Why I'm not a Fan of the "Rape and Incest" Exception

[Catholicity]

It's getting toward bedtime so I didn't have a chance to read the whole thread. That said, I support one limited case for victims of incest and that is when the child is so young the pregnancy would be risky for both and runs a high risk of disability for the girl. It's not the baby's fault, of course. It's also not the fault of the baby bearing the child.

I hasten to add that I am not advocating a default. Every case should be evaluated on its own merits.

That would more or less fall under limited medical need. (rare autoimmune disease etc some types of lupus)

[Teallaura]

Then that would be a life of the mother exception, not a rape/incest exception.

No, it's incest because a young girl can be damaged by pregnancy and delivery in ways that an older girl or young woman can't be. Again, I don't advocate a default. Cases vary and medicine advances.

[Jedidiah]

No, it's incest because a young girl can be damaged by pregnancy and delivery in ways that an older girl or young woman can't be. Again, I don't advocate a default. Cases vary and medicine advances.

I don't understand. Any young enough girl "could" fall into this category (an extremely rare situation) regardless of who the father is. It could be rape by a total stranger, or even childhood sexual experimentation. Why do you limit this rare potential situation to being caused by incest?

[Teallaura]

I don't understand. Any young enough girl "could" fall into this category (an extremely rare situation) regardless of who the father is. It could be rape by a total stranger, or even childhood sexual experimentation. Why do you limit this rare potential situation to being caused by incest?

I don't - it just happens to be the most common such cause. Although the last one is extremely rare to result in pregnancy. That and ectopic pregnancy are the only medical reasons I can think of where we might need to consider the mother's health.

[KingsGambit]

I don't - it just happens to be the most common such cause. Although the last one is extremely rare to result in pregnancy. That and ectopic pregnancy are the only medical reasons I can think of where we might need to consider the mother's health.

Then I don't understand your objection to my last post.

[Teallaura]

Then I don't understand your objection to my last post.

Eh, I didn't explain well. 'Life of the mother' is too broad - and that has been exploited. I think any exemption should be very narrowly defined. At present, ectopic pregnancy and pregnancy in very young girls are the only two that might should qualify. The statute needs to be written to self destruct as medical science eliminates the need.

[KingsGambit]

Eh, I didn't explain well. 'Life of the mother' is too broad - and that has been exploited. I think any exemption should be very narrowly defined. At present, ectopic pregnancy and pregnancy in very young girls are the only two that might should qualify. The statute needs to be written to self destruct as medical science eliminates the need.

I of course don't think the law literally should say "life of the mother". One pro-life website argues against life of the mother exceptions under the rationale that a woman could tlhreaten suicide if not allowed an abortion to satisfy that criterion - and that anybody who thinks otherwise isn't really pro-life. But that doesn't at all address what should be done if the case really does come up. Thus my thread on ectopic pregnancies. I wonder if these pro-life activists really do think these women should just be allowed to wait for their likely deaths in those cases .

[Teallaura]

I doubt it but the reality is that 'life of the mother' is an abused, near meaningless exception. The statutes need to be overhauled -preferably starting with an outright ban.

[KingsGambit]

I doubt it but the reality is that 'life of the mother' is an abused, near meaningless exception. The statutes need to be overhauled -preferably starting with an outright ban.

It would be logically consistent given the rhetoric of no exceptions - none whatsoever. Given that ectopic pregnancy does come up, I'm not content to let the topic go if there is a risk of my activism leading to horrible deaths of the already born.

[Catholicity]

While my definition of life of the mother may be more "broad" as there are medical conditions which genuinely do mean that a pregnancy is not viable, the choice to have a baby is always the mothers. The way its defined now, I agree life of the mother is entirely too exploitable right too when the baby is viable outside the womb and out right ban is the only way to cease this brutal form of murder

[Teallaura]

Okay, I didn't do a very good job explaining that. The outright ban should be on demand. The exceptions should be narrowly defined and self destructing.