstance (or maybe not).

 

Either way I believe the situation brings psychological damage no matter how you look at it:

rape victim will be distaught from the rape; living through carrying her attackers child (a constant reminder); if she chooses to abort the trauma from that physically and emotionally; the pain of giving away her child if adoption is chosen; or the pain of never really knowing what kind of life the child could have had with her; Most importantly too the child's life taken away and any pain associated with that; the pain n adopted child will envitably feel through lack of knowing their true roots and the pain of knowing you were not wanted/planned or your father was a rapist.

 

All very deep issues, I just pray no one has to go through this, but if they do that the choice they make gives them peace at its best (if possible).

 

Thanks....and the talk goes on!

[susu]

f(24). I am prochoice in the sense that i believe its a womans decision whether she sud have an abortion or not.. As to whether I woul do it if faced with a pregnancy i wasnt ready for, then i dont know. Right now i think that i wud keep the baby no matter what; even if i was raped. But it is a completely different story when one is actually faced with the situation..

 

As a medical student I have had to be present at many abortions, and I can assure you that its not a pleasant situation. However, giving birth to an "unwanted" child, who is given up for abortion and ends up psychologically disturbed as a result of movin from one foster home to another is also not a pleasant situation.

 

Women have to live with the choices they make, and i only hope that careful thought is put into any decision that is undertaken...

[Cloud]

Pro-choice ~

No big explanation other than if the a child is handicapped then it would suffer throughout life.

Also- the mother may not be financially secure.

Another reason - rape.

 

pro-life -

 

. . .?

[Bettina]

Can you consider rape victims abortions justifiable based upon lack of consented intent to become pregnant?

Teri

 

(F-18) Yes, but it must be aborted within a certain time.

 

Bettina

[StarBreaker]

Im pro-choice as long as repsonsibility and "need" are factored into that choice. Rape, and pregnancy that threaten the life of the mother accounted for. And that responsibilty begins BEFORE conception! If you dont want to have a baby don't have sex or use contraceptives...its really that simple. If someone wants to throw some statistics out there to support or disprove the following do so, but: Id bet most abortions are a result of irresponsible juvenilles/adults stuck in juvenille mindsets who totally lack in discipline or the intelligence to consider the consequences of giving into selfish desires. And Im certainly not saying that a healthy sexlife/drive isnt a wonderful thing..but thats just it. Sex in our culture(USA, and Im sure most others) is primarily a selfish act, either used as a coping mechanism, or a way of gaining status or control and the life of another should not be compromised as a result of that act. I believe this behavor is an obvious indication of our sexual disfunction as a result of coping w/ a materialistic, destracted society of insignificance. Consider this: Ideally one would mate when it is assured that the best possible environment is achieved for the offspring to assure its proper development. If that is not possible then one should not mate. (thats what sex is(supposed to be) all about after all: the next generation. Observe the other animals..they do this for the most part) Also consider this: your part of the seed is literally billions of years old and is unique. No other seed is like it(has the identical genetic makup) and it is your responsibilty as an intelligent and capable being to ensure its suvival(replication). If you fail you are essentially ending a unique form of life that is billions of years in the making. So: assexuality(except for the millions who have no business mating) is not an option. Choosing the best possible mate is of imminent importance. And selfish destruction of that life which your part of the seed spawns is utter abomination.

 

BTW: The stage of development at which the child is aborted is irrelevant. You know damn well that as soon as the sperm and egg meet, that life has every potential to become a fully developed human. No excuses.

[jeskill]

Im pro-choice as long as repsonsibility and "need" are factored into that choice. Rape, and pregnancy that threaten the life of the mother accounted for. And that responsibilty begins BEFORE conception! If you dont want to have a baby don't have sex or use contraceptives...its really that simple. If someone wants to throw some statistics out there to support or disprove the following do so, but: Id bet most abortions are a result of irresponsible juvenilles/adults stuck in juvenille mindsets who totally lack in discipline or the intelligence to consider the consequences of giving into selfish desires.

 

So, what about the people who use contraceptives and still get pregnant because the contraceptives fail? Do they qualify as well? What about people who were never taught anything about contraceptives? Do you have any statistics to show that most abortions occur because of an "irresponsible juvenile mindset", and I'm going to guess that, by that, you mean people who aren't using contraceptives?

 

There are so many variables -- so many reasons why people have abortions. I don't think you can really generalize about them and paint them as irresponsible, immature or stupid.

[The Peon]

27 year old male, anti-abortion. Too much of ones personality is coded in DNA before you are even born to even think about abortion in my opinion... thus I think its murder to abort even a 1 day old pregnancy.

[StarBreaker]

So' date=' what about the people who use contraceptives and still get pregnant because the contraceptives fail? Do they qualify as well? What about people who were never taught anything about contraceptives? Do you have any statistics to show that most abortions occur because of an "irresponsible juvenile mindset", and I'm going to guess that, by that, you mean people who aren't using contraceptives?

 

There are so many variables -- so many reasons why people have abortions. I don't think you can really generalize about them and paint them as irresponsible, immature or stupid.[/quote']

 

Good points. If you take responsibility by using contraceptives and they fail...ethically, adoption would be the next option, but if you feel that durring the pregnancy you will not be able to provide the child with proper nourishment and otherwise treat your body right enabling the child to develop properly, then abortion becomes an option. Ill include severly handicapped fetuses too. No sense in having a poorly develped child who will live a miserable life and then probably mate and have even more miserable offspring...which is kind of becoming our situation.

 

As for people who arent taught about contraceptives: I clearly remember understanding the basics of what sex was and its results by 8-9 years old which of course is well before being able to do so. Now this was in a small farming community of 400 people where secular christian/catholic ideology was prominent(God forbid anyone talk about sex, especiall to kids), and I became aware of it though peers or kids a couple years older than me. Adolecents who have children in our culture have most likely been failed by their parents/guardians or their lack of one. Or they are just plain stupid. So youre right, too many variables...its just way too convoluted. And yes I do have a tendency to generalize when it comes to socialogial situations and this is do to the fact that when I think of "the world" I think of the American culture and its counterparts and fail to factor in 3rd world countries...which is a whole other set of BS. I need to/would like to travel alot more and experience other "worlds." I still view the majority of people as "irresponsible, immature, and stupid," and Im growing tired of excuses constantly being made for them. If you are willing to put up with something...well thats just what you will get. We probably wouldnt be in this predicament and wouldnt be having this discussion otherwise...Enjoyable debate.

[StarBreaker]

Hey Peon, I see you are in to anthropology so mabey you can answer me this: Have any studies been done as far as the mating practices of early, clan society humans? Did they mate for life or generally F the circle? What about abortions among early humans? Anyone?

[The Peon]

Hey Peon, I see you are in to anthropology so mabey you can answer me this: Have any studies been done as far as the mating practices of early, clan society humans? Did they mate for life or generally F the circle? What about abortions among early humans? Anyone?

 

Good question. From what I remember reading, humans have been a pair-bonding species for a looooong time. Im talking back to our early trasistion to eating meat and becomming bipedal. You see, as the males began to leave to hunt, gradually to ensure the sick or less able males didnt mate with the females and thus take the chance for the stronger males to pass on there genes, pair-bonding became more and more important to hominids. A male could feel safer leaving his mate knowing they had a bond, and a female could feel secure in the fact that others around would respect that bond.

 

In primate societys like Baboons and Chimps, the pack is usually always around eachother wandering and looking for food. Thus the strongest male could always keep track of his mates and stop weaker or sickly males from mating with them. As mentioned, as hominids took to hunting, this was more troublesome, and thus the pair-bond emerged.

 

I can assure you that pair-bonding was more geared towards the ladies biology. For instance, a male produces enough sperm to populate NYC in ONE day, while a female only produces one egg a month. Thus, a male could sex everything in sight without quelm (much as he tries to today) while a female needed to be selective about her mates to ensure strong offspring (much as she does today).

[Idolator]

whats the big deal with abortion? if a woman doesnt want her kid, why stop her flushing it? millions of kids die every year from disease and starvation, why is abortion worse? and isnt it better to kill an infant rather than have a brat nobody wants? its not as if we have a shortage of people.

[The Peon]

whats the big deal with abortion? if a woman doesnt want her kid, why stop her flushing it? millions of kids die every year from disease and starvation, why is abortion worse? and isnt it better to kill an infant rather than have a brat nobody wants? its not as if we have a shortage of people.

 

Yes because we are sure that he/she will be a brat, and not the next Einstein. OH noes! Killz it!! Killllzzzz it!!!111

[susu]

whats the big deal with abortion? if a woman doesnt want her kid, why stop her flushing it? millions of kids die every year from disease and starvation, why is abortion worse? and isnt it better to kill an infant rather than have a brat nobody wants? its not as if we have a shortage of people.

 

Wonder if ur mother wanted u?? Perhaps she didnt and the only reason she kept u was becoz she was anti-abortion...

 

now idolator; what wud the world be without a man who refers to the termination of a pregnancy as "flushing down the toilet.." ??

[Idolator]

Wonder if ur mother wanted u?? Perhaps she didnt and the only reason she kept u was becoz she was anti-abortion...

 

if id been aborted i wouldnt be here to wonder. this question is irrelevant. the matter at hand is the will of the mother, not the hypothetical 'rights' of a child or fetus.

 

if my birth control failed, id flush it without a second thought. why should i **** up my figure with pregnancy?

[JustStuit]

if id been aborted i wouldnt be here to wonder. this question is irrelevant. the matter at hand is the will of the mother' date=' not the hypothetical 'rights' of a child or fetus.

 

if my birth control failed, id flush it without a second thought. why should i **** up my figure with pregnancy?[/quote']

You joking, right?

[Idolator]

why do you ask that?

[JustStuit]

Oh.... So you are so selfish that your figure is more important than a living being or a close to living baby. I can understand other reasons and early abortions but because of your figure? I just assumed you were joking. I guess my views of humanity may have been right after all.

[Idolator]

i guess so. im not going to sacrifice my looks for the sake of a potential human. whats in it for me?

[The Peon]

Its people like that that make me understand Azures stance on cannibalism. I wouldnt mind.... nm.....

[woelen]

m(17)

 

I'm definitely pro-choice' date=' however I have all the same exceptions as ecoli. Out of convenience, and those 3rd trimester abortions. Those are just sick [/quote']

Any abortion is sick. Has a child to be punished for what other people do?

 

In the case of a raped mother I can understand what she feels, but again, should the child be punished for that?

 

The only exception I want to make is the case, where the mother will be in severe danger, if the child is not aborted and all other options do not provide a solution. Even then, abortion is sick, but letting the mother die also is sick. Then, unfortunately, there only is a choice between two sick options.

[Severian]

m(34) pro-abortion, but with restrictions (like date from conception)

 

And for rape cases, the rules should be the same.

[Daecon]

Any abortion is sick. Has a child to be punished for what other people do?

 

In the case of a raped mother I can understand what she feels' date=' but again, should the child be punished for that?

 

The only exception I want to make is the case, where the mother will be in severe danger, if the child is not aborted and all other options do not provide a solution. Even then, abortion is sick, but letting the mother die also is sick. Then, unfortunately, there only is a choice between two sick options.[/quote']

I disagree. It's not about "punishment" of anybody, it's about removing something you don't want growing inside your body.

 

People have compared the unborn to cancer, or a parasite, and so on, the life inside you is 50% genetically you, but that dosn't mean you should owe it anything if you feel you don't want to - only after it is born does it become your responsibility from a legal standpoint.

 

If you were legally responsible for it from the moment of conception then we would probably see mothers going to prison for smoking or taking drugs while pregnant, etc.

 

Besides, people die all the time, so dying before you're born means you're not really going to suffer.

[worsethanyou]

 

In the case of a raped mother I can understand what she feels' date=' but again, should the child be punished for that?

 

[/quote']

 

Do you not think that it would be punishment for the child to be born to a mother who wants to love it but is reminded of the awful event that resulted in the conception every time she looks at it? Do you not think that it is punishment growing up knowing that your father is an evil rapist?

 

It is not something that you want to broadcast if you are raped and become pregnant and endless questions about the identity of the father if you are single is not going to help you emotionally recover from the ordeal.

 

It's not as simple as 'have the baby and adopt it'. If I carried a baby for 9 months I don't think I could give it away, regardless of who the father was. But at the same time I don't know if I could give it the life it deserved. Or if I would love it as much as future children I would have with someone who I did love.

 

And what happens during those 9 months carrying the child? You might have to leave school/college/uni because of being pregnant and if you cannot continue at a later date you may have wasted years of education. You may not have the support of your family and they may disown you. And current partners may not be able to cope with you keeping a rapists baby and relationships may break down.

 

Is that fair to a woman who never asked for any of this?

[mrblond5311]

Do you not think that it would be punishment for the child to be born to a mother who wants to love it but is reminded of the awful event that resulted in the conception every time she looks at it? Do you not think that it is punishment growing up knowing that your father is an evil rapist?

 

It is not something that you want to broadcast if you are raped and become pregnant and endless questions about the identity of the father if you are single is not going to help you emotionally recover from the ordeal.

 

It's not as simple as 'have the baby and adopt it'. If I carried a baby for 9 months I don't think I could give it away' date=' regardless of who the father was. But at the same time I don't know if I could give it the life it deserved. Or if I would love it as much as future children I would have with someone who I did love.

 

And what happens during those 9 months carrying the child? You might have to leave school/college/uni because of being pregnant and if you cannot continue at a later date you may have wasted years of education. You may not have the support of your family and they may disown you. And current partners may not be able to cope with you keeping a rapists baby and relationships may break down.

 

Is that fair to a woman who never asked for any of this?[/quote']

 

 

It's not punishment for the child. Punishment is the action for doing something wrong which the child did not. The mother should also do her best to make sure her child should does not percieve it that way. They also should not find out as a child but more of a young adult. The child would most likely respect their mother more for being able to go through with the birth even though it would be painful. All of your reasons deal with certain circumstance's which are not always present in these cases (which is why the word "may" is so common in your reply).That mother "may" also have a better life because of the child. The child "may" grow up to be someone great. I am pro-choice but I don't believe that every woman in this scenario should be able to abort an unborn child. As far as continuing college why wouldn't you be able to finish? There are alot of programs out there and plenty of ways to get help with that if the mother is willing. And if your family disowns you because you decide to keep the baby than that wasn't much of a true family to begin with. Your' "family" should be there to support you whether they agree with it or not. I understand it might break current relationships down but why would you want to be with someone who had different morals than you and wouldn't do all they could to help you? As far as being fair goes; if the world were fair she wouldn't have been raped in the first place. Why not at least give the child a chance to be what they can be and decide for themselves how their life should be. To make that decision for the child would just make the situation even more unjust.

 

I agree adoption is not easy and it's not always the answer but the mother does have that option and if after 9 months she's grown close enough to that baby to want to keep it then that would overpower the negative circumstance that got her pregnant and help her through the tough times and bad memories.

 

I'm prochoice because I believe no one has the right to make that decision for her; but then again no one has the right to make that decision for an unborn child. Why would you assume they would have a bad life and wish that they were aborted? A wise man once told me "Assumptions are the mother of all screw ups" and I think it would be a "screw up" for anyone to assume anything for an unborn child.

[jeskill]

27 year old male, anti-abortion. Too much of ones personality is coded in DNA before you are even born to even think about abortion in my opinion... thus I think its murder to abort even a 1 day old pregnancy.

 

 

So does this mean you don't believe in using the pill or an IUD as contraception?