What's your Abortion Policy?

[barfbag]

No federal funding of abortions.
Ban federal health coverage that includes abortion.
Ban abortions for sex and race selection.
Let private sector determine if coverage includes abortions.
Federal ban on partial birth abortion except to save a mother's life.
Federal ban on human cloning for reproductive purposes.
Limit abortions to when there is an imminent or immediate threat to the mother's life.
24 hour waiting period before abortions with the exception of emergencies.
Both parents must consent to termination of pregnancies.
Parental consent mandatory for minors who have abortions unless there is a court order.
Increase embryotic stem cell research.
Federal law preventing minors from crossing state lines to have abortions.
Make it a federal crime to harm a fetus during another crime.
Expand contraceptive services for low income women.
Ensure access and funding for contraception.
Provide emergency contraception at military facilities.
Focus on preventing pregnancies and emergency contraception.
Ban Family Planning funding unless they stop endorsing abortions.
Never let the UN force women to have abortions for the sake of "population control."
Plan B morning after pills can be dangerous.
Continue ban on abortions at military bases.
Teach abstinence and contraceptives in public schools.

Basically I'm saying limit abortion to when saving a mother's life and ban partial birth abortion altogether. Minors should have to have parental consent and women should have to have consent from the other parent. On a political level I'm fine with ensuring easy access and funding for contraceptives especially when it comes to low income women. I'm for whatever it takes to prevent pregnancies that could end in abortions. My personal view is that even the morning after pill is abortion and that abortions are wrong. Our public schools need to be teaching about contraceptives and abstinence. I try to be libertarian on social issues, but I feel very strongly about being pro-life and am in favor of protecting life.

[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.

[barfbag]

Pro-choice up to the 24 week mark. But it should be easier to get an abortion, much easier, and less common by making unplanned pregnancies less common. I believe life begins at birth and it's about time the pro-lifers bent over backwards to accommodate my beliefs, thankyouverymuch

You want conservatives to bend over backwards? This could lead to more pregnancies.

[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.

[barfbag]

Free abortions for everybody.

Can we please treat this issue more sensitively.

[barfbag]

I am going to ask the question in a few different ways in order to demonstrate how certain forms of the abortion question can cause different reactions in people.

Are you pro-life?

People feel better when they say they're pro-life.

Are you pro-choice?

Most people still will want to say yes.

Are you pro-life or pro-choice?

This question is the best way to find out just how people feel because they're faced with a choice between the two.

Do you support a woman's right to choose?

People feel better about themselves by saying yes.

Do you support a ban on abortions?

Despite how strongly people feel, they're more likely to oppose federal intervention.

Do you support partial birth abortion?

Notice how this provokes a different response. The problem is that humans, especially Americans can't stand to feel guilty about themselves. This lack of responsibility demonstrates to a degree our nature as humans. Below are two actual polls taken on the matter.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/gallup-more-americans-are-pro-life-pro-choice_738558.html

http://www.newsmax.com/US/abortion-pro-life-pro-choice-poll/2012/11/14/id/464121

Both of the above polls have been taken in the last year and we all know the public's opinion doesn't change so drastically on such a sensitive issue. If anything, this is an issue where people are very unlikely to change their position unless of course they're in politics.

[barfbag]

The free market would fix problems if abortion was made legal. In a strong economy, even if people simply don't want kids, we'd have a big enough surplus and a strong enough private sector to afford more childcare services, daycares, and adoption centers. Gay adoptions should be made legal too in order to increase and expedite adoptions. Here is my new abortion policy.


Increase Home Owner Mortgage Deduction.
Provide low income housing tax credit to encourage multifamily housing.
No deductions for credit and debit card payments.
Allow for IRA tax deductions for deposits of $2,000 or more.
Require social security numbers for dependents over the age of 5.
Remove tax shelters for real estate investments.
Remove marriage tax.
Remove death tax for those with less than $600,000 property value.
Reduce windfall profit taxes by 23%.
Cut capital gains taxes nearly in half.
Provide tax simplification by requiring employers to deduct federal taxes.
Make child tax credit permanent.
Eliminate corporate taxes for companies with shareholders to bring back jobs.
Make a Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
60% supermajority needed to raise taxes.
No national sales tax or VAT.
Tax increases damage federal revenue by causing higher unemployment.

Tax Brackets:

income < $64,600      15%
income < $195,000    28%
income > $195,000    33%

Non-Shareholder Corporate Tax Brackets:

income < $50,000                 15%
income $50,000-$75,000       25%
income > $75,000                 34%

Deductions:

medical and dental expenses
charitable contributions
casualty and theft losses
qualified interest on property used as a residence
estate tax

Jobs and job training programs are also essential. With low taxes comes strong GDP growth as we saw in the 1980's. We're going to have a lot more revenue in the private sector which eventually leads to job creation whether direct or indirect. In order to not have to rely on the "trickle down" effect though, we need innovation. Innovation is also a major component to a strong economy. When people are able to start their own businesses and succeed competition increases. Competition is another huge aspect to our nation's free enterprise economy. How will we get there? We'll need to spend some money, but once people are qualified, the economy will see another jump start. Here is an outline of goals followed by policies to get there.

Prepare youth and unskilled adults for entry into labor force.
Provide job training to economically disadvantaged individuals.
Carry out summer adult and youth programs.
Provide employment and training assistance for dislocated workers.
Establish a racially and gender diverse National Employment Commission.
Extend unemployment benefits by 20 weeks.
Extend unemployment benefits through recessions.
Restrict employer interference in union organizing.
Keep minimum wage as is in order to maintain a lower cost of living.
Allow for Air Traffic Controller's to unionize.
Secret ballot as opposed to card check.
Ban discriminatory compensation by allowing 2 years to sue.
Stronger enforcement against gender based pay discrimination.

 
Adult and Youth Programs:

Maintain networks of learning centers to prepare students to meet state and local general education diploma competency requirements.

Provide a pre-employment skills training program for youth from ages 14 to 21, with priority given to those who do not meet established academic achievement levels and plan on entering the labor force after graduation.

Provide for an entry employment experience program for youth who meet certain requirements.

Provide for a school to work transition assistance program for high school seniors with an economic disadvantage and dropouts.
 

Native Americans and Seasonal Workers:

Establish administrative procedures and machinery for the selection, administration, monitoring, and evaluation of Native American and Seasonal farmworker employment and training programs through the Department of Labor.

Set forth employment for seasonal farmworkers by requiring public agencies and non-profit organizations to administer a diversified employable development program for them.

Labor Department to work with state and local officials in administering national farmworker programs.


Job Corps:

Maintains a Job Corps for disadvantaged youth to operate exclusively as a distinct national program.

Labor Department will make payments to organizations for the cost of recruitment, screening, and selection.

Arrange for advanced career training programs for selected members for one additional year of Corps participation. Work with businesses and labor unions.

Provide Corps enrollees with allowances and support.

Secretary of Defense to arrange pilot projects at Job Corps Centers to prepare youth for military service. Work with community based organizations.

Allow for charitable donations to Job Corps.

Veterans- Conduct programs to meet training needs of disabled veterans recently separated from military service.


Summer Youth Employment and Training Programs:

Target specific territories for summer youth program.
Teach job training activities designed for employment preparation and retention.
Require programs to be conducted during summer months.
Economically disadvantaged people under the age of 22 are eligible for such programs.


Employment Training Assistance for Dislocated Workers:

25% of appropriations for this bill go to the states to help with job training programs, mass layoffs, and natural disasters.

Authorize states to identify a list of eligible citizens who have been laid off, terminated, are long term unemployed, or have limited opportunities for employment.

Require full consultation with a labor organization before states are given further assistance.

Require states to submit a plan for the use of assistance including provisions for coordinating programs, energy conservation programs, and social services.

Lastly, don't forget free trade. We should always be opening up new markets to U.S. exports while creating a business friendly economy at home in order to bring jobs back from overseas. Corporate taxes could be eliminated for companies with share holders. Keep wages low as well in order to keep costs down due to affordability. With low wages and low costs comes a greater value of the dollar. Such an economy would surely make things more livable for younger parents, childcare centers, daycare, and adoptions.

[barfbag]

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.

Exactly this.

I never understood the ban on federal funds for abortion. From a moral viewpoint, my family and I never supported the war in Iraq. So why should our tax money go to support war? Its the same logic used to deny what should be the proper funding to medical coverage that includes abortion.

That's partisan logic.

[barfbag]

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.

Exactly this.

I never understood the ban on federal funds for abortion. From a moral viewpoint, my family and I never supported the war in Iraq. So why should our tax money go to support war? Its the same logic used to deny what should be the proper funding to medical coverage that includes abortion.

That's partisan logic.

How? I disagree with war, I don't want want my tax dollars to pay for war. No different than someone who opposes abortion who doesn't want to see their tax dollars pay for abortions.. Why is their opinion more vaild than mine?

No one's opinion is more valid, but I hope we're above opinions here on this forum. All of our tax dollars go towards things we don't like at some point or another. There are elections to fix this every two years.