What's your Abortion Policy?

[Person Man]

As I've stated before, I could accept placing the dividing line between non-personhood and personhood at anywhere between 10 weeks (the embryo becoming a fetus) and 24 weeks (the generally accepted average point of viability).  However once that dividing line has been drawn, I am absolutely opposed to crossing it in the case of rape or incest.

So, mostly pro-choice? somewhere in between?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I voted in-between.  While I wouldn't mind a law such as that recently passed in Texas on the subject, save that it went too far in restricting access to legal abortion, neither did I see a need for that law.

[barfbag]

Pro-choice at any point before the child is born, for any reason the impregnated woman chooses (because it is not my place to tell her that she has to take a fetus to term), completely and totally funded and covered under a national health insurance scheme. No questions asked, no parental notification requirements, waiting period requirements, sonogram/ultrasound requirements - none of that. A woman should be able to walk into any abortion clinic she wants and have an abortion free of charge with no angry mob outside the door calling her a slut, no nutjob threatening to blow up the clinic, and no invasive behavior on the part of the state to coerce her into not having an abortion - and most importantly of all, I believe, again, that the state should provide abortions free of charge so that abortion is not a privilege only for rich women, but is a right accessible to poor women as well.

I also believe in sex positive education, encouraging (and making free) all methods of contraception, teaching those methods from an early age, national health insurance, national child care, and stipends for young mothers (as well as paid parental leave) to prevent or reduce the numbers of unwanted pregnancies.

So you're saying that a woman should be allowed to abort her baby because she found out the father is black which would mean an interracial child? Are you really supporting abortions based on race? I thought Democrats were against racism and here we have a Democrat advocating government funding to support potential racism.

I support a woman's right to choose for any reason. While I would discourage race or sex selective abortions, the right to choose is again ultimately not something I am willing to infringe on. If a woman chooses to abort an unwanted pregnancy for racial or sexual reasons, that is her business, not Uncle Sam's. But ultimately this whole argument is a red herring because very few women who get abortions do so because they're afraid the child is going to be biracial. One would assume they are fully aware of the person they had sex with to become pregnant.

That's terrible. Also a lot of women screw around and don't know who the dad is. It's part of being an American woman.

[angus]

no angry mob outside the door calling her a slut...

That probably deserves its own thread.  While I generally agree that abortions should be safe and legal, I think the bill of rights guarantees the liberty of angry mobs outside clinic doors to call her a slut.

[opebo]

Free abortions for everybody.

[barfbag]

Free abortions for everybody.

Can we please treat this issue more sensitively.

[Marnetmar]

Pro-choice during the first two trimesters, pro-life except for risk to the mother's life in the third trimester.

[Person Man]

Pro-choice during the first two trimesters, pro-life except for risk to the mother's life in the third trimester.

That's pro-choice.

It's just like someone saying they are "mostly pro-life" when they want a comprehensive abortion ban with a "maternal life" exception (see Treyvon Martin, apparently).

Anything more pro-choice than that is really just pro-death or a baby hater, the same way anyone more "pro-life" than that is just pro-death or a woman hater.

[angus]

Pro-choice during the first two trimesters, pro-life except for risk to the mother's life in the third trimester.

That's pro-choice.

It's just like someone saying they are "mostly pro-life" when they want a comprehensive abortion ban with a "maternal life" exception (see Treyvon Martin, apparently).

Anything more pro-choice than that is really just pro-death or a baby hater, the same way anyone more "pro-life" than that is just pro-death or a woman hater.

I don't think it's so simple at all.  Some folks reach the conclusion, through deeply-held moral convictions, that fetal abortion is like murder, always wrong.  They are not woman-haters or death mongers.  There have also been states that encourage abortions of any pregnancies after the first successful one, usually for population control.  They are not "pro death" just because they wonder how they're going to feed millions of people.  There are also many attitudes when it comes to abortion funding, and many rationales behind those attitudes.  It's a very complicated issue, like most issues, and people don't always agree.  Even when they end up voting the same way on a bill, it may have been very different lines of reasoning that brought them to their conclusions.

[Miles]

Pro-life except if the mother's life is in danger.

[traininthedistance]

My position is basically identical to that of bedstuy, Scott, TDAS, etc- so, pro-choice in practice.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Pro life. My only exception would be in cases where the mother's life is threatened. I'm unconvinced by arguments for abortion in cases of rape/incest.

This.  I feel like allowing abortion in cases of rape/incest creates the perception that men can treat women any way they want without consequence.  And it's not a moral issue to me, it's a human rights issue.  And I also think we need to encourage contraceptives and adoption as alternatives.  So, in short, pro-life with only the aforementioned exception to save the life of the mother.

[Person Man]

Pro-choice during the first two trimesters, pro-life except for risk to the mother's life in the third trimester.

That's pro-choice.

It's just like someone saying they are "mostly pro-life" when they want a comprehensive abortion ban with a "maternal life" exception (see Treyvon Martin, apparently).

Anything more pro-choice than that is really just pro-death or a baby hater, the same way anyone more "pro-life" than that is just pro-death or a woman hater.

I don't think it's so simple at all.  Some folks reach the conclusion, through deeply-held moral convictions, that fetal abortion is like murder, always wrong.  They are not woman-haters or death mongers.  There have also been states that encourage abortions of any pregnancies after the first successful one, usually for population control.  They are not "pro death" just because they wonder how they're going to feed millions of people.  There are also many attitudes when it comes to abortion funding, and many rationales behind those attitudes.  It's a very complicated issue, like most issues, and people don't always agree.  Even when they end up voting the same way on a bill, it may have been very different lines of reasoning that brought them to their conclusions.

Generally, I am worried about people who are so anti-abortion that they will give fetuses a greater right to life than born people or those are so pro-abortion that they will allow for infanticide.

[Goldwater]

Pro-choice during the first two trimesters, pro-life except for risk to the mother's life in the third trimester.

That's pro-choice.

It's just like someone saying they are "mostly pro-life" when they want a comprehensive abortion ban with a "maternal life" exception (see Treyvon Martin, apparently).

Anything more pro-choice than that is really just pro-death or a baby hater, the same way anyone more "pro-life" than that is just pro-death or a woman hater.

You would be surprised at how many people here fall under your definition of "pro-death or a baby hater"...

[PJ]

I'm actually quite radical on this issue. I don't support any ban, and I support federal funding for abortion. Agree pretty much with TNF.

[angus]

Generally, I am worried about people who are so anti-abortion that they will give fetuses a greater right to life than born people or those are so pro-abortion that they will allow for infanticide.

Everyone is worried about folks who don't see things like they do.  Otherwise, what's the point of arrogance?

[opebo]

Free abortions for everybody.

Can we please treat this issue more sensitively.

That's my position.

[MATTROSE94]

I consider myself personally pro-life and would only favor abortion in the cases of rape, incest or if the life of the mother was in danger if the child was born.

[Sopranos Republican]

Pro-choice during the first two trimesters, pro-life except for risk to the mother's life in the third trimester.

Basically this, and I'm reluctant about it. It's just, I feel there are many many risks to totally criminalizing abortions, and as a lot have witnessed, I used to believe in ending abortion at all costs, my slight change in views is not necessarily because I reject many of the arguments made by the pro life movement, because I believe a lot of the arguments made are valid, but there are many women, especially those who have very little, that will risk their lives to terminate the pregnancy.

Anyway, I voted option 2.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

That there would be none.

[afleitch]

That there would be none.

Whoo! Let's let 10 year old girls who have been raped get physically mangled brah.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

That there would be none.

Whoo! Let's let 10 year old girls who have been raped get physically mangled brah.

I know, right?

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Pro-choice during the first two trimesters, pro-life except for risk to the mother's life in the third trimester.

Basically this, and I'm reluctant about it. It's just, I feel there are many many risks to totally criminalizing abortions, and as a lot have witnessed, I used to believe in ending abortion at all costs, my slight change in views is not necessarily because I reject many of the arguments made by the pro life movement, because I believe a lot of the arguments made are valid, but there are many women, especially those who have very little, that will risk their lives to terminate the pregnancy.

Anyway, I voted option 2.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Pro-choice during the first two trimesters, pro-life except for risk to the mother's life in the third trimester.

Basically this, and I'm reluctant about it. It's just, I feel there are many many risks to totally criminalizing abortions, and as a lot have witnessed, I used to believe in ending abortion at all costs, my slight change in views is not necessarily because I reject many of the arguments made by the pro life movement, because I believe a lot of the arguments made are valid, but there are many women, especially those who have very little, that will risk their lives to terminate the pregnancy.

Anyway, I voted option 2.

Nah, bro. Matt's too much of a bro to be a Dem.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Access to abortion should be unlimited to the point of viability.  Beyond that, it should be allowed only in cases of severe deformity of the fetus that would lead to suffering in life, or the health of the mother.

If a woman is raped and decides to wait 6 months before having an abortion, then she should consider adoption.  If the pregnancy is discovered only after so long, exceptions could be made by the doctor with proper documentation.  But even then, aborting a viable fetus is about as awful a thing as can be done.  The argument of emotional suffering from having to deliver the child just don't stand up to the value of the viable fetus' life at that point.