Friday, January 07, 2005

Safe, legal and rare. . . really guys, this isn't a new stance

I'm pretty sure that the idea of abortion being safe, legal and rare has been around for at least 10-20 years and this, along with complete reproductive rights/privacy regarding medial issues, is the agenda of the Pro-Choice Movement. While those who refer to anyone who supports reproductive rights as abortionists or pro-abortion may not want to believe this, it is true nonetheless. Until recently, I think that most of this country knew full well, even those with extreme views on the "pro-lfe" side, exactly what the position of the Pro-Choice movement really is . This is why attempts to overturn Roe v Wade have failed & why those of us who grew up during/after the 70s felt safe about it. I think this is why the extremists invented the "partial birth abortion" which is something so abhorrent that almost everyone shudders at the thought of it. PBA was used as a litmus test in the most recent elections and it worked. The D & X procedure is real, incredibly rare, and done in the most dire of situations (I'd be willing to bet only the most extreme fanatic would condemn the decision). In order to "research" the claims of those against the PBA, the government forced reviews of medical records (I'm not sure all clinics fought and/or lost the cases to prevent this) and was either unable to find any example of what they have called PBA or is unwilling to provide even anecdotal evidence of it (which means if they found a case, they knew it would have the opposite effect of what they want). Those who label themselves pro-choice are a diverse bunch ranging from those who may actually support abortion as a method of birth control (I've never met anyone who would admit to that, but would not be surprised that they exist) to those who think abortion is wrong but understand that this belief is based on personal/religious reasons but do not think they have the right to impose those on others.

We are all painfully aware that there is one very big fact on which we do not all agree and do not have the ability to prove/disprove who is right at this point in time, and that is what defines "human life" and when it begins.
Even within the Abrahamic religions, which all believe the soul is what makes human life distinctly different than other life, there is a disparity of belief when ensoulment occurs. I'm not even sure all the Christian denominations are in agreement with each other on this point. Those who don't believe life begins at conception, would not reasonably believe abortion is murder. For those who agree with you that human life begins prior to actual birth there are other issues to be considered, such as at what point in time does "human life" begin and when does this unborn life have rights that supercede the rights of the mother?

So, you say you want to stop the senseless murder of unborn babies? Impact demand by attacking the root of the problem. Make unplanned/unintended pregnancies so rare the elective abortion rate will plummet:
  • comprehensive health education including "sex" education (I actually think this should be taught as part of the life science corriculum, not by a gym teacher or school nurse). Sex education should include:
    • all aspects of reproduction (anatomy/physiology, menstrual cycle, oogenesis & spermatogenesis)
    • open an honest discussion the responsibilities related to and the potential consequences of sexual activity
      • this should include non-religious/non-judgmental discouragement of sexual intimacy until adulthood, when the possiblity of being able to handle the responsibilities associated with those consequences is more likely
      • this must also include discussion of all effective means to avoid the potential consequences of sexual activity
  • increased funding of research into new, compliance-friendly contraceptive agents that are used prospectively to prevent ovulation/spermatogenesis/fertilization
  • improved access to contraceptive agents along with improved labeling regarding contraceptive failure
    • sticker labeling on hormonal contraceptives regarding medications, etc. that can interfere with the medications and potentiate ovulation with advise to practice a barrier method in conjunction with the hormonal contraceptive when using meds that can cause contraceptive failure
You in?


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