My answer to a young woman who told me she cannot vote for Democrats because of abortion.
She said she was adopted.
I understand where she is coming from on that and respect it, but I support choice.
And this is what I said to her, "Well, I respect your opinion. We differ on that issue, but let's agree on one thing: No woman should have to have an abortion because she does not have the money to support a child."
Women have abortions for many reasons, some medical, some psychological, but a big one is the inability to provide a good life in material terms for a child or, often, ANOTHER child.
Republicans condemn women who have abortions.
But they do nothing to ease the financial burdens on mothers, especially single and divorced mothers of children.
Here are ways to help pregnant women and prevent some of the abortions, and these are ways that Republicans refuse to support:
Increase money for food stamps and nutrition assistance for families;
Single-payer healthcare that cuts the profit out of the cost of health insurance;
Free tuition in state colleges and trade and technical schools including free job training for women with children;
Equal pay for equal work regardless of gender;
Free and, quality equal childcare beginning from birth for all who want and need it;,
Government assistance for families and women with children who need low-income housing Large enough for a family;
Better adoption services programs;
Better mental health care;
Parenting education for all expectant mothers willing to participate in it (make it available);
Paid family leave for mothers and fathers for at least the first six weeks, better six months.
Just a few ideas.
Add your own.
That is how you reduce the number of abortions in this country.
I recall that I was in the hospital for a different reason in a foreign country. One of my roommates was having an abortion. She was a devout Catholic, but she told me that she already had a family and she was over 50 years old, pregnant and did not want her grown daughter to ever have to raise her child.
I share that story just to point out that people have abortions for a variety of reasons that are very personal. No woman should have to answer to anyone regarding why she feels she cannot have a baby. That is her business.
If men are so concerned about stopping abortions, they should STOP HAVING SEX.
Let's start a campaign to stop anti-abortion proponents from having sex. That would take care of the problem right there.
And by the way, Bernie's got this covered.
= new reply since forum marked as read
After birth they take away the social programs that would help the child and mother, deride the mother for having the child she can't afford, "SHE should stop having sex if she can't afford a child" (immaculate conception, dontcha know 
) etc...
Years ago I was at a Dick Durbin rally in a small nearby town and there were two anti-choice women there walking with anti-abortion signs with pictures of fetuses on them. One woman approached me with a flier and started her anti-choice spiel. I stopped her immediately and asked her how many kids she had adopted? and of course, she said none. I told her unless and until every anti-choice protester had a house full of adopted abused or unwanted kids, they have no right to advocate for more unwanted kids to be born and until every kid in our foster care system was adopted, they needed to mind their own business. She was just speechless and had no reply (because she knew I was right) and turned away in an indignant huff.
Unless a ANTI-CHOICER'S house is full of adopted kids and our Foster care system has no more children, they're - HYPOCRITES and must be called on it.
Plus, NO ONE has the right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her womb. No one.