Is It Possible to Be an Anti-Abortion Democrat? One Woman Tried to Find Out

[pstokely]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/us/missouri-democrats-abortion-republicans-voters.html

"ST. LOUIS — Joan Barry has been a member of the Missouri Democratic Party for 53 years. As a state legislator, she voted regularly for workers’ rights, health care and programs for the poor.

So when the party began writing a new platform after its crushing losses in 2016, Ms. Barry, a member of its state committee, did not think it was too much to ask for a plank that welcomed people like her — Democrats who oppose abortion.

At first the party agreed and added it. Missouri’s Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill, even called Ms. Barry to praise her.

But within days, Ms. Barry began receiving angry emails and Facebook messages. People called her a dinosaur, a has-been and worse. Her children started to worry."

[hlthe2b]

1. So sick of this wording passing without question: The issue is ANTI-CHOICE...

Allowing Dems to be painted as PRO-ABORTION when the issue is PRO-CHOICE has always been WRONG, deceptive, and giving into RW framing.

[MLAA]

6. +1

She has to be pro choice and then choose whatever she is comfortable with for herself.

[peggysue2]

12. Exactly right!

For Dems it has always been Pro-Choice, which means that any woman can choose to end a pregnancy. Or not. The Pro-Abortion label is the Republican narrative, a rewrite of the original.

We need to take or own narrative back. I often think back to one of the few honest moments Sarah Palin had when she admitted to considering an abortion when she found out she was pregnant and that her fetus had the markers for Down's. This sort of choice is personal and agonizing for any woman. But Palin would not have had the luxury of even thinking about the decision without Pro-Choice legislation. She chose to take her pregnancy to term.

Her choice. Something that all women deserve.

SLRs--safe, legal and rare. That third quality depends on sex education and contraception availability, both of which Republicans--particularly fundamentalist Christian men--would like to limit.

Make no mistake, this is all about controlling women and their reproductive decisions.

[MLAA]

13. Right back atcha..exactly!

[Agschmid]

2. This story was on The Daily over the past two days, worth a listen.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/16/podcasts/the-daily/missouri-democrats-republicans-abortion.html

[50 Shades Of Blue]

3. It's disgusting that women's bodily autonomy is still considered expendable.

[Iggo]

7. ...or even negotiable. (n/t)

[50 Shades Of Blue]

8. Yup - I think that was the word I was looking for!

[Iggo]

4. Is she pro-choice?

[MiniMe]

5. That is the real question

[haele]

9. She can be anti-abortion for herself, but a Democrat should be pro-choice when it comes to policy.

Abortion is only a symptom of a pregnancy that is not viable, when it comes down to it. Whether it's due to a miscarriage or serious cervical/uterine condition, or if the pregnancy is not mentally, emotionally, or economically viable to the woman who would otherwise be unwillingly forced to put her body through 8 or 9 months of physical restrictions and risk injury or death if something else goes wrong.

Abortion is not a social "issue" like religious preference - it's a safe and relatively simple medical procedure to deal with a pregnancy that is deemed not viable.

Even "Anti-Abortion" democrats should understand that birth control and family planning are critical to the health and wellbeing of families in general, not just women.

Pro-choice policies give women in general autonomy; it gives them control over their bodies and future. It raises them out of the social rank of 2nd-class citizenry - of ultimately being infantilized human breeding vessels that must be "protected" once they finally fulfill "the job Nature and God gave them" to push a man's progeny out their bodies after 9 months.

And that's pretty much what it comes down to, no matter what one may personally believe about abortion or "innocent children in utero".

Haele

[Bettie]

10. I know several people who have a

problem with abortion, but they are also realists who understand that if it is made illegal women will die. '

So, they work toward: Comprehensive Sex Ed, Free/low cost and easily available contraception, and Social programs that support women and children as well as other things that they believe will reduce the number of abortions.

They understand that it is never going away, but they don't like that it is necessary.

[Funtatlaguy]

11. Do we REALLY need this discussion 20 days from the midterms?

[forthemiddle]

14. Senator Donnelly (D) labels himself Pro Life

In his latest commercial running in Indiana.

I personally hate litmus tests when it comes to politics, because someone can agree with a party 95% of the time, but have one or two issues they morally can’t agree with the party. Take the candidate, even with the flaws, and We can get to the majority which is what we strive for.