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howeirdAbortion is a very difficult subject for me, and not because I was a "mistake". I firmly believe abortion is murder. But we make allowances for self-defense, and my definition of self-defense extends to a rape victim protecting herself from that living reminder of a horrible event, and it extends to women who would be killed by having a baby.
But all the rest of the usual reasons I'm not so sure about. Adoption used to be a viable alternative, but now we're inundated by tearful pleas to donate clothing for foster children whose foster parents, I thought, were supposed to be paid by the state for providing those things. Yeah, they are click click
We now have the technology to know if a child will be born with a drug addiction, AIDS, birth defects, etc. The news is full of human interest stories about children overcoming various birth defects to win awards in the Special Olympics, and it is also full of stories of children born with problems which bring a wagonload of pain and suffering to them and their parents. There's no right answer. I lean toward making it the informed decision of the mother and her physician.
Does the father have a say? Absolutely yes, if we're talking about unmarried parents and the mother's decision is to have the child, because this will burden him with child support, which he may not be able to pay.
And then there is the abortion of convenience. Morning-after pills and a pill for men are becoming more available.
I was lucky. My parents were married ( and continued to be so until Mom died at 86) and were okay with having another baby. I didn't find out for sure I was a mistake until I was in my late 20s, staying with my maternal grandmother when she was in the early stages of whatever affliction causes people to blurt out secrets to the people who were not supposed to hear them. My mother said many times she was pro-choice, and her choice was to have me. She also said a few times she seriously regretted that choice. ;-)
But all the rest of the usual reasons I'm not so sure about. Adoption used to be a viable alternative, but now we're inundated by tearful pleas to donate clothing for foster children whose foster parents, I thought, were supposed to be paid by the state for providing those things. Yeah, they are click click
We now have the technology to know if a child will be born with a drug addiction, AIDS, birth defects, etc. The news is full of human interest stories about children overcoming various birth defects to win awards in the Special Olympics, and it is also full of stories of children born with problems which bring a wagonload of pain and suffering to them and their parents. There's no right answer. I lean toward making it the informed decision of the mother and her physician.
Does the father have a say? Absolutely yes, if we're talking about unmarried parents and the mother's decision is to have the child, because this will burden him with child support, which he may not be able to pay.
And then there is the abortion of convenience. Morning-after pills and a pill for men are becoming more available.
I was lucky. My parents were married ( and continued to be so until Mom died at 86) and were okay with having another baby. I didn't find out for sure I was a mistake until I was in my late 20s, staying with my maternal grandmother when she was in the early stages of whatever affliction causes people to blurt out secrets to the people who were not supposed to hear them. My mother said many times she was pro-choice, and her choice was to have me. She also said a few times she seriously regretted that choice. ;-)
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no subject
Date: 2013-08-02 02:35 pm (UTC)My issue stems from other people deciding what those choices should be. I'm fine if you're anti-abortion, but I'm not fine with anti-abortion people believing that once the birth takes place the woman and the baby are now on their own.
Adoption in this country is incredibly difficult, and many of those kids never get adopted. Many are shuffled from one foster home to the next with no chance at a stable life with loving parents.
I firmly believe that the Religious Reich should pony up with a *LOT* of money to help defray the very huge and very real medical costs of prenatal care for women, because no matter how careful people are, pregnancy can and does happen.
I firmly believe that if someone is anti-abortion, they should make a point of donating money, clothing, and time with children of single parents (ie: Big Brothers/Big Sisters).
The problem is once the kid is born, that's all she wrote. Suddenly that fetus that should have all the rights in the world no longer matters to the Conservatives trying to take our right to choose away. Tough luck, kid. We'll leave you to starve because your mom couldn't keep her legs closed. And according to Rick Perry, and others of his ilk, if you're raped, all you have to do is will the pregnancy away.
no subject
Date: 2013-08-03 03:09 am (UTC)I firmly believe that if someone is anti-abortion, they should make a point of donating money, clothing, and time with children of single parents (ie: Big Brothers/Big Sisters).
But isn't this what Welfare is for? Two of the girls I went to high school with had their babies and went on welfare. Another one's baby was taken in by a family which were anti-choice, though there sure isn't enough of that.
no subject
Date: 2013-08-03 03:15 am (UTC)Yes, I have tried. When me and the other half were both unemployed (me for two years, other half for one), I couldn't even get financial assistance for junior college, let alone food stamps, even though we were homeless at the time. This was because those agencies take into account what you made *3* years previously.
Stupid, but true.
no subject
Date: 2013-08-03 07:10 pm (UTC)