i am all against abortion, i hate it and i think its murder, because it is.if the mother gets raped why should the baby suffer? and i saw someone said maybe if they were sure it was only going to live for a day, i have experienced MANY times, where the doctors were SURE people were gonna die and they are living healthy lives now. if the mother is not alble to take care of the baby, mentaly, money wise or watever, there is stil adoption.
in south africa(where i live). its legal to have an aortion, im not sure until how long, but doctors say the baby cannot feel the pain but then they came out with this *drug* that stops it from feeling pain (so are they addmiting that it can feel pain),
i have seen some pictures of aboted babies and i was horrefied! u can see they are human beings not just some blob.!(does everyone know how an abortion is performed?)
and someone also said, they wont let a baby come between me and my dreams,( so wat well just kill it?)

anyways thats just my view on it
jess

No, the baby does not 'suffer' and yes, we all know how abortion works thankyou very much.

Louise

I totally agree with you dust2dust!!!!!! Here's what I have a problem with. I don't see how we can have someone telling someone they probably don't even know what she will and will not do with her body.

I am pro-life AND pro-choice.

I think abortion is wrong, and bad, and except for really incredibly severe situations women and teen girls should not have abortions.

However, I think that abortion should be legal. Laws are not for the purpose of imposing morality on people. Laws are for protecting the best interests of the majority. I think far more people will be hurt by outlawing abortion then the unborn children aborted. Firstly you have the women who die and are seriously hurt by botched illegal abortions, secondly, there are the unwanted children whose lives are destroyed before they start, and finally, the continued cycle of poverty and violence that is facilitated by the birth of children to families that cannot support them. All of this, to me, adds up to more death and destruction (and suffering) then the pre-emptive strike that stops a potential lifetime of suffering before it really gets going.

So, I am pro choice, because I think that the government should not make this choice for us. Even though I would prefer that women choose a certain way, I believe every human being must make thier own moral decisions. There are so many potentially gray areas, so many potential "what if" situations, that I agree with the poster who said a "one size fits all law" would be a bad thing. You cant legislate the exceptions, so its better to leave it up to the individual.

As for teens being forced to get permission from or inform thier parents, I think this is potentially problematic, and I think that once again, a blanket law would be more destructive then productive. I do however think that teens should be required to see a counselor, and have them support thier decision (and I dont mean a 5 minute discussion, I mean several sessions over at least a week, I would say more but time is of the essence in that situation). I also think that they should be required to remain in contact with the counselor for a period of time. I would hope that teens in dire/abusive situations would be able to find some adult support in a counselor/advocate in this situation that they may not find with an actual parent or gaurdian. Hopefully a teen who is in a self-imagined dire situation (omg my mom is going to kill me!) could begin to come to terms with thier situation and realize that thier parents might be angry, and upset, but that it might be better to tell them (Note: I'm not saying anyone here is that type, because I dont know everything about your situations). Ultimately, I think in this case each teen really needs individual attention and support, not a legal blanket permission form.

What a great post, Aine. I think you've summed up the feelings of the vast majority of us pro-choicers--we'd PREFER that there never be a need for abortion, but when there is, it needs to be safe and legal.

I particularly like your comments about teens being required to have counseling pre- and post-abortion. That makes MUCH more sense than forcing them to tell parents they're afraid of...with, perhaps, dire consequences. As I've said many times, when I was a teenager [and had I become pregnant and wanted an abortion], I COULD NOT have told my parents. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. And it's unfortunate, but true, that a lot of teens have parents like that, and their options need to be open...

I'm 100% pro choice, I think everyone has the right to do whatever they want with their own body, and I don't think parental consent should be needed. Aside from safety rights, no one should have control of someones life and their personal decisions, but I have no sympathy for idiot teenage couples (who have a normal life) who willingly have sex without protection get pregnant and have an abortion, I think it says a lot about a persons character and I think a lot less of anyone who does that.