I'm sick to death of the implication that all liberal women would abort a fetus with Down syndrome

[Connonym]

I wish they'd stop implying that prochoice means that we're all having abortions just for the hell of it. I'm 100% prochoice but I wouldn't abort a fetus just because it had Down syndrome and I don't think I'm alone in holding that position. The assumption that we would all abort a Down's baby holds an ugly insinuation that disabled babies have no value by virtue of their disability. What utter bullshit. The republican party is just proving the theory that they're really only pro-fetus and don't give a god-damned once that fetus is born.

[fulllib]

1. Choice

Choice is good enough for Palin's daughter, but not for the rest of us.

I agree. The implication that disabled babies are being aborted left and right is annoying.

[2Design]

2. depends on how much money you have to care for the being

what kind of life can you give the child - they have lots of money - so the money part is easier

pro-life and pro-war are oxymoron's - you cannot be both and that is what republics are they like killing other people's children especially in other countries.

there are many people who would not abort a child even if they are pro-choice - they just don't want someone else telling them they can have or not have a baby - china says they can't have

the wing nuts and the churches need more followers so they don't want them to abort them

taking care of a 'healthy normal' child is hard - add on other factors -

They just won't have time to govern because their family will take up their time or maybe their family did not take up their time and that is why they have the problems they do

They are pretty dysfunctional but most of GOP are dysfunctional and it has worked for them - they are rich - that works for them

Until we walk in those shoes and have to make that decision, I don't think any of knows what we would chose but at least give us that choice - unless they are willing to support a womens child they have no right to say she has to have it -

[TankLV]

3. Oh, come on now, they're generally bigger children - we'd EAT 'em!

to do otherwise would be just to - wasteful...

[texshelters]

4. Go point

logical and true.

This ignorance and stereotyping of "liberals" is just a way to focus on the left and not the abysmal record of the Bush administration. I don't know anyone who would have an abortion for that reason alone.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[BrklynLiberal]

5. I have always said that once the baby leaves the womb, the repukes could not care less about it.

It verifies the idea that they are truly interested only in control of women, and not preserving life.

Why don't they support the health care, education, food and clothing aid that these children need?

Hypocrite: If you looked it up in the dictionary, there would be a picture of a repuke.

[Critters2]

6. I've said the same in two other threads. I know LOTS of progressive women,

but can't imagine any of us choosing to end a pregnancy because of Down syndrome. This reflects on them, not us. They're the ones who see Down's as so horrible that they consider it heroic to actually have the child. This means, of course, that if they didn't think they'd end up in hell, they would terminate such a pregnancy.

Hypocrites.

[LisaL]

10. Why do you think older women get tested?

I fail to understand as to why you can't imagine a woman aborting Downs syndrome child.
Those tests are there for a reason.

[Critters2]

12. Well. maybe because there are two down children in my congregation.

I serve a progressive, pro-choice congregation, but Down's is just not that big a deal. The children go to school, and function rather well. They need more care and supervision than average kids, but not so much that it can't be dealt with. We had a Down's adult serve as liturgist Sunday. He did fine--always does.

[eShirl]

19. so the parents can be mentally prepared ahead of time

and it doesn't come as a complete surprise when the child is born?

[LisaL]

28. Is that why 90 % of the women who are given the diagnosis

abort the fetus? Give me a break.

[JerseygirlCT]

32. Not always to abort. Often to prepare

Being ready for something like that before the birth can be hugely helpful.

Again, you cannot make gross generalizations with an issue like that - they simply do not work.

[LisaL]

37. 90 % of fetuses with Down syndrome are aborted-that's not

mass enough for ya?

[Connonym]

44. if it really is 90% then it's not just liberal women having the abortions

[Cleita]

7. Most liberal women that I know get their tubes tied when they get into

their forties or get their husbands to have vasectomies because the chances of having a special needs baby increases and quite honestly they are at an age when they want to be with their grandchildren, not any new babies of their own. It seems like the responsible thing to do.

[Connonym]

16. It's what I did

Effective birth control allowed me to make it to age 42 without ever having an unplanned pregnancy and I intend to see that my daughters have the exact same right. And if their birth control should fail, I'll make sure they have the right to an abortion if that is what they choose to do. Proper sex education and access to birth control is the best way to reduce abortions and I sometimes wonder if the right wing deliberately opposes that just so they can continue to use abortion as a means of political manipulation.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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

[LisaL]

9. I would have to agree.

A 44 year old woman with 4 children and pregnant with Downs syndrome child. Many women would abort in a situation like that.

[Raine]

11. I think it will be pizza time

soon, what do you want on it? :evilgrin:

[BlooInBloo]

14. Meh. They're still here.

[TahitiNut]

15. Funny ... no mention of such a poll on the web.

You confabulating?

[kskiska]

17. Liberals? 90 percent of ALL unborn children diagnosed with Downs

syndrome are now aborted. Where do you get the Liberals angle?

(snip)

The 5,500 children born with Down syndrome each year in the United States suffer from mild to moderate mental retardation, are at high risk for congenital heart defects and a variety of other medical problems, and have an average life expectancy of 49. As adults, some hold jobs, but many have difficulty living independently.

“There are many couples who do not want to have a baby with Down syndrome,” said Deborah A. Driscoll, chief of the obstetrics department at the University of Pennsylvania and a lead author of the new recommendation from the obstetricians’ group. “They don’t have the resources, don’t have the emotional stamina, don’t have the family support. We are recommending this testing be offered so that parents have a choice.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/us/09down.html

[Connonym]

18. And that's the beauty of choice

and where the republicans constantly try to manipulate it to imply that pro-choice means that we're having abortions just for fun. I don't think anyone wants to be in a position where they have to make that choice and that's why it's so important that we get rid of the bullshit abstinence only education and teach the facts about preventing pregnancy through effective birth control. We'll still need to have the legal right to obtain an abortion because accidents will always happen but the more accidents we can prevent the better off everyone is.

Teaching kids about birth control = telling them to have sex is bullshit the the same as teaching them to wear a seat belt = telling them to go have a car accident.

[fascisthunter]

40. That Person Go the Liberal Angle from the Same Propaganda

that claims Obama is a Muslim.

[BlooInBloo]

13. Presumably they would just want the same choice Palin had....

As is typical of them, "Freedom for me, not for thee" seems to be the maxim they live by.


AND LEAVE TRIG ALONE!!!

[norepubsin08]

20. I know I am going to get beat up here but...

if you really want to be environmentally correct, then have no more than 2 children any thing beyond that and you're an eco terrorist as far as I am concerned...on the third preggo-ABORT!!!

[Inspired]

21. At least you predicted correctly. Your comment is idiotic.

And this comes from someone who has the magical number of 2 children.

[Philosoraptor]

22. They never pass up a chance to call all liberals baby killers

[Connonym]

23. hey love your user name!

[TexasObserver]

24. Choice means just that.

The whole point is to give the woman the information she needs to decide what she wants to do. Until this country has universal, cradle to grave health care, the idea that mothers should have to birth children with serious health problems is really obnoxious. You'd think they'd at least have such health care if they wanted to encourage more births and fewer abortions.

Yeah, it's a moral dilemma, but it's the woman's moral dilemma, and she goes with what she thinks is best for her in her life at that moment. Who is to say it is wrong, whatever it is?

Liberal women are more moral than conservative women, and the daughters of conservatives likely have more abortions than those daughters of liberals. They have more to hide and more to lose.

[SmokingJacket]

25. I wouldn't do it either. But that doesn't mean no one should.

My neighbors have a daughter with Down Syndrome and she is a lovely young lady, holds an office job, loves reading science fiction. But it takes a lot of love and attention and work to make sure kids with this condition have decent lives. If you don't have it in you, you shouldn't have one.

[ScreamingMeemie]

26. I am against abortion for myself.

There are millions of liberal woman like me.

[Vinca]

27. Good post. They make us sound like a bunch of whack jobs

trying to get pregnant for the sole purpose of having an abortion. The issue is choice. Politicians need to keep their noses out of our uteri.

[wildeyed]

29. I am an 'older' mom and I never even did the Down screening tests they recommended.

We weren't going to abort under any circumstance, so we didn't see the point in doing the screening. But that was my choice. I wouldn't deny another woman her own choice.

[ladyVet]

30. this drives me crazy, too

I was 36 1/2 when my third son was born. I discussed the possibility of birth defects with my doctor, and decided to do an ultrasound before any other testing. No signs of Down Syndrome showed, so I didn't do the other tests. My son is 14, above average mentally, and a joy to my family (including his two much older brothers).

I would not have aborted in any case, but I'm glad I had that option.

[JerseygirlCT]

31. They can't argue with us when the issue is properly framed: as choice.

So they have reframed it as "pro-abortion".

I agree with you - in fact, I didn't have an amnio with my 2nd, though my age would have indicated it. Because, personally, I would not have aborted. But so what? That would have been MY choice, that's all.

It's just a shame that people like Palin think she's entitled to HER choice, but other women are not.

[AngryAmish]

33. 91-93% of Down's pregnancies are aborted

Obviously most women choose to terminate rather than carry the child to term.

[krabigirl]

39. Do you have a source for that statistic? Thanks.

[AngryAmish]

42. I just grabbed it from wikipedia

So take that with the requisite slabs of salt. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome#Ethical_issues>

However, I have heard it from other sources.

[liberalpress]

34. We're also

all atheists, all marxists, want high taxes, high defecits,and won't be happy until we turn all America's children gay. At least that's what the radio tells me.

[OnionPatch]

35. I'm pro-choice and had a child at 41.

There was never a question in my mind as to whether or not I would abort in the case of Down's. If it happened, it happened, and I was fully prepared to deal with being the parent of a Down's child. But I would never force that decision on someone else. That's the whole thing about Republicans--They love to force their beliefs on everyone else, all the while screaming "Freedom! Freedom!" They don't know the meaning of the word.

[unblock]

36. only pro-choicers make moral decisions

those who yield their decision making powers to authority, those who believe there is not a choice to be made, or that god made it for them, are not making moral decisions. they are simply surrendering to authority.

[krabigirl]

38. Totally agree. It's disgusting.

[fascisthunter]

41. Anti-Choicers are Liars with a Political Agenda

if they can smear, they will with no facts to back them up whatsoever...

[Taverner]

43. Exactly!

K (well it doesn't really need the kick but) and R!!!!