News & Politics - The abortion debate - Page 9

BxCutieGrL01 · 02-17-2008, 08:29 PM

i think a woman should have the right to choose if she wants to keep the baby or not. And i kind of understand why some people feel some woman take advantage of abortion, because for example, im 17 almost 18 and at my high school, there are many girls younger than me who have done abortions, some learned from it and others just take it as a free ride like if it was nothing, and its sad because it causes others to raise an eyebrow and say "Ohh so this is what they think this is, a free ride". But even though things like these happens, and even though it may or it maybe done for the right reasons, i still believe a woman has the right to choose what they want done to their body.

**sunnykerr** · 02-19-2008, 07:37 PM

Ah, but there's the rub.

Adequate sex ed isn't given in a lot of high schools (including mine, if I recall, but it's been a while, so I might be wrong), and so a lot of really bright teenagers have all kinds of misconceptions have (a) what constitutes sex and (b) how to have sex safely.

And that leads to a lot of unwanted teenage pregnancies. Which leads, at least in some way, to a certain demand for access to abortion. Not always. But at least some of the time.

And so it's this bizarre thing whereby there's a moral impetus used to justify not teaching about safe sex and about reproductive health when kids are deemed too young. And I get it. A lot of kids are having sex way, way, WAY too young. But not telling them how to protect themselves is clearing not stopping them as it is.

So the moral impetus used to justify how the situation got that way is the same that claims abortion is immoral.

Again, I don't judge people who think abortion is wrong. I don't judge women and girls who feel the need for one either.

But, despite the very valid moral issues at play here, it seems to me that a decent dose of common good sense could go a long way in resolving at least parts of the problem.

barbeegurl00 · 02-21-2008, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheAngel (View Post)

So many people say, I don't think abortions should be used as birth control, but seriously, how many people actually use them as such? Abortions are expensive, they aren't covered under insurance (I don't think they are in the US anyway because they're elective procedures but I'm not certain). I think most people that get abortions are those that use birth control but it fails. I think often times it's portrayed as a "Oh, we don't have to use a condom, I'll just get an abortion if I get pregnant" type of thing, but I really think that's in the minority, especially since repeated abortions can keep a woman from getting pregnant in the future.

Exactly.

Birth control fails sometimes. People do what they can -- but it happens.

I don't see why people should be expected to give birth when they could not properly care for the child physically, emotionally, etc. Why put a child through that just to "punish" the mother for having sex? We have enough unwanted and neglected children in this world, and to deny women the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy (which would further increase this number) is just a baffling idea to me.

Personally, I would much rather a woman terminate her pregnancy than give birth to a child who she does not want and probably resents. The child may become abused, be put up for adoption, or any number of things.

I feel that I have no right telling other women what they can and cannot do to their bodies. Sure, I believe that abortions should be avoided at all costs, people should be educated and take the initial birth control procedures -- and of course terminating a pregnancy after a certain amount of time is not a good thing -- but it is not my choice, and I don't believe it is the goverment's choice.

I am a college student and I take all the initial procedures... but I know that, God forbid, if something were to happen -- I could not support this kid, nor would I be in the right mindset to. An abortion would be very emotionally draining and traumatic, I'm sure, but it's definitely what I would do.

Like sunnykerr, I do not judge those who believe that abortion is wrong. I can understand that. However, I feel that it is not the decision of society or the goverment to determine whether an individual can have a safe abortion. They can feel that it is morally wrong -- definitely -- but I do not want them to determine what I do to my own body.

quaist · 02-21-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BxCutieGrL01 (View Post)

some learned from it and others just take it as a free ride like if it was nothing, and its sad because it causes others to raise an eyebrow and say "Ohh so this is what they think this is, a free ride"

Yeah, I know such girls too, but luckily where I live they're in the minority. Though, those girls - who don't realize the momentousness of an abortions - are even less appropriate to raise a child!

So like many have said before, I would rather "like" to see a girl having an abortion than giving birth to a baby who will live a life consisting of abuse, parents who don't care about it etc...

**sunnykerr** · 02-25-2008, 05:50 PM

The thing we have to remember about rights, though, is that there will always be those who will abuse them. That's a shame on them, not on the system that protects our freedoms and liberties. I'm not saying it's not appalling, but it seems to me that it's worth protecting the rights of the majority over blocking the abuses of the minority.

-Electric- · 02-29-2008, 05:19 AM

I don't judge people that believe abortion is wrong, though I do NOT agree with those that attempt to force their opinions on other people.

Many people use the argument that a woman makes the choice to have sex, so shoud face the consequences, but as someone earlier pointed out, birth contron fails sometimes. And things such as rape happen. In both cases I belive that a woman has done absolutely NOTHING wrong. So why should she have to spend the rest of her life 'paying' for a (in my opinion non-existant) mistake?

Also, hearing stories of pro-life supporters that have used violence to make their point just makes me think how ridiculously hypocritical some people are. Shooting an abortion doctor to protest against something that you believe is murder - does this seem RIDICULOUS to anyone else? That right there is not pro-life, that's taking one.

If you don't agree with abortion, then don't get one. But democracy has given women the right to choose. Removing that would be, in my opinion anyway, removal of a fundemental human right.

fetch · 02-29-2008, 06:51 AM

I just heard two teenage girls on the bus discussing how one had unprotected sex the other day. Her friend was saying things like, "you should be careful! The first pregnancy was enough! Do you know how much abortions cost?"
I was shocked, but i tried to imagine this girl was couldn't imagine saying to her boyfriend that she wouldn't have sex with him without a condom, trying to raise a baby.

**sunnykerr** · 02-29-2008, 04:51 PM

I think it really all comes down to education and what people are raised to believe.

Obviously, if I hadn't been raised by a nurse who gave my brother and I the "talk" when we were both pretty young and was always very open about the realities of sex, then there's a lot I wouldn't have known. Especially if all I had to rely on was sex ed in school.

And if talking about sex to young people is considered immoral enough to keep it out of schools, then you know the kids whose parents really believe that to be the case aren't teaching their kids about preventive measures and safe sex.

Just like parents who actively believe that abortion is wrong are probably not going to teach their children otherwise. And, yes, we all grow up to become our own people. But, let's face it, much I don't like to think about it myself, we do often turn out to have at least basic stuff in common with our parents. Such as belief systems. Not always, but often.

**Nonna** · 03-09-2008, 04:23 PM

What I feel is wrong is when abortion is used as a form of birth control. I have seen some girls do that.

I think making a mistake and choosing to get an abortion because you aren't ready to be a parent and know you couldn't provide the child with the type of life they deserve is one thing but when someone is using it as a form of birth control that is an entirely different story. I know of some girls who have had multiple abortions.

migamoo · 03-09-2008, 09:04 PM

There are quite a few people who use it as birth control. Who's to stop them though?

**sunnykerr** · 03-13-2008, 06:25 PM

And, wrong though it certainly is, would the alternative be any better?

I certainly don't condone women using abortion as birth control. I think educating them on the importance and adequate use of birth control before it gets to that would be better. I think making birth control reasonably available to them would be better.

But, once we're there, with a pregnant girl or woman who doesn't think much of using the procedure as a solution to her situation... would having the pregnancy carried to term be that much of a better solution? Obviously, we'll never know. But I wonder. I mean, it's not like maturity and preparedness kick in during childbirth. And it's not like the child-care system isn't already overtaxed to the point of breakdown.

So I'm just wondering out loud... I wonder if the alternative would be better...

Joella · 03-18-2008, 02:40 AM

Quote:

What I feel is wrong is when abortion is used as a form of birth control. I have seen some girls do that.

Yes, that's terrible. A friend of mine had a pregnancy scare a few months ago and I worried about her a lot, while she told me not to worry, 'cause if she was pregnant she wasn't going to keep it, apparently she could "just do abortion, no big deal".

While I am for abortion, I am even more for protecting yourself and I can't believe girls that think of abortion as birth control. It's not. It's a way to get out of a huge mistake.

migamoo · 03-25-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joella (View Post)

While I am for abortion, I am even more for protecting yourself and I can't believe girls that think of abortion as birth control. It's not. It's a way to get out of a huge mistake.

Why would it be a mistake? An accident maybe, but why a mistake?

Papri · 03-25-2008, 09:05 AM

A mistake is defined as "an error or fault resulting from defective judgment, deficient knowledge, or carelessness".

While certainly not all accidental pregnancies are a result of deficient knowledge or carelessness, it can't be ignored that a lot of unwanted pregnancies are due to these reasons. I think it's a reasonable assertion that most girls (and their parners) who use abortion as birth control more than once (which is the situation being dicussed here, correct?) are careless - thus their pregnancies are mistakes, not just accidents.

But this is just semantics...

fetch · 03-30-2009, 11:58 PM

While a lot of people seem to hate condoms, I think going through an abortion would be less fun. And I think it's a pity some girls would prefer to do that instead of just using birth control.
On the other hand, sometimes obtaining birth control isn't easy for some girls.