Partial Birth Abortion Its Legalization

[smartbei 0]

Based on articles:

Abortion Returns to Center Stage

Partial Birth Abortion - Abortion Ban Issue

 

3 years ago, in 2003, the U.S. congress overwhelmingly passed a law banning partial birth abortion, in which a fetus over 20 weeks in age (~5 months) and up to around the 6-7th month is aborted. Supporters of the law stated then that it is immoral, to kill a human that within a month in some cases could be born and survive, given medical help. Opponents said that a woman's right to choose should be her own, and the congress has no right to take it from her.

 

Now, the issue is "coming back" because of three federal appeals courts because the law does not provide for exceptions where the woman's health or life is in danger. The supreme court has agreed to consider the constitutionality of the law, and eventually decide whether to overturn it or not. The issue is heated, but polls show that most people still view abortions as immoral or wrong, and would not consider one themselves.

 

Is it an issue of Whose life is more important? or an issue of The lesser evil?

Not neccesarily about this specific method but generally, how about abortion in cases of rape?

 

As a person with political beliefs all over the spectrum, I believe that while the abortion technique mentioned (partial birth) is especially "ugly," the life of the mother in this case has more importance, and for the sake of saving the mother's life an abortion must be condoned. A case of a rape is much more difficult, at least for me, to analyze. On the one hand, the fetus/baby did nothing wrong and should not be punished/killed for no fault of its own. On the other, the mother should not have to suffer through pregnancy and childbirth, and later have to care for the child because of a rapists actions.

Edited February 27, 2006 by smartbei (see edit history)

[cops 0]

I think they should allow abortion in especially cases of rape and incest. Women should have control over their own bodies.Every 2 and a half minutes a woman is raped in America. I don't think we should force everyone that gets pregnant from rape to have a baby they never wanted. It can mess up the mother and child's lives. More people in fostercare, having to drop out of highschool, women having unsafe home abortions. These kids will be our future generation. And I think America is already the third largest nation in the world.

[Nani Cheri 0]

Yeah thats true cops. If a baby is not wanted it is nog good for their and the mother's life! Besides if a woman was raped she will always see her rapist in front of her when seing her child.. that should be awful. and incest is very bad too. Can be confusing for the child to.

[Blacklaser 0]

I am very liberal on the issues of abortion and I think every woman (and in a lot of cases also the partner) should have the choice of abortion up to a certain point in time(around 3 months). As for partial birth abortion, I'm wondering why someone who waited 5 months, in some cases more, should still be able to abort the child. 5 months is too late, at some point you have to take resposability and say yes I will do it or no I won't. One can't wait forever. 2 month is enough time to decide whether you want an abortion or not. The only exception of course is when suddenly the life or health of the mother is serverly endangred, in that case, in my opinion it is always the life and health of the mother first.

[Poppy Lou 0]

I am very liberal on the issues of abortion and I think every woman (and in a lot of cases also the partner) should have the choice of abortion up to a certain point in time(around 3 months). As for partial birth abortion, I'm wondering why someone who waited 5 months, in some cases more, should still be able to abort the child. 5 months is too late, at some point you have to take resposability and say yes I will do it or no I won't. One can't wait forever. 2 month is enough time to decide whether you want an abortion or not. The only exception of course is when suddenly the life or health of the mother is serverly endangred, in that case, in my opinion it is always the life and health of the mother first.

I think every case has to be looked at individually. I agree that waiting 5 months to abort the child is extreme but there may be circumstances where this could not have been avoided. Maybe the woman has mental health problems or a learning disability. or if for instance rape or incest is the cause she has been too traumatised to deal with it. But in any situation, as in all abortions, it should never be allowed to become the norm.

[iGuest 3]

what can i do ?

Partial Birth Abortion

 

My friend is pregnant for 4-5 months & she wants to ABORT the child.She does not want to go to clinic or any doc. She wants to know about any medicine which can be taken at home & SHOULD BE SAFE.And also tell me what all are the other options.

 

Please help me she is my best friend and I don't want her to suffer.

 

I don't know what to do.

 

-question by eric

[Joshua 0]

What I didn't see mentioned here is that with partial birth abortion, there have been many instances where the children survived the abortion and, under the law, can legally be left to starve to death on hospital beds. In cases where they were rescued, some have lived to tell about it.Barack Obama voted against all bills that would've stopped this horrible practice but refused to give a reason for his actions. It is why I oppose Obama more than any other candidate in America. I'd prefer seeing Clinton in office to him, just like I preferred seeing Bush in office over Kerry (though I voted for neither, but for Michael Peroutka instead).

Edited January 31, 2008 by Joshua (see edit history)

[kasm 0]

I think they should allow abortion in especially cases of rape and incest. Women should have control over their own bodies.

1. Saying that "women should have control on their body" is another issue and is the free abortion without limit . I think it must be limited in reasons and the time.

 

2. But I agree for abortion up to 8 weeks for rape cases. I said 8 weeks that period eveyone realise that she is pregnant.

 

3. No need that the raped woman no give birth to not wanted child and remind her with the terror she faced. How you ask woman to be realted to criminal person for life and next generation too.

 

4. What if the raped female is a child?. It is herrible that we insist to influence the child to be mother in early time and imagine what effect will be of that on her education, career and future love and marriage?

 

5. But about abortion in sake of mother's life, it is allowable in all times. Usually the mother mostly want to sacrify herself. Then the decision is up to her.

[Archangel_Baw 0]

What I didn't see mentioned here is that with partial birth abortion, there have been many instances where the children survived the abortion and, under the law, can legally be left to starve to death on hospital beds. In cases where they were rescued, some have lived to tell about it.
...

That is horrible. I am pro-abortion but it is only depending on valid reasons, ie rape, incest, inability to provide for the child, drug/alcohol/domestic abuse etc, but not for people being promiscuous and just merely refusing to be responsible or just dodging parenthood.

[tricky77puzzle 0]

I don't dislike certain abortions due to the amount of time - only because of the method. No matter if partial-birth abortion is performed at 16 weeks or 34 - it's still the same horribility. But other methods of abortion are less harmful to the fetus itself, beside the fact that the fetus dies in all these cases.

 

I am personally against partial-birth abortion and would love to see it illegalized, even though I am pro-choice. This is because partial-birth abortion actually involves directly harming the fetus, after it is outside the womb. (And to Joshua, you once said in another post that "the whole idea of abortion" is to cut the baby's head off or rip its brains out with a big hook. This is wrong. Partial-birth abortion counted for about 0.17% of total abortions in the US in 2003. So it's actually not that big of an issue.)

[sheepdog 10]

Abortion of a fetus is one thing, but when you are talking about partial birth abortion, your talking about a baby that is ready to come into this old crazy world and survive as a normal infant. Sucking out it's brains with a tube as it comes out is not my idea of abortion. I think it is pretty disgusting. And I am quite liberal about abortion otherwise. We have enough humans in the world. Stupid humans at that. So stupid it takes them 9 months to decide to have an abortion??????

[tricky77puzzle 0]

Abortion of a fetus is one thing, but when you are talking about partial birth abortion, your talking about a baby that is ready to come into this old crazy world and survive as a normal infant. Sucking out it's brains with a tube as it comes out is not my idea of abortion. I think it is pretty disgusting. And I am quite liberal about abortion otherwise. We have enough humans in the world. Stupid humans at that. So stupid it takes them 9 months to decide to have an abortion??????

Usually it's about 6 to 7 months. But I agree. If you're going to put off the decision that long, then you might as well have the baby. I mean, really, the baby should be noticeable at 4 months. (No, kasm, 8 weeks is not enough. Anyway, it's too fuzzy a line to enforce very strongly. Between conception and implantation, the embryo does not develop inside the mother, and can be miscarried if any serious genetic problems arise.)

Pretty much partial-birth abortion is the only method I have any beef against.

[hellosoliloquy 0]

I'm definitely pro-choice... but I just can't agree with partial-birth abortions. The mass of cells isn't quite just a mass of cells anymore. It's sort of something that could definitely live, even if it does require a bit of help.

[mikeyboy63 0]

What I didn't see mentioned here is that with partial birth abortion, there have been many instances where the children survived the abortion and, under the law, can legally be left to starve to death on hospital beds. In cases where they were rescued, some have lived to tell about it.
Barack Obama voted against all bills that would've stopped this horrible practice but refused to give a reason for his actions. It is why I oppose Obama more than any other candidate in America. I'd prefer seeing Clinton in office to him, just like I preferred seeing Bush in office over Kerry (though I voted for neither, but for Michael Peroutka instead).

Barak Obama is the past President of Harvard School of Law. He's an expert on the Constitution. He voted against the legislation because he found it to be unconstitutional. Bear in mind that children are not recognized as human beings under the constitution. I know that sounds strange, but it is because children can't have the rights of an adult. Do we want to see children with the right to bear arms, for example? Since the Constitution doesn't recognize a fetus as a human being, the only rights under consideration are the reproductive rights of the mother. I do believe that there may be a basis for banning abortions on the state level, but not the federal level. I don't want my kids having rights equal to my own!!

[tatati 0]

I think abortions should be legal, just because.Here abortion is illegal except in case of rape, and if it is proven that the mother's life is in danger. There are a specific set of laws for children here, and I believe that in most cases when the mother go for illegal abortion, she can't personally provide everything a child needs. Those who do it, and those who perform it, have their own reasons to do so, and will be outcasts from church or whatever, because it's not a great feeling to participate in abortions. But some can't afford to have any more children. The most common abortion here is done when the mother is up to 3 months pregnant, and takes some 2-5 pills for stomach ulcers called Citotec, wich is most likely sold illegally too. Then she might hemorrage until she is dead too! When I had a car I drove an employee to the hospital, she had uncontrollable bleeding that day. At the hospital the doctor realized it was an abortion and tried to keep me in there until the police came! I fled the scene as soon as I could escape! Then later when she came back to work, there was all this gossip and this aura of death in the place for the time she was on the job, then she left, then I left too.Abortion is so wrong. But who would want to invite another soul to share their misfortune?