Until this comes out of a man's body...

[CousinIT]

[Arkansas Granny]

1. One of the guys I work with was complaining about women having abortions one day.

I asked him if he had a uterus, to which he replied "Of course not". I told him he should keep his opinion to himself, in that case. He has never mentioned it to me again.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. Do keep in mind

some men do have a uterus. Still agree that the decision should be the pregnant woman's decision alone IMHO.

[Arkansas Granny]

24. I hadn't considered that possibility. I was only thinking of my coworker.

[Mariana]

81. Then it's a good thing Arkansas Granny asked him, isn't it?

If he'd had one, he would probably have said yes.

[Beartracks]

103. Sorry - Made me think of this!

=================

[samnsara]

28. good for you! except i would have said 'then shut the fuck up'

..you are very polite to these assholes.

[tetedur]

94. I wonder what he would've said if you asked him if he'd ever had unprotected sex with a woman

with whom he did not wish to have a child. I think that's the moment for men who are against abortion, to take responsibility and decide that they don't want their actions to possibly result in one. So yeah that's when they have a say so.

After all, men can prevent unwanted pregnancies.

When a man has abdicated his responsibility to his partner and the life he may be helping to create, he should sit down and shut up.

[Arkansas Granny]

95. Good point.

[IluvPitties]

2. Ideally...

Men and women who are involved in the situation can talk about it and find common ground in regards to what is best for both at that point in their lives. Of course, women have the last word, but at least in my personal case, I'd hate for my wife to treat me jus as a sperm donor with no say in such a big decision as having a child.

In the public arena, however, we men have no say.

[lunatica]

11. Ideally there would be no pregnancies caused by

rape or pedophilia. Ideally the life of the mother shouldn't be in danger if she continues the pregnancy.

You're missing the point. Women are not demanding to use abortion as just another form of birth control. In most marriages the decision to have an abortion is something the couple discusses and decides mutually just as you say it should be.

The issue is who has the right over a woman's body. You? The State? The Federal government? Or should SHE have the right to choose what she does with her body? Would you hand that right over to the government if it was your body?

If you notice no one carries banners and marches saying they're Pro-Abortion. What they say and have on their signs is Pro-Choice. And most liberal women who believe in having the right to control their pregnancies CHOOSE to have the baby. I know I did.

[askyagerz]

19. I think you're missing the point

That meme is a blanket statement that doesn't include every case. Of course a man should be able to have his opinion on the matter if the baby if it was conceived mutually. Women should definitely have the final say but saying his opinion doesn't matter is pretty messed up...

[lunatica]

39. My point exactly

[Drahthaardogs]

21. Actually, there are plenty of DU posters who say they are

Pro-Abortion and back it up vigorously.

I find that talk extreme, but it exists here.

[AtheistCrusader]

49. I am very much pro-abortion.

Pro comprehensive sex ed
Pro contraception
Pro abortion
Pro adoption
Pro IVF
Pro family planning in all forms


I was told this was the future, but I still don't have a flying car, and on the whole we're still cagey, shy puritan primates about sex and reproduction or recreation. Very disappointing.

[GreenEyedLefty]

52. I am pro-abortion.

It's safe, legal, moral and should stay that way.

[Heddi]

55. You rang?

I'm pro-abortion. Full stop, no ifs, ands, or butts.

Thanks. Glad I could be of service.

Yours truly,

Heddi, pro-abortion since approximately 1994.

[progressoid]

60. Add me to the Pro-abortion list.

Unapologetically so. There is nothing extreme about it.

[Drahthaardogs]

61. Sure there is. Most people view it as necessary but unfortunate

Saying it's WONDERFUL just doesn't play well in most circles, and probably hurts more than helps.

[Act_of_Reparation]

63. You've clearly put a lot of thought into this.

[Drahthaardogs]

65. So you think it helps????

You think being callous about it plays well across America?

Do tell.

[Act_of_Reparation]

66. Who is being callous?

And how is "playing well" remotely relevant?

[Drahthaardogs]

70. In case you haven't noticed, the GOP hold the House, Senate

And the Supreme Court. You don't think that there is a movement right now to ban abortion?

A lot people view it as necessary but certainly not "good", not something to be celebrating. I'm sorry in your area you don't see that, but here in the Midwest that's how it plays out.

I have seen posts on DU where a poster wants MORE abortions, says how much they love it, how great it is, and how Pro Choice is not correct. It should be Pro Abortion.

Seriously, go hold up signs saying "I LOVE Abortion" and see how that will play out. You don't have to rub people's face in it, which seems to be the point of someone saying Pro-Abortion

[Act_of_Reparation]

74. So you think if you're mealymouthed about it, the GOP might forget they completely oppose abortion?

Clever strategy.

[AtheistCrusader]

91. No one is forcing anyone to call anything anything.

[AtheistCrusader]

72. I don't view it as unfortunate. I seek to normalize the 'moral' baggage it currently carries.

I don't think that having the country, in those challenging circles see that there are people fully unimpressed by the claimed moral element might help, rather than hurt.

Are we likely to make people who are against abortion more against it for seeing our position?
Are we likely to make people who are ok with abortion, less ok about it for seeing our position?
Why?

[Drahthaardogs]

75. You are (I am assuming by your handle) atheist

70% of America is Christian, another 2% Jewish. Democrats won the Catholic vote. Your position lacks some sensitivity to those who view this as a human life, and a very serious and probably unfortunate matter.

You don't need to agree, but handling it without some reverence is counter productive. Yes, I believe it would not be too hard to turn off some voters who currently hold a Pro-Choice position. It at least allows them to say "not for me, but others can make their own choice". Start forcing the hand to Pro-Abortion and that goes away.

[progressoid]

84. Only half of those Catholics see abortion as morally wrong.

[Drahthaardogs]

87. So?

That's exactly my point. Frame it differently and you may lose more. Lose more and you lose the Catholic vote. Lose the Catholic vote and you lose elections.

I don't see what there is to gain by insisting it be called "Pro-Abortion" instead of "Pro-Choice". In fact, we have lots to lose but little to gain by doing that. It's self indulgent and pretty stupid from a political standpoint

[progressoid]

93. So you brought up the issue of faith in your post

Apparently half of those Catholics don't care what their Church thinks. Also, since the faithful demographic is shrinking in America, their influence is also diminished.

More importantly, Planned Parenthood is being de-funded and clinics are being closed around the country. This is no time to be timid.

[barbtries]

92. i grew up with mostly catholics

one whose mother forced her to have an abortion when she was 14 years old. it wasn't rape, it wasn't pedophilia, it was hormones having their way with a boy and a girl at the wrong time of the month. the girl was 4 months along and hadn't had the guts to tell her mother she was pregnant, but that pregnancy was ended post haste. Later during a visit she did say out loud that although she was catholic, she believed in abortion. bottom line she was not going to allow her daughter to blow the next few years of her life (the girl was a gifted athlete) for a mistake.

another one who, finding out her daughter was 5 months pregnant and unmarried with no prospects, yelled "you have to have an abortion!" because at the end of the day, what the neighbors thought was much more important than what the pope said. the daughter in this case had no intention of ending the pregnancy and ultimately delivered identical twins one month early. while visiting her, some of the neighbors came to visit and they all remarked how they didn't even know she was pregnant. once grandma saw those babies she was the proudest, happiest grandmother imaginable. but she put her daughter through an unreal amount of crap while she was pregnant and had the baby not turned out to be twins, it may have been given up.

this went on during the 1970s. my point is many catholics practice birth control and are pro choice.

the only people that seem able to "force" a particular vocabulary on an issue is anti-abortionists. I refuse to refer to them as "pro-life" and protest that usage every chance i get. i'm pro-life, and i'm pro-abortion on demand.

[AtheistCrusader]

90. We only won the Catholic vote among Hispanics.

Among non-Hispanic white people, Trump won. We only won the Hispanic Catholic vote because Trump is basically openly racist against Hispanics. So it over-rode their position on Abortion. They aren't accepting of abortion on the whole. Non-catholic Hispanics are literally 50/50 on abortion being legal. (According to PEW)

If not for Trump's blatant racism, we would not have won the catholic vote at all. Abortion being one of the largest factors.

[progressoid]

80. I didn't say it's WONDERFUL.

It's just a medical procedure.

[Drahthaardogs]

82. But there are those here who do.

As I noted below, using a bit of softer language plays to a Pro-Choice position. Putting it in hard terms is NOT a winning strategy IMO.

[Voltaire2]

97. So a woman who has an abortion has made "unfortunate" decisions?

[Drahthaardogs]

99. I fucking hate when people twist words like that.

Yes, it's an unfortunate situation. It's not joyous. I know three women who have made the decision to about (I am sure I know more, but three have shared their experience with me). None of them were exactly thrilled about it, although I believe all of them were glad the opportunity exists.

[Voltaire2]

100. So these women should have done something else in order to avoid these abortions, right?

[Drahthaardogs]

102. Whatever you say Oracle.

Is this fun for you?

[Voltaire2]

104. Fun? Not really. It is time I donate to the cause of trying to get people to understand

that the words they use, the framing they put things in, have been crafted by their enemies. Likely you will run away from the realization that you are wrong, that in fact there is nothing unfortunate about it and that we really should stop shaming women who have abortions, but the seeds of doubt will remain.

[radical noodle]

113. Having an abortion

is not usually a pleasant experience. So yeah, I think most women would prefer not to have had to go through that particular procedure, no matter what the reason for it. "Should have done," maybe not... but probably "would have done" something else.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

98. When someone has an appendectomy to say it's "unfortunate"?

[demmiblue]

62. Count me in as being pro-abortion.

OMG... look at all these wimmin folks who want agency over their own bodies!11!!111!

[DLevine]

78. Nothing extreme about being pro abortion.

It just means you support a woman having an abortion if she needs/wants one.

[Voltaire2]

96. I'm pro-abortion. I am enthusiastically in favor of safe and effective medical procedures. nt.

[musette_sf]

101. I'm pro-abortion

[MadDAsHell]

111. Count me in as pro-abortion, I wish we would kill more. Overpopulation is a real issue. nt

[GreenEyedLefty]

54. I am pro-abortion and stated as much below.

I am 46 and currently using an IUD to prevent pregnancy. I have told everyone including my husband that if I got pregnant, it would be the fastest abortion on earth. I am absolutely, unequivocally DONE having kids. So there will be no agonizing, permission getting or any of that nonsense.

One more thing... abortion is absolutely birth control; what else could it possibly be?

[lunatica]

58. Way to twist what I said

Whatever

[GreenEyedLefty]

64. What I should have said was...

If someone places parameters around abortion (i.e. "ideal" scenarios), then they're not really pro-choice.

When it's said that abortion should be safe and legal, it's so it can be as safe and legal (and viable and moral) as any other type of birth control.

[lunatica]

73. That goes without saying if you say youre pro choice

It is and should always be a woman’s choice

[OregonBlue]

3. It's one thing for a man to have an opinion. It's another for him to believe he has the right

to decide the issue for women.

[CousinIT]

40. THIS. n/t

[Orrex]

4. A man is certainly entitled to an opinion on abortion

Last edited Thu Jan 4, 2018, 11:25 AM - Edit history (1)

And that opinion certainly has no bearing on a woman's absolute right of reproductive freedom. He's still entitled to have it, though--good for him!

Incidentally, my opinion is this: men should fight to protect a woman's right of reproductive freedom, and beyond that they (including me) shouldn't flatter themselves to imagine their opinions on the subject have any weight or significance.

[AtheistCrusader]

8. It's very human to have empathy for people who aren't yourself.

Look to the motives. What is the person trying to do; help, or harm? Do you want allies, or do you want to narrow the field of participants?


A woman can have an opinion on funding or access to care for say, prostate cancer, that has weight and significance. Politician, doctor, advocate, you name it. Same is true of a man, for breast cancer. (Granted, that can be self-serving as men CAN get some forms of breast cancer, if rare.)

I want my voice to have impact, particularly with people who oppose abortion. They're the ones we have to get on the same page with us. If they're not the kind of people that will listen to women, fine. I'll have a go. I very desperately want my opinion/reason to be heard in that case.

[forgotmylogin]

17. The only man who really should have any input about reproductive decisions

is the father in a specific case. The woman should ultimately get to make the decision about her body.

I think a lot of people get tangled up in the "you can be personally anti-abortion and still support the right to choose" dichotomy. It's somewhat similar to "you don't have to be gay to support LGBTQ people and their rights."

Supporting someone's personal rights does not mean you would make the same decisions they would.

[Orrex]

27. Here's how I've come to view the father's role:

On social media I've seen a number of discussions (not yours, let me be clear) that complain about the father not having any choice in the matter.

Nonsense, I say. He absolutely gets a choice, right up until the moment of ejaculation (or equivalent release of sperm, etc.) At that point, his choice is made, and his choice is over. The woman can thereafter opt to consult him, but he no longer gets to choose.

He can support her decision or not support it, but doing so has no bearing on the responsibility he assumes for the choice that he has already made, and he must live with the consequences of that choice.

For me, it's almost funny how uncomplicated the issue became once I realized the male's actual role in it. If he doesn't want a woman to bring a child to term, all he has to do is not impregnate her. What could be simpler?

[MineralMan]

32. Exactly. Once I made the decision not to reproduce,

I recognized what my role was in that decision. All I had to do was avoid doing things that would cause a pregnancy. From that time on, I was very, very careful not to contribute to initiating a pregnancy. It wasn't so difficult, really.

Also, whenever I was in a serious relationship, I discussed my decision with the other person, just to make sure that she was OK with that decision. That discussion ended some relationships, but not others.

It wasn't complicated. My decision was my decision, so it was up to me to avoid reproduction.

[CousinIT]

41. THIS. 100000 times. THIS.

It's what I've said for a LONG time. Men DO have a choice. They must realize though that choice has a particular scope (limited to a particular space and time) and once he's made his choice there, he's pretty much done.

I agree men have a right to an opinion -- but ultimately the final decision should always be up to the woman. No exceptions.

When men start transforming their opinions or religious beliefs into law and policy which takes away a woman's ability to decide for herself and act on her own behalf - and especially her ability to access the health care necessary for her to do that - then I have an issue with it. Then, they're literally forcing their opinions and / or beliefs onto a woman. And that is unacceptable to me.

IOW men have a choice and a right to their own opinions. But they must realize that choice and those opinions come with non-negotiable limits. And that's because men don't get pregnant or give birth. I'm sorry if men don't like that, but that's the way it is for the human species.

[Orrex]

43. At the risk of overstating the point...

It is amazing how simple the issue becomes for a man once he recognizes what his actual choice in the matter is.

When I finally realized it, I was embarrassed to have taken so long to comprehend it. I've always argued in favor of the woman's reproductive freedom, of course, but I misunderstood my role in the issue.

Once my eyes were opened...

[smirkymonkey]

67. This +1000!

[forgotmylogin]

79. I'm not arguing, but I don't see it as so cut and dried.

I'm saying the father should, of course, have input in the matter; he should certainly be able to voice whether he wants to be a father or not, but I agree that the final say belongs to the woman who must determine whether to carry a pregnancy to term and support a child for 18-25 years thereafter. If you want to cut it off at "ejaculation" then that kind of cuts off the voice of half of the people responsible for a potential life. Not every man is looking to cut and run. If a woman wants to ignore everything the guy says...well...I guess that's her choice, but I was speaking more in the context of "A bunch of 65-year-old male senators don't get a say -why should a group of men have any say - my response is the only male who *might possibly* have a legitimate "say" on a pregnancy is the father.

I'm sure you can envision a situation where a young couple is being careful, doing what they're supposed to, and a condom breaks. That sort of complicates "the man's choice ends at ejaculation" because they *both* were not planning to conceive.

Saying "a potential father's choice ends at ejaculation" is about as insensitive as saying "a potential wife's life choices stop mattering when the ring is on her finger".

[Mariana]

86. Do you think a woman should be required to inform the man

and be made to listen to what he has to say?

[forgotmylogin]

105. No. I don't think anyone should be made to do anything.

In an ideal situation, I would hope she would want to inform the man. I think he should probably listen to what she has to say.

If she wants to do it with nobody else knowing, I understand that too.

[Orrex]

107. At the risk of sounding dismissive, that risk is part of the choice he makes

If he is aware of the risks and an accidental pregnancy is the result, then he has made his choice, and his opportunity to choose has passed.

If he is unaware of the risks and an accidental pregnancy is the result, then he has chosen poorly, and his opportunity to choose has passed.

It all becomes crystal clear once you recognize where and when his choice occurs. Before that moment, he is free to do as he chooses; after that moment, he is obligated to accept the consequences of his choice, and he no longer gets a say.

[Yupster]

110. It's silly saying the man should have input

but the woman should have the final say.

What you're saying is the man has the right to express his opinion, but it carries no weight and the woman has no reason or obligation to pay any attention to it.

Therefore, the man has no input.

It's the same as when people say the decision should be between a woman and her doctor. That's also BS. So a woman decides to have an abortion and the doctor says he's pro-life and doesn't think she should.

Is the decision still between the woman and her doctor? BS . It's a woman's decision. People talk about the spouse and doctor just to make it sound better. It's not. It's just a woman's decision and everyone else needs to just shut up.

PS - I actually don't agree with this opinion. I believe every woman has a right to decide if they want to be a mother or not and I believe the same for a man. He has the right to decide whether he wants to be a father or not. I believe in a woman's right to choose and a man's right to choose.

[n2doc]

5. I don't care if the person is a woman with 10 children

No one has the right to tell another what she can do with her body.

[crazycatlady]

6. Whenever a man gives his opinion on abortion, I ask if he's had a vasectomy

[handmade34]

83. too limiting...

the question is merely... are you a man? abortion is a woman's choice, a man may have an opinion but should never be able to make a law or dictate what a woman's does when choosing abortion or not

[BannonsLiver]

121. What if it's a pro choice opinion?

Do you ask then?

[AtheistCrusader]

7. This kind of claim dismisses a lot of allies.

Some of us stand up for women's health, and should not be silenced.

[lark]

22. We're not trying to silence men.

We're just saying that the ultimate decision is ours, our bodies, our lives.

[AtheistCrusader]

23. That's not what that meme in the OP says.

[mythology]

35. That's kind of the problem with memes

They try to boil everything down to a bumper stick length.

By the "logic" of the meme, nobody who isn't a cop should criticize the shoot first mentality of cops for example.

[CrispyQ]

37. The most important decision a woman can make, isn't yours.

A perfect meme.

[AtheistCrusader]

44. It isn't, but I'm a portion of the electorate and we influence the legislature.

I want my voice, that it should be safe, legal, and readily available, to be heard and respected. I feel bound to throw my weight behind this issue, to teach my son why this is the right position on the issue, and do my part to ensure the conversation moves in the right direction nationally, with both men and women who currently oppose abortion.

It feels like an effort that undermines even those that are trying to do the right thing.

[CrispyQ]

46. Where does it state you can't voice your opinion or be part of the debate?

It states the crux of the issue, that's it. Sorry I even tried. This board.

[AtheistCrusader]

47. The image in the OP has some very simple plain english on it.

It explicitly states that I should not voice my opinion.

This is a problem, for the reasons I have outlined. It silences an ally to the purpose of keeping abortion safe, legal, and accessible. It does so as collateral damage in the service of silencing men who would try to make abortion illegal.

[CrispyQ]

48. I'm not the OP. --nt

[AtheistCrusader]

50. "A perfect meme"

Maybe you meant the 'not yours' decision? Sorry, this might be where forum discussion breaks down, if you didn't mean the OP meme.

[CrispyQ]

68. Yes, I think that's what happened.

Apologies.

[AtheistCrusader]

71. No worries, my bad. Re-reading it, there was a clue that you meant the other post.

[marble falls]

106. BS. We have an opinion, usually better kept to ourselves. The decision and all that comes with it...

belong to women. I'm glad you believe in safe abortion. I'm sure it must give you some comfort that most women believe in safe vasectomies for us men.

Our place is to support the choice whatever it is, not make a difficult decision more complicated because we have qualms. Our part of the choice ends somewhere just short of the fertilized egg.

Amazing how many men who want women to bear an oops baby won't even pay child support.

[AtheistCrusader]

118. Currently the issue is much more fundamental than that.

It's not about 'should X woman abort or not'.

It's 'Should abortion be legal/accessible/affordable AT ALL'

I have an opinion on that, and I wish to work to get others, both men and women who oppose abortion, to revise their positions. I can't do that if I don't have a voice at all.

That meme says I shouldn't have a voice, or more specifically; I should refrain from using my voice.

Not ok.

[marble falls]

119. The meme is correct. The choice is not yours. The issue of abortion should not be about making....

it legal, the issue is about keeping it from being illegal in any manner including equal access. In the end the issue is a woman's issue. As a policy hold all the opinions you want, but when it applies to a specific woman's medical condition and its treatment, your and my opinion needs to be corked unless that woman asks for our $.02.

So voice your opinion on the policy for or against. But cork it over any specific woman's choice regarding her decisions regarding her own condition. That meme is exactly right.

[AtheistCrusader]

120. At the moment, in the united states, the legal and moral implications of abortion are at issue.

It is not just under legal attack, it's also a moral issue. The religious right is not just chipping away in the various legislatures and courts, they're also chipping away at the social mores of abortion, trying to make it a negative connotation, a guilt trip.

I don't see any point to a meme that would also silence people like me, who do insist there is no negative connotation to abortion, and seek to normalize it's perception across society.

Fucking hell, it happened right here in this thread. Post 21 and the entire subthread under it. Right here on DU. 'ooh we have to be cagey and respectful around people who think it's an "unfortunate" choice and "callous" to normalize it.

Right here on DU.

[harun]

117. +1

[heaven05]

9. ++

well said....

[treestar]

10. Can't stop people from having opinions

and we should not discourage them from discussing them either. This is not the way to approach the issue.

[OnDoutside]

16. +1

[saidsimplesimon]

13. thank you, cousin

I am a woman so here goes an imo remark for my record of standing up.

I have always supported birth control as an alternative to abortion. This presents me with no moral conflicts, I also support a woman's right to decide what she does with her body.

An unwanted child could become the next rumptillian or Dahmer.

[mountain grammy]

14. Everyone can discuss.. everyone can have an opinion

but when it comes to the medical decision of an individual woman, it's nobody's else's business, periord!

[47of74]

18. I agree with that. I think in general medical decisions should be between a person and their doctor

And everyone else can fuck off. Insurance companies, politicians, religious assholes, and so on should fuck off and not stick their noses in where it's not wanted. I refuse to tolerate people trying to stick their noses in to my personal medical business, and I will afford everyone else the same consideration.

[MurrayDelph]

15. As a 65-year-old male, my opinion on abortion

is based on the fact that when I was a kid, my dad had to tell his best friend that he had just taken best-friend's daughter to the hospital for complications of a botched back-alley abortion.

So, my view is that abortion should be safe, legal, and nobody's damned business!

[handmade34]

89. as an older women

my opinion comes from knowing women who died from back alley abortions and having to 'cause' my own (herbs) before they were legal/accessible...

**every young woman should be in the streets protesting until there is action that will guarantee abortions will always be accessible and safe to every girl/woman who wants one!!

damn, I wish people read and understood history, human psychology and biology

[HughBeaumont]

20. Where does an MRA get his water? From a well, actually.

How does an MRA tie his shoes? With a knot, necessarily.

[Towlie]

25. So I'm not allowed to say "keep it legal"? Or does this only apply to NEGATIVE opinions?

[onecent]

26. AMEN!!!! K&R

[Javaman]

29. as a guy, I completely agree...

over the years people have asked me my opinion on abortion, I have always responded, "I have none, it's not my body".

[AtheistCrusader]

45. Missed opportunity, then.

I do not pass by an opportunity to throw my voice behind a progressive stance on Abortion.

[Javaman]

51. some people have asked me to elaborate...

and I say, "it's the personal choice of the woman, not mine".

[AtheistCrusader]

53. Quite true.

But there's also the legislative elements of whether it be accessible at all. Currently, that's a battleground.

[Javaman]

56. Oh I know. My GF and I support Planned Parenthood and donate yearly.

we walk the walk.

[AtheistCrusader]

59. Awesome. Donation of choice for me as well.

They hooked my girlfriend (now my wife) and I up with the pill for a very nominal price when we were first living together as teens.

Paying it forward.

[Javaman]

69. they do good work.

we're here in Texas.

since the regressive government has been doing all it can to close down clinics, we try and give what we can.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

30. Being a man, I once went to an abortion clinic,

... with a woman for support and transportation.

It was her decision, her right. I supported her right. I support the right that it is the woman's choice.

That, as a man, is my opinion which comes out of my mouth and my fingers.

[ProfessorGAC]

38. Same Here

It's simply none of my business. And should it have ever come up with my wife and i, she definitely would have asked my opinion, but the decision was her's to make, and her's alone.

The final decision, even with regard to my wife, was none of my business. She asks for input. I give it. She decides. The decision is not mine to make, ergo, not my business.

I know i'm speaking theoretically, because it never actually occurred, but i'm certain that is the path it would have taken.

[ehrnst]

31. Opinion is fine. But it stops there. (nt)

[shadowmayor]

33. If you're truly interested in reducing the number of abortions

Then you should be in favor of sex education in our schools. To be opposed to this idea is like a pro-lifer being in favor of the death penalty.

[Orrex]

34. And greatly improved access to contraception

One realizes, at some point, that the GOP's goal is not to prevent abortion but rather to subjugate women.

[handmade34]

85. "if...interested in reducing...abortions...."

not only sex education... but much better and affordable education, especially for women... and equal wages for men and women... equal opportunity for men and women... access to health care... etc... all of these things show to contribute to less unwanted pregnancies and a healthier society

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

36. I tell people that if they don't believe in abortion, then don't have one.

When my sons were reaching puberty, I told them that if they got a young woman pregnant, that in the end, what to do about the pregnancy was absolutely her choice, no matter what he felt about it.

[briv1016]

42. Maybe?

[MineralMan]

57. What comes out of a man's body...

Hmm...I think I shan't consider that overlong.

[LonePirate]

77. State abortion restrictions/bans are nothing but state mandated indentured servitude laws.

They are unconstitutional and we need to start framing it that way.

[ProudLib72]

88. I'd pay good money to see any rethug congressman give birth

I don't want to know how the pregnancy was achieved, how it was brought to term, or how it will be delivered. I just want to see his reaction when all the other congressmen tell him he cannot terminate. I think we would see a radical transformation of that congressman's position on abortion.

[Ohiogal]

109. Is it possible to be both pro choice and pro- life?

Because that's how I'd describe myself.

I'm 100% FOR a woman's right to determine what's best for herself and her own body.

But I am also 100% FOR every child being a wanted child, FOR prenatal care for all mom's, FOR health insurance for every child and mom, FOR policies that encourage new mom's to have the time they need to recover from birth and bond with their babies before they must return to work, and FOR a safe, loving, and stable environment for all kids and families.

Pro-lifers are all too often only pro-lifers until the moment of birth.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Spoken as a mom of three adult sons.

[pwb]

115. Sure you can. Your a democrat. We have babies and love them.

Our progressive and liberal wing sometimes leave no room for acceptance only. They think an issue should be absolute and many are not. We democrats are thinkers, not followers. There are many things i accept as a democrat that i don't really approve of, so your not alone. It doesn't help anything to call the baby in the o p photo, THIS.

[Ohiogal]

116. Thanks PWB

As a side note, I was just reading recently (and this isn't really news) that the black infant mortality rate here in Ohio is next to the bottom in the whole country. Black babies die within their first year three times as many as white. This is an appalling and abysmal statistic, and our Republican controlled legislature couldn't care less. They claim to be "pro life" --- Kasich has signed 18 abortion restrictions since he's been in office .... but again, once the child is born, everyone turns their backs. It is shameful.

[burrowowl]

112. And what about pregnancies

where the baby is growing in the fallopian tube, is anacaphelic, not viable, etc. Do we let the mother and or fetus die or we proactive? and incest, etc. Why should the sperm donor or other fanatics have a say?

[IronLionZion]

114. Especially pro-choice liberals

because no one is entitled to an opinion.



Anti-choice conservatives say they same thing: if you're not an unborn baby, you don't get to have an opinion. There are millions of anti-choice women who have given birth to children. Good luck with the Sarah Palins of the world.