Question on choice

[genius]

The Republicans keep trying to convince the world that pro-choice people are pro-abortion. As far as I can tell, most pro-choice people support choice as a way of supporting the right of a woman to own her own body and not because they support abortion. I thought this poll might be useful in determining where most people stand. What is your position?

[boobooday]

1. Who is in favor of abortion?

Most pro-choice people I know are actually Pro-Family planning. The way to reduce abortion is BIRTH CONTROL and EDUCATION. They love to twist it and call us "pro-abortion."

I'm glad I never had to make that decision for myself, and I CERTAINLY wouldn't venture to make it for someone else!

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[genius]

7. According to this poll, six people so far.

[smirkymonkey]

12. There is no option for "Do not have a

moral dilemma with abortion and pro-choice". Not all of us believe that life begins at conception. The first option implies that you think it is morally wrong, but favor choice and the last option is that you are anti-choice. The second option is the only one left for those of us who do not fit neatly in those two categories.

It's a little more complicated than being pro-abortion. I don't think anybody considers abortion in itself to be a positive thing, just that it is necessary at times in an imperfect world.

[genius]

14. The conception issue is not really relevant to whether someone

is in favor of or opposed to abortion.

[smirkymonkey]

25. Yes it is...Take John Kerry for instance...

He has claimed that, as a Catholic (Catholics believe life begins at conception) that abortion is morally wrong (He is PERSONALLY opposed to abortion). But as a politician who strongly believes in the separation of church and state, states that he can not impose his personal, religious consideration on society as a whole.

People are PERSONALLY opposed for many reasons, one being that life begins at conception and taking a "life" is therefore morally wrong. Others believe that life begins at birth, and therefore have no moral issue with terminating a pregnancy.

[genius]

27. I'm with Kerry on that one and a lot of mothers are too.

You can't tell a woman who is eagerly awaiting a baby that what is growing inside her isn't life. It's a personal belief but one that most expectant mothers feel. However, these most of these same expectant mothers support the right of other women to make their own choices. The conception issue is a red herring that confuses the issue of choice.

[Right Makes Might]

13. I voted "pro-abortion"

because I think the whole "necessary evil" line is part of the propaganda slippery slope that slides people into allowing the government to interfere with women's bodies and their lives.

Abortion on demand. Period. It's my body, it's my life, and until that changes it's nobody's damn business what I do with it.

[genius]

16. That's what pro-choice is about. It's your choice.

[Right Makes Might]

20. But not choice as in "ooh, this is sooooo terrible, but...

... it's the lesser of two evils" It's not evil. It's a medical procedure.

Upholding the belief that abortion is a "necessarily evil," rather than the battle for the control over women's lives, makes it much, much harder to resist pressures to make abortion illegal, one bit at a time.

[cheezus]

2. it's not about choice, it's about reproductive control

I fear the day when the government tells us we can only have one kid... or that we need to have males because of the wars

[LynneSin]

3. I don't think anyone here is really "pro-abortion"

Problem with republicans go several levels deep.

We don't want to teach our children anything except "sex is wrong unless you're married" (don't get me started with how many fundies have strayed in the marriage). Only problem is our kids have raging horomones and they need more to sex education than "Just say No" but what to do when you're ready to have sex.

Then they make it impossible for women, especially those in lower incomes, to have access to birth control. Plus many types of birth control are considered 'abortions' because a fertilzed egg might get flushed out instead of implanting on the uterus.

So what we end up with is a combination of horny kids who weren't taught better and/or mothers from lower income families who didn't have the money to afford proper family planning.

Lucky for the wealthy, they have no problems to getting an abortion. Money has that affect even if abortions are banned because they can afford to go the illegal route.

But for the poor, well they're just shit-out-of-luck. We'll let them pop out babies and bitch that they're on welfare or their kids are part of the 'problem' when it comes to crime. YOu've heard the story much too often (and when I say lower income, I'm not talking urban. I grew up in rural pennsylvania and the problem was just as bad there too!!)

Choice is about control and the wealthy want to control the poor. In much of Europe, sex education & birth control is welcoming open to the public. Interestingly enough their percentage of unwanted pregnancies ending in abortion is much much lower than ours.

Don't want abortions, don't have one. Want to prevent others from having abortions? Then do what it takes to educate the population and make reliable birth control available to anyone who wants it

[bingoboingo]

6. Been available for years

Hasn't reliable birth control been around for years?

I remember going to planned parenthood when I was 17 and getting free condoms.

How much more "available" should it be?

And don't tell me we need to educate people how to use it either. If someone doesn't know how to put on a condom, then they probably won't be able to figure out the mechanics of sex either.

[Randers]

15. Condoms are not all that reliable

and if you think they are, then you don't know as much as you think you know.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LynneSin]

24. What about birth control pills?

Most health insurances won't cover it and $25/month+ is alot to spend on birth control for some people who are struggling to put food on the table.

Birth Control is available but is becoming harder and harder to obtain for many folks. In many areas, a 17 year old can't walk in to a Planned Parenthood and get BC of any form because you need a parent's permission since you are underage. And the current administration in the White House along with his fundie supporters are pushing to limit what is taught in school when it comes to sex. We don't want our children to have full knowledge of what it takes to prevent a pregrency. Just like Reagan's failed "Just say No" drug policy, fancy slogans will NOT prevent a pregancy just like "Just say No" never stopped anyone from doing drugs.

And believe me, Condom education IS important. You know how many men still carry condoms in their wallet thinking those things will be safe when used, when in fact the friction and heat from being in your wallet will breakdown the condom.

We have 2 choices in America: We can provide poor sex education & hinder access to birth control and then wonder why there are so many pregnant women & abortions OR we can educate our children and make family planning easily available to everyone. If we choose the latter you'll see the number of abortions decrease on its own!

[Misunderestimator]

18. GO girl!!

Good rant. :thumbsup:

[LynzM]

4. I don't think this is a fair way to poll

I think that every scenario is individual, and needs to be addressed on an individual basis. I don't think I can say I am 'for' or 'against' abortion. The time we had to make that decision, we decided against it. Are there situations I think it is the better choice? Yes. So... I'm just FOR choice. If that implies that I am for abortion, I guess that's how I should vote?

[Bunny]

5. What is up with these abortion polls?

Cheese and rice!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. the poll is useless unless its gender specific

dont care about the opinion of people who will never get accidentally pregnant.

[bingoboingo]

10. Men can't have an opinion?

Is that what you're saying? Since we can't "accidentally" get pregnant, we can't talk about it?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. no you can have an opinion

but it would nicer to see the breakdown of said opinions

[Bertha Venation]

9. .

[Swamp Rat]

17. Other!

100% pro-choice

AND

Personally could care less what women do with their bodies

[rbnyc]

21. Other.

I'm pro choice, but neither pro nor anti abortion. I do think that reducing abortions is a good goal, to be achieved through sex education and availability of contraception. But I'm glad that abortions are available when an unwanted pregnancy hasn't been prevented by other means.

[zemman]

22. A moderate alternative

is to allow is before the quickening in almost all cases, and ban in afterwards in almost all cases. This allows one to be 100% pro life and 100% pro choice. Why was this not an option?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. All options should be open to women.

I voted pro-abortion mostly thinking of third world women who are forced in patriarchal societies to become pregnant and have children no matter what the cost to themselves.

I believe it to be a myth that most American women have abortions casually or use it as a means of birth control.

The decision should rest entirely with the person who is pregnant.

Which eliminates me from that decision. As it should.

[durutti]

26. I see nothing wrong with abortion and am pro-choice.

But whether one wants to have one or not is a matter of personal preference.