Abortion

[Nym90]

Actually, there definitely is such thing as pro-choice, it's not pro-abortion at all. I've never heard anyone say that they thought that abortion is good and that there should be more abortions, that would be pro-abortion. But pro-choice people believe that this most difficult and personal of decisions should be left to a mother and her physician, and that the government should stay out.
Likewise, as you say, reversing Roe vs. Wade wouldn't stop abortions. Many states, especially the more liberal ones like New York and California, would keep abortion legal. Even if abortion was outlawed nationwide by a constitutional amendment or bill, it would still be legal in Canada and in Europe. So, rich people would be able to go to those countries to get an abortion, but poor people who couldn't afford to travel there would not be able to get one and would in many cases die or have great medical complication from having a back alley abortion.

[Nym90]

Well, clearly the fetus is not a viable human being on its own, since it can't survive outside the human body. The record for the earliest that a fetus has ever been born and survived outside the body is at about 6 months, hence the concept of "trimesters" for abortions. The reason that it is ok to regulate abortions in the 3rd trimester is because at that point, the fetus gains the ability to theoretically survive outside the womb (even though at 6 months it would be extremely unlikely, but it has been proven to be possible). So as to the question of whether or not a recently conceived zygote is a viable human being, the answer is clearly no. So why should a zygote have rights? Well, you might say because it is potential human life, but every single cell in your body is potential human life, as well. When you scrach an itch on your skin, you kill thousands of cells that could potentially become a human life. Obviously no one thinks that this should be illegal. Obviously those cells are a part of your body and thus you have the right to do with them as you please, and they have no rights on their own.
Now, one could raise a religious objection to abortion, and argue that when two people have sexual intercourse, God decides whether or not the sperm and egg will come together to form a human being, and thus humans have no right to interfere with that. That's fine, but it creates a problem. If so, then how can there be an exception for rape and incest? Does it say somewhere in the Bible that God only guides the sperm and egg together in consensual, nonincestous sex, but otherwise it's just random? That doesn't make any sense. If one is raising a religious objection to abortion, it would seem that one would also have to oppose it in cases of rape and incest as well. Likewise, even if you believe that abortion is the moral equivalent of murder, you'd have to still oppose it in rape and incest cases for the same reason; it's still murder even then. Only to save the life of the mother (not even the health, just the life) could abortion thus be justified. And even in those instances, one could argue that it is still being guided by God's will, as to who dies and who lives.
So, as I see it, there is no scientific basis for making abortion illegal in the first 6 months of pregnancy, as the fetus would have to be defined as a part of the mother's body and not as its own organism during this time, there are only religious reasons, and thus as I believe there should be a seperation of church and state, I think that abortion should be legal in the first 6 months. During the last trimester, however, once the fetus has achieved theoretical viability, I think that it should be legal to ban abortion except in cases in which the life or health of the mother is at risk. I do believe that at that point the fetus should have some rights, since it could live on its own outside the mother's body, and thus its right to stay alive should supercede the mother's whims.

[Nym90]

jravnsbo,

Roe Vs. Wade said that restrictions may be placed on abortion in the 3rd trimester, but it did not ban it. I agree that it should be allowed by law unless the life or health of the mother is at risk.

Gustaf,

When I say "survive on their own" I mean the physical ability to survive. New born babies, even those who are handicapped, can eat food and breath air, but fetuses before the 6th month cannot do these things, they must get all of their life sustaining processes directly from the mother. Fetuses at this stage would die instantly if they were removed from the womb, as would all of the other cells in your body if they were removed from your body. Near the end of the pregnancy, even though the fetus is still in the womb, it could survive outside the mother's womb if it was born prematurely.

[Nym90]

Good point with siamese twins, I would say that it is legally debateable whether they are one person or two. Perhaps a better definition than survive on their own would be to say that one individual is completely dependent on the life processes of another, but not the other way around.

Yes, you are right that it is a matter of definiton, and obviously it would have to be well defined to make sure that there are as few grey areas as possible.

[Nym90]

I love the Hitchhiker's Guide! Realpolitik, have you ever played the computer game?

[Nym90]

http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/hhgg.html

[Nym90]

Well, for anyone out there who wants the game or any other info about it, email me. My email address can be found on my profile.

[Nym90]

As a candidate for president in the fantasy election, I'll espouse my position on abortion.

I am pro-choice. I support legalized abortion with no restrictions through the first 6 months of a pregnancy. I feel that counseling services and information should be very widely available for those who are having a difficult time making up their mind on this issue.

In the third trimester, I favor making abortion illegal except to save the life or health of the mother.

I also strongly support encouraging the use of contraceptives and birth control to prevent unwanted pregnancies, including programs that allow for free or reduced price distribution of condoms. I favor educating students on sex education in schools that abstinence is the best and safest method of birth control, but that condoms and other forms of birth control are absolutely necessary for those that do choose to be sexually active.