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A Civil Abortion Discussion

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  • #61
    Here's another thought: Some research, and thus the common perception on the other side, indicates that women who are denied an abortion face economic insecurity. One such study (I have not idea if it is good or not, but lets grant its finding for the sake of argument) finds that women who do not have access to abortion faces up to four years of economic insecurity following the birth of a child. Here is the abstract. I have not read the study.

    Outcomes of Women Who Receive and Women Who Are Denied Wanted Abortions in the United States

    Objectives. To determine the socioeconomic consequences of receipt versus denial of abortion.

    Methods. Women who presented for abortion just before or after the gestational age limit of 30 abortion facilities across the United States between 2008 and 2010 were recruited and followed for 5 years via semiannual telephone interviews. Using mixed effects models, we evaluated socioeconomic outcomes for 813 women by receipt or denial of abortion care.

    Results. In analyses that adjusted for the few baseline differences, women denied abortions who gave birth had higher odds of poverty 6 months after denial (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.77; P < .001) than did women who received abortions; women denied abortions were also more likely to be in poverty for 4 years after denial of abortion. Six months after denial of abortion, women were less likely to be employed full time (AOR = 0.37; P = .001) and were more likely to receive public assistance (AOR = 6.26; P < .001) than were women who obtained abortions, differences that remained significant for 4 years.

    Conclusions. Women denied an abortion were more likely than were women who received an abortion to experience economic hardship and insecurity lasting years. Laws that restrict access to abortion may result in worsened economic outcomes for women.


    So are what ways can we decouple pregnancy and economic insecurity in the United States? It might be that we can save lives if we fight against the "penalty" of pregnancy?
    "Down in the lowlands, where the water is deep,
    Hear my cry, hear my shout,
    Save me, save me"

    Comment


    • #62
      Originally posted by carpedm9587 View Post
      Yes. Also a good catch. So the modified modified starting place is:

      1) The current debate/war is rooted in a disagreement on when a human person begins.
      2) There has been essentially zero progress to aligning the opposing views on when a human person begins for the last 50 years.
      3) There is no basis for believing those views will be aligned in the next 50 years

      I'm curious to know if you agree with these three observations? If not - which ones do you think are false?
      I wonder what other social issues you could apply this to? If we went back in time before the 1960s...

      1) The current debate/war is rooted in a disagreement on whether or not blacks are equal.
      2) There has been essentially zero progress to aligning the opposing views on black equality for the last 50 years.
      3) There is no basis for believing those views will be aligned in the next 50 years.

      Therefore, we should refrain from opposing racism and segregation and work towards short-lived band-aid "compromises" that don't actually address the problem.


      Or if we go back further...

      1) The current debate/war is rooted in a disagreement on whether or not women should have the right to vote.
      2) There has been essentially zero progress to aligning the opposing views on women's suffrage for the last 50 years.
      3) There is no basis for believing those views will be aligned in the next 50 years.

      Therefore, we should refrain from opposing denying women the right to vote and work towards short-lived band-aid "compromises" that don't actually address the problem.
      Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
      But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
      Than a fool in the eyes of God


      From "Fools Gold" by Petra

      Comment


      • #63
        Originally posted by guacamole View Post
        ...exasperated by people who refuse to budge to consider anything else to be done?
        I'm all in favor of saving as many lives from abortion as possible. Unfortunately, until the real problem is addressed, any solution is going to be necessarily limited and short-lived.

        To put it another way, I disagree with the premise of this thread that the war is lost, and we should limit ourselves only to the ground that isn't occupied by the "enemy" (not to mention that we'll get no such concession from the other side). We can and should fight on multiple fronts.
        Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
        But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
        Than a fool in the eyes of God


        From "Fools Gold" by Petra

        Comment


        • #64
          Originally posted by carpedm9587 View Post
          I'm going to suggest that overturning Roe vs. Wade will not end the battle - it will only escalate it.
          But it will save lives in the short term and possibly modify reckless behaviors that lead to the problem.

          Women outnumber men in the U.S., and the vast majority of them have grown up under Roe v. Wade.
          But a growing number are pro-life.

          Source: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/05/02/this_is_the_pro-life_generation_136947.html

          A recent Gallup poll found that “young adults were slightly more likely than all other age groups, including seniors, to say abortion should be illegal in all circumstances.” Gallup also said Americans ages 18-29 were “trending more anti-abortion.”

          A Marist poll released earlier this year found that among respondents ages 18-29, 47 percent said that abortion was more likely to do harm to a woman’s life than good, while just 39 percent said abortion was more likely to improve a woman’s life.

          © Copyright Original Source



          If that perceived "right" is overturned, there will be a massive outcry from that population, and all of the men that support them.
          And a massive celebration for those increasing number of young people who support overturning the "right".

          Liberalism is gaining ground in the U.S., and the statistics show that liberals/democrats are outnumbering conservatives/republicans by significant numbers, and in virtually every demographic.
          But pro-life liberals are also increasing. This isn't strictly a liberal/conservative issue.

          A polarizing issue like this will rally the left and very likely sweep them into power. Trump's role as president would just be the frosting on the cake. Then SCOTUS can be packed, and a new Roe v. Wade put in place.
          In Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Justices Sandra Day O’Connor, Anthony Kennedy, and David Souter declined to overrule Roe v. Wade, claiming that such a move would undermine the public legitimacy of the Court by making it seem to bend to public pressure.

          I submit that this issue is not going to be resolved by laws.
          Unfortunately, that's the only way to get things challenged in court.

          It pits the right of a person to choose their own medical course
          And the course of their offspring

          against the right of the fetus to live. But the fetus is largely invisible and doesn't vote. The women are VERY visible and do.
          And they are increasingly pro-life.


          So it seems to follow - overturn or not overturn - the battle will rage on - without resolution.
          It's gone on throughout the history of man.

          If my three points are accurate, then continuing to frame this as "when does a human person begin" will never get us to "minimum abortions." Would you agree?

          No. I think that scientifically, that question is self-explanatory, but until science is the deciding factor, and not arbitrary philosophical ideas, we will not make any headway without forcing the issue to the courts again.
          That's what
          - She

          Without a clear-cut definition of sin, morality becomes a mere argument over the best way to train animals
          - Manya the Holy Szin (The Quintara Marathon)

          I may not be as old as dirt, but me and dirt are starting to have an awful lot in common
          - Stephen R. Donaldson

          Comment


          • #65
            Originally posted by carpedm9587 View Post
            OK - I'm going to give this a shot - in a new thread with a clean start. My request, if you are going to join this discussion, is that it be kept civil and respectful. That means no name calling, no insults, and no taunting emojis. I'd also like to request that people leave the hyperbolic language that both sides tend to use about this topic "at the door." No "Big Abortion," no "abortion mills," no accusations of misogyny or religious fanaticism.

            I have a fairly simple premise: the existing "war" between the two sides of the abortion debate is unresolvable, so it is pointless to continue engaging in it. A different paradigm needs to be considered. That is based on the following:

            1) The current debate/war is rooted in a disagreement on when life begins.
            2) There has been essentially zero progress to aligning the opposing views on when life begins for the last 50 years.
            3) There is no basis for believing those views will be aligned in the next 50 years

            If those three statements are true, then continuing a battle in which the goal is to align those views so as to end abortions is doomed to fail.
            Ergo - if we cannot end abortions by aligning views on when life begins, we need to figure out another way to end abortions.

            Let's start there.
            I don’t think that’s where the problem is. My feeling is that the debatable issues are around value and who is allowed to determine value. A lot of contradictory nonsense is spoken about the value of human lives.
            “I think God, in creating man, somewhat overestimated his ability.” ― Oscar Wilde
            “And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence” ― Bertrand Russell
            “not all there” - you know who you are

            Comment


            • #66
              Originally posted by carpedm9587 View Post
              As I noted, CP, it is only "over" because it's a non-issue. So science has stopped wasting time trying to convince flat-earthers. Abortion is not.
              Actually, the reason that it's over is because science has revealed the truth. With regards to issues like Climate Change, it's "settled science". With regards to abortion, science is totally dismissed.

              (I'm going to resist trying to go point for point with all of your "points", and focus only on a few main thoughts per post. I think the former is often counterproductive. If you see a specific point I opted to skip, please consider reintroducing it as its own topic)

              CP - you continue to think on the micro-level: one person at a time. You are "plugging holes." That is an important and valuable task. It won't stop the ship from sinking.
              Ya know, you just reminded me that when the whole "Climate Change" thing was emerging (starting with global cooling, overpopulation, etc) the chant was "Think Globally, Act Locally".

              As to how I can say that, the statement is a logical conclusion of my three starting observations. If you don't agree with those, then you won't agree with the conclusion. So we need to back up and look at the three statements. Which do you disagree with?
              Lemme go back and address that independently.
              The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

              Comment


              • #67
                Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                Right off the top of my head...

                Less pro-abortion "sex education" in our public schools, particularly at young ages.
                )
                How common is this actually, out of curiosity? When I was in school, they only devoted one day to it, and the teacher basically skipped over it, said that only abstinence was effective, and when somebody asked about birth control, he said he couldn't talk about it.
                "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

                Comment


                • #68
                  Originally posted by firstfloor View Post
                  I don’t think that’s where the problem is. My feeling is that the debatable issues are around value and who is allowed to determine value. A lot of contradictory nonsense is spoken about the value of human lives.
                  Who are you and what did you do with firstfloor? It's just where I was going next.... (smiley face purposely omitted)

                  From the American College of Pediatrics...

                  When Human Life Begins

                  American College of Pediatricians – March 2017

                  ABSTRACT: The predominance of human biological research confirms that human life begins at conception—fertilization. At fertilization, the human being emerges as a whole, genetically distinct, individuated zygotic living human organism, a member of the species Homo sapiens, needing only the proper environment in order to grow and develop. The difference between the individual in its adult stage and in its zygotic stage is one of form, not nature. This statement focuses on the scientific evidence of when an individual human life begins.


                  So, I would disagree that the actual debate is over "when a human person begins", but whether one person has the constitutional right to terminate the life of another person. The "when a human person begins" is an attempt to justify that a person has the constitutional right to terminate the life of another person.
                  The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                    How common is this actually, out of curiosity? When I was in school, they only devoted one day to it, and the teacher basically skipped over it, said that only abstinence was effective, and when somebody asked about birth control, he said he couldn't talk about it.
                    Excellent point. In the school district where I currently live, the Superintendent of Schools is a fellow Christian - I've actually had him "fill in" for me preaching when I'm on vacation. The "culture" in our school district is probably far more conservative than most, certainly the last several school districts I've been in. Our school district actually allows us to have, in effect, a "Vacation Bible School" in the public school during the summer, where one third of the day is most certainly Christian influence, along with tutoring in math, English and science.

                    In a previous school district, I was actually prosecuted and arrested for our decision to home school our kids, based in part on that school district's very "progressive" agenda.

                    Reminds me "way back when" when my Biology teacher, a Christian, told us "now, I realize many of you may be Christians, and don't believe in evolution, so all I'm asking you to do is read the material, and answer the test questions as I ask them". On the tests, he would say "According to Chapter 7 of the book, how do......"

                    California, no doubt, has the most progressive/aggressive position in the country.


                    ETA: Actually, they never got around to prosecuting - they kept making excuses why we couldn't go to trial, in direct violation of the "Speedy Trial Law" in Texas.
                    Last edited by Cow Poke; 05-16-2019, 01:29 PM.
                    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Originally posted by carpedm9587 View Post
                      CP - the kind of organization I am talking about cannot "exist on the choice side" or "exist on the life side." The whole idea is to consider how to bring about an organization that is NOT polarized to the "choice" or "life" sides, and instead respects the concerns of both and looks for solutions that can address the concerns of both.
                      But they don't have the same concerns. Pro-abortionists want abortions to be freely available without restriction. Pro-lifers want abortion outlawed. That is the ultimate goal of each side. You might be able to find temporary middle ground, but as soon as either side sees the needle start to shift one way or the other, that "middle ground" will vanish, and you're right back to where you started.

                      For example, new laws are enacted that make adoption faster and easier. Great! Everybody's happy! Next, some legislatures draft a law suggesting that abortion should only be allowed in cases where adoptive parents can not be found after a good-faith search. Oops! No more middle ground -- and you would probably even see some on the pro-abortion side start to condemn adoption services and decry them as a "backdoor ban" on abortion. Oh well, so much for that solution. What's next? Better sex education? Just as long as it doesn't include a frank and medically accurate description of the abortion process because that might discourage kids from embracing pro-abortion ideology.

                      The point is that the pro-abortion side will happily accept any compromise that doesn't actually prevent or restrict abortion, meaning that all you're offering here is a false sense of victory for the pro-life side.
                      Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                      But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                      Than a fool in the eyes of God


                      From "Fools Gold" by Petra

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Originally posted by carpedm9587 View Post
                        ...So we need to back up and look at the three statements. Which do you disagree with?
                        So, my good friend firstfloor (or whoever hijacked his account) makes a rare important point:

                        Originally posted by firstfloor View Post
                        I don’t think that’s where the problem is. My feeling is that the debatable issues are around value and who is allowed to determine value. A lot of contradictory nonsense is spoken about the value of human lives.
                        1) The current debate/war is rooted in a disagreement on when a human person begins.
                        2) There has been essentially zero progress to aligning the opposing views on when a human person begins for the last 50 years.
                        3) There is no basis for believing those views will be aligned in the next 50 years


                        If it's truly about "when a human person begins", then there should be some point in the development of the unborn baby at which the "pro choice" crowd would concede - "yeah, THAT's going too far".

                        From my perspective, the point has never been about "when a person begins" - that's just a tool in demonstrating that, to the "pro choice" side, it doesn't really matter. Planned Parenthood even fights limitations on abortion up to 21 weeks.
                        The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                          Right off the top of my head...

                          Less pro-abortion "sex education" in our public schools, particularly at young ages.
                          Less ridicule and assault on the issue of abstinence.
                          Less framing of the sex discussion with the mentality of "since you're going to do it anyway"...
                          A much more balanced approach to "if you get pregnant" that does not have Planned Parenthood as the 'solution'.
                          Remember, CP, that the goal is to find solutions that will be embraced by BOTH sides...

                          Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                          In all honesty and sincerity - you should have tried harder to resist.
                          There are times I would like to be able to spank you...

                          But you'd probably just enjoy it..

                          Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                          In your analogy, what's making the new holes?

                          (and forgive me for having a jovial thought "we're gonna need a bigger boat" (smiling emoji omitted))
                          First- the smiling emoji would have been perfectly appropriate.

                          Ahh...NOW you're getting it! What is causing the holes and how can we address it is indeed the question that should be asked. So let's just say, for the sake of argument, the holes are being caused by merpeople who believe, with every fiber of their being, that drilling holes in wooden hulls is the best way to keep ships healthy and extend their lives. For weeks now, as your people keep bailing as fast and hard as they can, you've argued with them, explained the situation, but to no avail. They are convinced they are right, and you are convinced what they are doing is damaging and threatens the lives of everyone on board.

                          Would you consider it to be a wise choice to continue arguing with them, or would you look for other solutions?
                          Last edited by carpedm9587; 05-16-2019, 03:42 PM.
                          The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy...returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King

                          I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong. Frederick Douglas

                          Comment


                          • #73
                            Originally posted by rogue06 View Post
                            I think that a good case could be made that the heartbeat laws are in direct response to what happened in New York where abortion was legalized right up to the moment of conception and was wildly celebrated by advocates including lighting up bridges and buildings bright pink to commemorate it.
                            OK - I'm not trying to be disrespectful - but I had to chuckle a bit at this.

                            DO we really have a problem with an abortion that happens before conception?
                            The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy...returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King

                            I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong. Frederick Douglas

                            Comment


                            • #74
                              Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                              OK, so honest questions...

                              a) where would this organization get funding for advertising?
                              From those who share a commitment to that end. Grassroots, baby.

                              Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                              b) How do you think they'd be seen by the already existing de facto spokes organization for abortion?
                              That depends on whether or not the organization can maintain a commitment to non-confrontational solution finding.

                              Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                              c) How do you think the left, in general, would respond to anything weaker than absolute freedom to abort?
                              At first - most will resist - as most of the right will resist abandoning the "in your face" approach that is commonplace. And before anyone reacts, I realize that this approach is not universal (which is why I said "commonplace"). It is primarily the kind of vitriolic language that is used in advertising, public speeches, rallies, and any place where you basically are not looking another human being in the eyes. Both sides do it.

                              But it is hard to fight an organization that is not "fighting," and it can succeed. Ask India.

                              Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                              d) How do you think the MSM would respond?
                              On that one I have no idea. As with individuals, I suspect it would be all over the map, for all media outlets.
                              The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy...returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King

                              I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong. Frederick Douglas

                              Comment


                              • #75
                                Originally posted by carpedm9587 View Post
                                OK - I'm not trying to be disrespectful - but I had to chuckle a bit at this.

                                DO we really have a problem with an abortion that happens before conception?
                                I think we have agreement on permitting abortions until the point of conception. There. Progress!

                                Comment

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