Reply #9: Medically speaking there is no such thing as a partial birth abortion. Very rarely... [View All]

[Hekate]

... a specialist may perform a Late Term Abortion.

Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality, not just of infant disability, and sometimes they die in the womb. If they don't come out on their own, they must be delivered--i.e., aborted -- or the mother will herself die of infection.

There are fetuses who have birth defects incompatible with life itself, such as anencephaly, in which most of the brain is missing. This is not retardation, this is 100% fatal. This condition in the fetus is not dangerous to the mother's life as such, but it is pretty horrible knowing you are carrying something that can only live as long as it is inside you. Two-thirds are born without a heartbeat and only 2% live as long as 7 days. Yet "pro-life" people would ban aborting such a fetus -- and indeed, the US military will not pay for such an abortion, on the grounds that the mother's life is not endangered. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/29398.php

There are pregnancies that threaten the woman's life. Eclampsia is a serious threat if it occurs. Runaway high blood pressure can lead to stroke; and kidney disease and heart disease are pretty incompatible with pregnancy.

Roe vs Wade has provisions for limiting access to abortion, provisions that are in line with accepted public opinion then and now. That is, the first three months are the woman's business, the second three are more risky and require more medical intervention, but up to this point the fetus is not "viable". Roe vs Wade DOES allow the State to limit abortions in the third trimester due to the likelihood of fetal viability, BUT there are exceptions for the life and health of the mother.

Barack Obama's record is clear. He has not -- and will not -- vote for any measure that limits abortions that does not also have a clear exception for the life and health of the mother.

In this he is in the MAINSTREAM of public opinion, legal opinion, and medical opinion. He is also in accord with every major world religion (except the fringe fundamentalists), in which the value of a woman's life is given precedence over that of a fetus which is (a) already dead or dying in utero, or (b) will kill her. Every culture in the world recognizes that a dead wife and mother is of no use to her family.

The trouble with accusations like the one your friend made is that they are in the category of what my fundy neighbor said to my husband: "Obama has not denied he is a communist." You can search forever for "proof" that Obama is not a communist (or "pro-abortion"), but you will never be able to satisfy such people.

It's like asking Joe Blow: "When did you stop beating your wife?" Mr. Blow never beat his wife in the first place, but he is left sputtering and explaining -- and the question has been put into the public mind.

My advice to you is this: If you truly value her friendship and good will, try to explain this to her ONCE. And then declare the topic off-limits.

Best of luck to you.

Hekate