Can I ask why it should be illegal, and what the exceptions are or should be? — jamalrob
If the answer to the first question has anything to do with the fetus being a human being or person with its independent interests and rights, I don't see how there could be any exceptions. — jamalrob
That is, I don't see how such abortions could ever be justified, unless murder is justified in some cases. — jamalrob
looking at the second link you'll see that "having relationship problems/don't want to be single" is the fourth most frequent of the most important reasons given. The top three are -- "Not ready for a(nother) child", "Can't afford a baby now", and "Have completed my childbearing"
Any of those reasons, as far as I am concerned, are adequate for the legal right to obtain an abortion -- and I wouldn't look at it as unjust, either. — Moliere
All terrible reasons to have an abortion. They don't have to keep the baby after giving birth. There's this thing that you might have heard of called adoption. — Sapientia
These are very weird words coming from an avowed leftist. But I'm all for diversity of thought, so carry on. — jamalrob
It was more the judgmental attitude in the post, which is very reminiscent of old-fashioned establishment conservatives. You don't seem to have much of an interest in or clue about the situation of women who get late abortions. — jamalrob
All terrible reasons to have an abortion. They don't have to keep the baby after giving birth. There are these things that you might have heard of called social services and adoption. If the parent or parents are unfit, the state has the power to intervene. — Sapientia
It is a human, and I believe that it deserves certain rights which should not be violated by the mother or anyone else, and fortunately it has those rights in English law, at least effectively, given that child destruction is a statutory offence. — Sapientia
I don't think it's that weird, but it was only a generalised label in any case. Being a leftist doesn't entail liberalism in all matters or unfettered liberalism. — Sapientia
↪Sapientia It isn't any old judgmentalism one can see in your comments. It's the judgmentalism of the conservative who worries about the permissive society and the irresponsible behaviour of loose women. — jamalrob
↪jamalrob Well, I am a conservative on this issue, in that I want to conserve the current law against abolishment or radical reform. And I am judging those who are grossly irresponsible and who wish to legally permit such gross irresponsibility. — Sapientia
I find the notion that only women can debate abortion or vote on abortion policy to be absurd, patronizing, divisive, counter-productive, and anti-democratic. — jamalrob
This does represent a limitation on the woman's right to abortion during the third trimester for purely personal reasons. So you broke up with the father? So the father turned out to be a mafioso kingpin? So the father just died? So the father left you for a younger, more beautiful non-pregnant, wealthier woman? So you found a wealthier, more handsome, available guy? Maybe you just lost your job? All that is most unfortunate, but you are now obligated to complete the pregnancy for the next few weeks. The late stage of development now trumps your convenience.
Five or six months seems like a long enough time for one to decide whether one wants to be pregnant or not. If abortion is being used as a tool for family planning, (oops, too soon or too late for another one) then waiting 6 months to decide is inexcusable. If the pregnancy occurred because of inattention to birth control or sex was forced and not an option, again -- it shouldn't take 6 months to decide that one doesn't want to be pregnant. — Bitter Crank
As a joke, in my office we often try to prove how we're more conservative than the other by picking out comments the other one makes that might be interpreted as liberal.
I see such banter occurs in all circles. — Hanover
Perhaps in your opinion. — Moliere
But I think all of these are reasonable because I don't think a fetus is a human, but will become a human. — Moliere
If you have a gall bladder removed, is it a moral crime? Even if you just removed it because it is convenient? — Moliere
A fetus is not human, but is a human fetus. A liver is not human, but is a human liver. — Moliere
I have no problem saying a fetus is human in the biological sense. But to say that a fetus deserves certain rights is basically to accord personhood to a fetus, which I think is still in error -- whether that be called "human", "sufficiently advanced", or so forth. — Moliere
As the great American Transcendentalist Ralph W. Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds". — Bitter Crank
That's like, your opinion, man. — Sapientia
Special pleading? Why do you draw the line at birth. Odd. — Sapientia
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