I'm very curious to see people's opinions on this highly-debated topic.

I'll state my opinion blatantly, I believe in abortion. This is because I don't believe the fetus is truly a baby or person in its first stages. I don't look at this as taking a life or killing a baby--because its not. However, killing the baby at the actual birth (in cases where they decide too late)iswrong. But the woman, whether it be because of rape, torn condom, or just carelessness, should not be punished by the load that comes with a baby. Same goes for the baby, what kind of childhood would they have with a mother that doesn't want them to begin with?

As for other people getting involved in the decision, I personally think that no person--man, woman, president-- should have the right to tell a woman if she can or cannot have a baby. Its not their lives that could be ruined.

My favorite of my sister's many bumper stickers-- "Keep your rosaries off my ovaries." No offense to anyone with a strong belief in religion. I am not religious myself.

My opinions-- Debate yours away!

-Jules

oh good... someone that FINALLY agrees with me.

If the life that that baby is going to be born into is going to be hard, or painful, or it will be born into a family that can't deal with or doesn't want it... then I can understand people getting rid of it. While it is still a fetus. Because they can't feel, they don't know any better. I know it sounds harsh, but what they don't know they don't miss. If the mother is young, too, like 14, its probably better for both her and the baby that there is an abortion because they could both die during the birth anyways.

I don't know, I could argue for both sides. I guess, it depends on the situation. but yea, it should be up to the mother/family; state or church shouldn't come into it anywhere.

:kiss2:

I'm agreeing with both of you now, though I'm more sitting on the fence in a way.

I think that an unborn aborted baby is better off than an unwanted abandoned baby or worse still, a baby who lives with his/her mother who does not want him/her.

On the other hand, I believe that everyone should be given a chance at living, even if his/her life seems 'doomed'/sad from the beginning. Who knows, maybe he/she might be able to find a foster family who loves him/her as if he/she was their own! That's the optimistic part.

The sad thing (and to contradict my last paragraph), it's hardly the case in today's world. I don't really want to bring another baby into the world when there are so many around to help, but I guess the future is unseenable!

My 2 cents:

I am totally against abortion, unless the woman has been raped, or if the baby wll be deformed in someway that the mother cannot handle. Otherwise, I think it is a selfish act to kill the baby, because if they were careless, then they should know better - come on! Condoms are sold everywhere, and the pill is so easy to access, that they really have no excuse!
My friends sister ad an abortion, but, and i may contradict myself here, but she is a single mother with one child already, so I saw that as not okay, but acceptable in her case.
So, I'm against it to a certain extent, I guess...lol..I'm so tired, I'll have more to say another time maybe...*yawn*

Selfish, maybe. If it was me, I would put myself before a fetus-- a "baby" that has no body, no mass, no mind. It may sound awful-- but I've learned through experience sometimes you need to put yourself first.

Hmm... ok this is even more difficult to discuss then Homosexual marriage (what I had actually considered easy... but well)

I can just speak for myself because in this topic the most important thing is not to speak in general because it is up to each person, and only her... well and him if she wants to include a him in the discussion...

If I talk for myself I have to say I am a total hypocrit in this one topic, really I am. I do consider human life sacred (I am not religious!) and the most valuable thing there is and no one is allowed to take it!
But if I would find myself pregnant now, with all y problems, alone, with 18 and all my plans for a good futur I would abort it - just for selfish reasons. I don't think i could cope... so see the disadvantage of not having sex now finally turns to an advantage ;)


Here in germany the law is weird at that point. Except for rape and deformation of the fetus it is forbidden to abort, but it is not punished. I don't really see the sense in that...

And in any case there is also adoption...

I agree with you, Laila, in the sense that it is every person's personal decision...and you can't really know what you would do unless you found yourself in that situation.

If I at this point found myself pregnant, I am about 95% sure I would abort it. I have plans...I have no long term relationship...I want a secure career before any of that kind of stuff happens. I know that fetuses are alive, as they are of course made up of living cells and at a few weeks after conception there is a heart beat. But I still don't think this knowledge would stop me from doing it. I would have a harder time doing a late term abortion - if I could, I would have a first trimester or early second trimester abortion.

I guess it's 'selfish' in a way, but I am not mature enough to have a child, and I'm 22! I can't even imagine being pregnant at like 13 or so!!! No teenager needs that extra obstacle.

Anyway, I would not judge someone for having an abortion. I am most definately pro-choice.

Also, I am a supporter of stem cell research, but that's a tiny bit off topic.

For abortion:

If we did ban abortion completely though, women would resort to backstreet abortions again, which is even more horrific than if a doctor did it, so really, abortion could be a good thing, when you think about it...

It is such a hard topic really, I just end up contradicting myself, lol.

That's a valid and good point, Kierra. Whether abortion is legal or not, people are going to do it. We might as well make sure it is done in the most sanitary and safe way possible.

It's such an emotional topic, and at least for me, since I was raised in such a Catholic environment, I find that my own beliefs often contradict those with which I was raised. But then, I am not going to just agree with my father and his beliefs just because I don't want to anger him!!!

I'm not against it.

Like someone else said before me: it is not for someone else to decide whether a woman should keep her baby or not.

And Kierra got a point as well there, with the backstreet abortions and everything.

I don't think it should be illegal what with the backstreet abortions and such that actually could kill the woman. And there are women that have been raped or a child is very severely disfigured/diseased/has some kind of fatal defect and has absolutely no chance for a somewhat normal lifestyle at all. But I think it should be strongly discouraged.

Humans are living things from the moment we're conceived. As soon as the baby is conceived it begins dividing (you know, the cells divide and it gets bigger). So how could you say it's not alive?

I know it's their body. But with drugs addicts, that's their body, too. Does that mean we should totally legalize drugs?

Why should it not be okay for someone to kill their child after it's born but it should be okay for someone to kill their child before it's born? Use a condom or the pill or something. Or better yet, don't fuck around until you're mature enough to have a child. Just the "I didn't want it" excuse isn't good enough.

I agree with you, Rachel, I totally agree.
Especially with the last part, that was what I meant with being y hyprocrit.
I do not screw around but if I were and if all pill and condom would fail me... I still could not have it...
I just couldn't...

Thank god I am not in the situation and probably won't be

I have a very very strong opinion on this, so please don't be offended. :(

I am most definitely pro-life. I had a booklet on it in my notebook last year that tells a lot of information about it. Such as, the week or two when the mother most commonly decides to abort her baby, the baby (or fetus) already has completely formed every single organ s/he needs, save their lungs. That is really messed up if you ask me.

Secondly, sure having a baby leaves a mark on you. Especially if you're my age (14). Okay, so let's say I did get pregnant right now. I'm a 14-year-old teenage girl, a freshman in high school. I can barely even think about my plans for life without being overwhelmed. This scenario is hard for me because I haven't even been kissed yet, so the only valid thing would be rape. I still would not abort my baby. I believe life begins at conception, because (at least in Biology) they say that cells are living. You began as two cells conforming to each other, and duplicating millions of billions of times over and over until you were ready to escape the womb. In the case of this scenario: rape. I think it's infinitely better to go through the pregnancy. My point on this is that if you have the baby, you have a living breathing piece of evidence against your violator. Doctors can take your DNA and divide it into two: your mum's and your dad's. You cannot argue with science.

Thirdly, let's say you get an abortion. I have talked to people who have abortions, and they are messed up psychologically, because of the termination. There are many ways, but I'll just touch on a couple. The most common method is a sort of vaccuum. It sucks the fetus out of the womb, and the mother is left to birth the placenta and all that good stuff. (Sorry if I'm grossing you out.) The mother I had talked said that she would start crying at the sound of a vaccuum cleaner from that point on.

About being careless. I really don't mean to sound extremely bitchy, but if you are careless, then it's kind of what you were asking for, isn't it? I myself am not going to have premarital sex just because partly that I am religious and partly that it seems extremely foolish. But if you are going to be active, at least buy a pack of condoms or ask your doctor for a round of pills. Do something to protect yourself.

Okay: my two cents.
This is my personal opinion, so feel free to disagree, politely. ^_^

I believe in contraception. I am not an hypocrit so I won't expect people not to have pre marital sex, it is simply anachronistic.

So, starting from the assumption that people have sex, it is important that they focus on birth control.

But at the same time I cannot pronounce myself against abortion.
I believe in freedom of choice, and women must have their right to decide what to do in such cases as these.
Abortion was made legal in Italy only in 1975: this doesn't mean that before that time women didn't abort. They did abort, through very dangerous practices, losing sometimes their own lives.

I am not against abortion, but I am against those women who recur to it as a mean of contraception. Like in all things what we need is measure.

And, I'll leave you all analyzing this unbelievable thing, which is still occurring in our times (2004).

I am literally translatig from an Italian magazine, so, forgive my English.

From "GRAZIA" 16/3/04

I won't add more.

Referring to Ursi's (Bloomiecurse) article:

It's sad stuff like these happen; that the men are not convicted for these inhuman acts of going agsinst a human's will. I'd rather have the baby die before it comes into the world than have its life taken away after it gained hope and life (upon birth).

:yay: You just said everything I was going to say...

:blush: Thanks. I was feeling kinda alone for awhile. :heart:

When I first discussed this subject (in school a few years ago) I didn't really know exactly what it was until just this year when I was reading in my Biology book. I don't think a lot of people know what abortion is. Obviously, it's the killing of the fetus, but few know how they do it. All of the processes (six I believe, that could be wrong though...) were listed in my book, and all are incredibly gruesome. The worst part is that the baby can feel everything that is being done to them because their nervous system develops very very early.

I am clearly not a supporter. I don't think it matters even if the person is raped, because the child could have a good life with an adopted family or something... and if it was just carelessness, then I agree with some of you that spoke before in saying that it's selfish. If you get into it I don't think an easy way out should be provided.... I've also talked with a few women who had abortions and all of them are struggling with horrible guilt and depression after they had it performed...

So, that was just my opinion, that it's basically murder...
(I reccomend reading on the different types of procedures if you haven't already... it really opens your eyes...)

Also, I don't think many of you know that rapes do not often result with children anyway. When violent pressure and physical force is used, the body comes up with its own defense mechanisms to guard against being pregnant. It knows that this is not supposed to result in a child.

And in the rare cases that rapes do result in children, sure it's partly that man's child. But it's your child, too.

WARNING/DISCLAIMER
Okay, many of you know that I like to voice my opinion, and that I am very straightforward and don't take sh*t from people. So, here's my disclaimer. I am almost 100% positive that I am going to offend someone with either one, or all of the following statements I make. This is not intentional, but it will happen anyways. I do not attack any individuals, and in the actual body of my argument, I do not mention any names, but that does not mean I won't quote you.
I tend to be bold in my statements, but I feel that being bold is better than to say "please don't hate me when I say this." I'm here to debate, not to worry about whether or not someone is going to disagree with me.
I have respected all of your opinions, I have not flamed anyone, and as far as I know, I haven't been horribly vicious. So, all I ask in return is the same. You can debate and argue my opinion all you please, but if you flame me, make no mistake, I will not hesitate to report you. Flaming is not in the spirit of the forum.
Now that I have warned you, here we go:



Chapstick, that's true. A lot of people don't realise that.

Anyway, my take on abortion:

Either way you look at it, aborting a fetus is aborting a life. You can argue all you want about a fetus not being a human life when it is aborted, but you cannot argue that it is well on it's way to becoming a human life. You cannot argue that the fetus has a heartbeat, that the organs are there (except for the lungs), it can move, it has a nervous system, and it can feel.

Now, that aside, I feel that abortion is the mother's choice, and the mother's choice alone. The male has no right to impose on the mother's decision unless he was having sex for the sole purpose to create a life. Otherwise, no one has a right to tell a woman whether she can or cannot rid herself of a life inside her, attached to her body.

This is where my disclaimer comes into play:

I don't agree that having a baby is a punishment. A human life should never be looked at as a punishment or a burden. I think it is absolutely disgusting to be careless in sexual activity, and look upon an innocent life as being a punishment, as being....worthless and just a pain in the ass. You know what I say to that? SCREW YOU, if you were SO selfish when having sex that you didn't take into account the consequences of your actions. Screw you, if you think that aborting a child, a "mistake" is going to end your problems, and its going to make what you did okay. Having an abortion should never be the result of carelessness. Having a child isn't something you can say "you get what you derve." I won't even get into that statement.
I think that if someone is going to have an abortion, it should be not out of selfishness, but out of concern. If the child is going to be born with a dabilitating disease or deformation that the mother cannot handle, then yes, if you think you can do it, abort it if you want. If the mother is raped, and is too psychologically and emotionally damaged from the act, then yes, I would say abortion is suitable.
If you are just emotionally or psychologically unstable anyways, then maybe carrying a child is not a good idea.

I never think abortion should occur as a means of birth control. I know there are women out there who just have sex unprotected, and then when they get pregnant, they abort the child. Women like this should have their uterus removed. I think acts like this are absolutely disgusting, and I think it is an act of "playing God." Is revolting, and I am totally appalled that there are people out there who think that doing things like this are okay. Its NOT okay. Its... I can't even describe it.

"rape. I think it's infinitely better to go through the pregnancy. My point on this is that if you have the baby, you have a living breathing piece of evidence against your violator. Doctors can take your DNA and divide it into two: your mum's and your dad's. You cannot argue with science."

So what you are saying, is if someone is raped they should have a child just to seek revenge and to convict their attacker? You know, there are procedures where DNA samples can be taken from the fetus in the earliest stages of development where they can draw the connections from DNA. Also, there are such things as rape kits. If you are raped, don't wash at all, get yourself straight to the hospital, and they can collect semen samples and all that jazz. You shouldn't bring a child into the world merely for spite. You should bring a child into the world if you want it, or if you have a solid plan figured out if it should happen that you don't want it. (Adoption, a family member to care for it, etc.)

And as someone said earlier, religion and state should never play a part in the decision of keeping a child. We as humans are equals, and there is no person that is qualified to say whether or not someone should or should not have a baby. Anyone who thinks that they can impost their right and wrong morals is definitely not a very good human being. Discuss the pros and cons, do not just impose a one-sided opinion without even trying to understand the situation or circumstances the poor woman is in. She's fighting enough personal battles, and she doesn't need other figures coming in to make the battle harder for her. That will only add to the stress, and she may end up miscarrying the baby anyway due to that.

Anyways, there was more I had to say...but...as usual this got really long and so I'll stop.

I think it's cruel that abortions are legal for up to 24 weeks. Meanwhile, by the 8th week, there are measurable brain waves, a nervous system is developing (so it may feel pain), and the fetus has a heartbeat.

But, I have to admit, if I heard of some thirteen year old getting an abortion or something along those lines, I'd feel that it was the right choice to be made.

So it depends.

Here we go.

Abortion should stay legal, but there is a certain point in which abortion does become murder even if the baby isn't born. I think, in america, abortion is illigal after three months which is good. They used to preform abortions at six and seven months which I think is terrible. Babies that are old enough to survive, even if premature, cannot be aborted without it being murder, in my opinion.

An ultrasound video tape of a fetus being aborted at six months showed what looked like the baby trying to scream as it was being physically torn apart...that's heavy shit! Heartbreaking.

If I were president, I would make a rule that the mother had a certain amount of time (say a month) after officially finding out she was pregnant (at an actual clinic or doctors office) to decide whether or not to keep the baby. That should give them enought time to consider all options.

Because, could you honestly tell a victim of rape that she has to keep the baby? Can you leave every doctor and staff at an abortion clinic jobless? Desperate women with go to any lengths to abort babies if they feel they have no choice. We're talking clothes hangers here. It's one of those things that can't entirely be stopped.

It does seem very unfair however, that some women have had more than one abortion because of carelessness. Getting pregnant because you weren't careful two or more times is in my opinion does not deserve the option of abortion. I think certain circumstances of conception should cost more to abort. I think that unless birth would be harmful to the mother or child, it should be discouraged but I do not have any right to decide for anyone else and mostly male congress members DEFINITELY should not.

However, I'm am more pro-adoption than abortion. I was adopted which of course makes me bias but I don't see any reason why adoption is bad. I think, if at all possible, adoption should be the way to go.

So, in conclusion I'm pro-abortion but much more pro-adoption.

Well, I can't say I agree with you there. I think that the moment a child is concieved, it is still a child.
I am TOTALLY against abortion...rape or not. I know that sounds mean to say, but why should an innocent child have to suffer just because the man who helped in it's conception is a moral-less bastard with the brains of a piss ant?
The way I see it...abortion is just a way out for a lot of people...if you don't want a child then fine...put it up for adoption...give it a chance to live...just because you don't want it doesn't mean someone who can't have any children of their own won't.
And I agree with you, Sandra, if someone is stupid enough to be careless with sex and they get pregnant, then it's they're own fault, not the child's!

-Andie

Or, when the mother's life is in danger. Little or no support from family, friends etc for the mother is a very difficult thing, because in some countries there's good support from the government, but in others there isn't, so I won't judge anyone on this. But apart from that, when you think you're old enough to have sexual relationship, then you shouldn't run away from the responsibility. Period.

I know there are an awful lot of young kids out there who don't have a damn clue what they're doing when they have sex (especially without protection!), and I know it sounds harsh when I say then that's their damn problem when the whole thing goes wrong - but that's the way I feel. Over here in Germany (dunno if that applies for all countries) young people are told about safe sex at least once during school (sometimes even three times, like in my case), and thank God teenage magazines have picked up the topic as well (if it's good to have young kids reading this kinda stuff is a different question). And last but not least, if you can't talk to your parents, friends or anyone else about it... then I dunno what's wrong.

And as for plans... hello? Having a baby isn't usually the end of the world! You're gonna live for averagely 80 years, folks - it's not all lost! Of course I wouldn't be overexcited if I got pregnant now... but well, see above. There are many young women here in my street who became mothers before they were 20, and each of them got a degree and a job, even if the father ran off. It's hard, but it isn't impossible.

So... against abortion, but with reasonable exceptions.

Yeah, German sex ed is way better than American, although at my particular school, it was done very well.

Over here, everyone is preaching "Abstinence is the only way!" and while it's important to understand that abstinence is best if you want 100% coverage against STDs and babies, teachers need to understand that young people are going to have sex, and they need to be educated about how to have it safely.


I don't know if I can really feel bad for abortion doctors and clinic workers being put out of business. I mean, that percent of the population obviously did something before abortion became more widespread. They'll find somewhere to go.

And I really agree with Sandra in that babies shouldn't be punishments or evidence. Babies should just be loved and loved and loved.

And if you're going to just romp, definitely just get your tubes tied or uterus removed. Abortion should not be birth control.

Here is a website of slightly unnerving abortion statistics.

While I am new to this forum (and this is my very first post), I believe I have a very, VERY legitimate perspective on this topic.

I’ve actually HAD two abortions. The first was when I was young, not quite out of high school.

Like many a teenager, I was a raging hormone, had unprotected sex and got pregnant. Sex education in the U.S. was marginal at that time (this was the early 70’s). We got a week of “health” education which pretty much amounted to…”Boys, you respect girls” and “Girls, you will have what is called a period, that makes you a woman and be sure boys respect you and if you get pregnant it is your fault”. We were not taught the mechanics of sex (don’t want to give the children any ideas here!) or the real consequences thereof. Most parents of that era were woefully unable to talk to their children about sex. Mine certainly didn’t. They were too busy fighting with each other to pay any attention to a curious and horny teenage girl desperate for some kind of approval. Sex with a cute boy was some kind of approval, it meant he liked me…also, it felt good at a time when so little in my life felt good. Add to that the fact that I was the oldest child, the “experimental” baby and you have a potential disaster waiting in the wings.

So, with the eventual support of my parents (a very long story for another time…I did all the research on abortion, got the funding, made the appointment all by myself. I was terrified, but knew that having a baby at that age was a very bad idea), I had my first abortion. No, I was not psychologically crippled/damaged. While I sometimes wondered what sort of child that first pregnancy might have produced, no, I did not and do not regret that abortion. I’m glad I did it. It was the right thing to do.

My second abortion was the result of date rape. During this part of my life violent rape was just barely being prosecuted successfully in court (80’s). Date rape was completely unacknowledged. “If you are out on a date with a guy, dressed provocatively (whatever the hell THAT means…just wearing the fashions of the times could be considered dressing provocatively…the only time one wasn’t considered to be dressed provocatively was if one was seriously dressed as a nun or wearing a bag) and have a drink or two you are ‘asking for it’ and it isn’t rape.” That was the mindset. I was divorced (“divorced women are desperate for sex…they’re used to it and are always on the prowl” (again, the mindset of the time), already had a child I was raising alone because my former husband was reneging on his parental responsibilities (I have better things to do with my time and money) and was just barely starting to date about five years after the divorce. Having another baby would have put my little family in jeopardy. I was not about to put my son at risk for the child of a rapist. Obviously, I don’t regret that abortion either. And, yes, I have wondered what sort of child that pregnancy would have produced. But, again, I was not emotionally scarred.

My first abortion happened just before Roe v. Wade. But, it was legal in the state of California if the health of the mother was in jeopardy. That was the loophole I used. That was the loophole everyone used.

My second abortion was much easier to get because of Roe v. Wade. Thank all the gods.

I recently found out that my mother had an abortion as a result of rape. My father was in Los Angeles, my mother was still in Canada with us children (I am the oldest of five). She had to come to the U.S. with all us little kids (we were all under 10) and tell her husband she was pregnant with another man’s child. This was during the era when rape was always the woman’s fault…unless she was beaten to a bloody pulp…and even then her guilt was implied because “she should have been more careful”. Abortion was still very illegal even in California. She had to go to Mexico. Daddy went with her. It was hard for her because she already had five children, the last of which she almost lost because she was wearing girdles to hide her pregnancy so she could continue working. This was during the era when women were routinely laid-off once they became pregnant. And yes, it was legal to do so. She had four children, her husband was in California trying to make a place for the family there (I’m an immigrant with a greencard), she had no other real income. She had to work.

I was out there protecting abortion clinics when “Operation Rescue” got started. I was out there protecting a woman’s right to chose when choice was still a fragile thing for women. I was out there protecting a woman’s right to birth control when it was still highly controversial, especially for unmarried women. (Btw, did you know that when birth control pills first came out it was illegal to prescribe them for unmarried women or married women with no children?)

I’m still out there protecting a woman’s right to choose. I’m still out there protecting a woman’s right to birth control. (And if you thing the ultra right wing conservatives in the U.S. are going to stop at making abortions illegal again let me educate you. They are also going after birth control pills. They consider them to be immoral and murder because they cause a fertilized egg to be sloughed off prior to implantation, i.e. a spontaneous abortion. How do I know this? I was married into a very right wing family. I went to their bible studies and “prayer” meetings. I was appalled to find out that these were flimsy covers for a movement to end birth control and abortion rights.)

I come from an era when women had no choices. Not in birth control, not in abortions, hell, not even in jobs (did you know that the jobs section of the newspapers used to be sectioned off by “Men’s Jobs/Women’s Jobs”? True. And all the best paying jobs were for men.) I saw first hand what it was like before there was a “choice”. I had friends have babies way too young (and yes, most of their lives are sorry messes now). I had one friend die because of a botched abortion (she didn’t know about the mother’s health risk clause).

Do any of you really want to go back to that era?

My take on the whole issue?

“Against abortion? Then don’t have one”

It is very easy to moralise when one is not actually in the position of having to make a hard choice. But, to legally take that choice away from another person, when that person may not have the same belief system as you, when you have no idea what that person may be dealing with, well, I consider that to be very, very wrong.

Namaste,
Cassandra

I can't help but notice that all of those who are 'pro-choice', have already been born. Slightly ironic, don't you think?

I completely agree with Scotsirishgirl. I don't think that abortion should be made illegal. Illegalising abortion is just going to cause people to the underground route and get it done, and God only knows what kinds of people are going to claim that they know what they're doing just to make a buck. It's disgusting to think about.

Well I think that people have gotten way off base. First of all a child is not a choice. Any fetus at any stage of development is a child. They simply can not be any thing else. I think all people do have a choice. They have a choice as to do they want to be sexually active or not, do they want to use contraceptives or not. Once they have sex the choice has been made and pregnancy is the result of that choice. Having an abortion kills the child inside you. If you waited until he/she were born you would be called a murderer, so what makes anyone think that doing it before the baby is born is not murder. I have several friends who have had abortions and all without exception have never gotten over what they did. The guilt they carry with them is overwhelming. It is so hard to know what to say to someone who hurts because of something like this. I have spent many hours listening to them cry and praying for them. It goes back to responsibility. If you are not responsible enough to handle the consequences of your actions then maybe you should not do them.
Sandi

Thankfully I live in a country where a lot of things are possible.
Abortion is legal just as euthanisa when you are terminally ill.
We were the first country to actually have legalized marriage between 2 people of the same sex.

I am definitly pro choice.
I do believe a child that will be born in horrific surcumstances should be aborted
There are so many reasons to keep abortion legal.
I have read many things in this thread and all of you have good solid reasons (personal or scientific) to believe in what you have written.
But remember one thing pro-choice or life you don't know how you will react when the situation happens to you.
I am a voluntary youth worker and one of the things we do is inform kids about sex and the concequences.
But I have seen the most pro-life supporters run to the abortion clinic when it happened to them.
Quite ironic don't you think???
This is not meant as an insult I do respect all of your beliefs but really is the world so much better without abortion?
Backstreet abortion, When childeren are murdered when they are born or thrown into the social systems because nobody want's them?
Many kids won't be adopted because inland adoption laws are strict and not to mention very expensive.
A lot of people adopt baby's from the region of the east like china and Japan.
not to mention the black market when it comes to adoption.
As for me I could not live with the thought that somewhere a child of mine would live then I would rather not have brought the baby into the world.

Its been over two years since I first replied with my opinion, and I feel like I should re-express it and the changes that've occurred.

I still think abortion is wrong, but I am pro-choice. Because, ultimately, it is HER choice. It's not MINE, its not YOURS, its not BUSH's, its not the CHURCH's, and its not HIS. It is her choice and hers alone.

I do think that abortion is used as an easy way out for a lot. But there are, of course, those that it may be good for. Then again, it all depends on the person. And how they feel about it and the other options (adoption, etc.). Its terrible that people who haven't been raped, who aren't still in their teens, who's baby is perfectly healthy, who aren't in danger of bodily harm, who can fully support themselves, that these people can do something so selfish.

Like Rachel said, a child resulting from rape IS half yours, but again, its up to HER.

And we never know how we're going to react to something like this happening to us.

We do have condoms, pills, and other contraceptives, but there will always be those people that are the "other" statistic. And, personally, I don't want to live in a world of cloths-hanger abortions on the street. Marijuana's illegal. And yet, how many stoners do you know? Liquor was illegal in the 20's. And yet, how many speakeasies have you heard about? In the US, sex is okay for 16 and 17-year-olds together, and then 18-years and up (but not with a minor). And yet, how many people do you think accept that law if they want to have sex with their minor girlfriend/boyfriend?

So, yes, I am pro-choice. I hope I never have an abortion because that goes against all my values. And, I guess I'm hypocritical since I also condone birth control, but somehow the fact that the embryo hasn't attached itself to a source of growth. ...

Besides, the thought a piece of metal sucking out my insides completely disgusts me...

Well put Sammi; you've expressed my own beliefs far better than I have ever managed too. So thanks :)