Thoughts on abortion...

Obama Tries to Appease Both Sides of Abortion Debate

Recently I saw a few dozen people protesting abortion here in town in the Downtown area. And it made me want give voice to few things about the issue. The following are my thoughts and questions:

- I am abhorred by abortion, and yet I cannot find it in me to tell a woman that she must carry her fetus to term. Although I wouldn't be against it being illegal say after 7 months or so--whatever is medically prudent. I wouldn't support it, but I wouldn't fight it. I think it would be an acceptable compromise. Actually, I think many states already have such laws, if I'm not mistaken.

- I am completely disgusted that there were children marching and holding signs. That's nothing less than child exploitation and indoctrination. No child should be allowed to participate in such a thing. They can't possibly understand what they are doing and will only parrot what the parent believes in. I fucking hate parents that do that to their children.

- Would they force a woman that is raped and impregnated to carry the fetus to term?

- Have those that march and protest against abortion ever really intellectually considered their stance?

- Why do we never see abortion protesters outside of fertility clinics? Life begins at conception, right? Many embryos ("babies") are destroyed or fail to develop. This is gambling with human life. People know full well that many embryos may die in order for one fetus to be carried to term. Could it be that many Christian woman would be inconvenienced by shutting down these clinics? Where's the moral outrage?

- The Catholic Church is against infertile couples having children without the act of sex being involved. I'll give them credit for being honest about their stance, but it doesn't make it any less stupid. It's one of the most retarded things I've ever heard coming from a religious faith, and that's saying something.

- Why is it that they fight so hard against using embryos for research that may have the potential to alleviate some of the most devastating diseases? They seem to care more for the potential living (a clump of cells in reality) than the actual, fully formed living beings.

- So I assume that the anti-choice folks would like all women that have abortions prosecuted for murder, since they constantly call it murder. The funny thing is, you rarely hear them actually say that. I wonder, is there a part of them that knows abortion isn't actually murder?

- Are they aware, have the anti-choice folks ever even considered what will happen if it is criminalized? Have they thought about the number of teenage girls that will commit suicide because they are desperate, scared, or ashamed to tell their parents, and the option of legal abortion is no longer there? Have they considered for one second how many women will die while trying to give themselves an abortion because they can no longer go to an abortion clinic? Do they really think abortions will stop because it is outlawed?

You constantly hear them cite how many abortions there are every year, as if there were none before Roe V. Wade. It's funny, you never hear them say what their plan is for a post legal abortion world. You never hear one offer a solution beyond criminalizing it. Their magic bullet seems to be adoption, which of course is an option today. For various reasons that isn't a persuasive option. What makes them think women will suddenly see the light? And maybe someone should point out to them that if they keep passing laws to ban gay couples and single people from adopting (in other words people that don't fit the definition of worthy according to their religious dogma), there won't be enough people to adopt this massive amounts of unwanted children that will come into the system.

- Have they given a moments thought to their positions on adoption? Do they imagine in their fantasy world that even if there were enough people that wanted to adopt, that every child would find an eager couple ready to adopt them and love them no matter what the race or affliction of the child? Have they considered how much more enormous the bureaucracy that oversees child welfare would need to become, and how many more children will slip through the cracks?

Every time I see one interviewed on TV, they seem woefully misinformed and ignorant. They seem like credulous fools that follow the lead of their master keepers without question. This is one more example of the dangers of religion to the human mind. Try pointing out some of the flaws in their stance and asking them some tough questions and marvel at the blank stares. At best you'll get a Frankenstein's monster response of "Abortion is murder!" or "Life begins at conception!" or some such tautology. Fire bad!

I certainly will admit that I don't have a solution. I wish there were no abortions and that there was an easy solution, but that's not reality. I can wish think all I want, but it won't change a damn thing. And being equated with a murderer because I support a woman's right to choose isn't making me amenable to engaging in a reasoned debate with them, and it sure as hell isn't helping their cause. If I hear one more goddamn time that I support the murder of innocent children, I can't guarantee what my reaction will be.

I want a solution, and right now all I can think of is education and at least making it safe. You may call it murder, but the killing won't stop just because you make it illegal, so shouldn't we at least make it as safe as we can with the least number of deaths as possible? And that includes going after doctors and clinics that don't follow the law and proper procedures.

So anyway, that's just what was rolling though my head after witnessing their little march. I just had to say something about it, so my apologies if this blog post seems a little perfunctory. The stupidity needs to end, and we need to find a middle ground where we can devise a workable solution. What that is I can't say, but I do know that the answer is not outlawing it. And religion needs to be left at the door, because there is no such thing as compromise for the fundamentalist. So just like any extremist, they need to be shunned and marginalized while the thinking adults work towards an answer; an answer that doesn't include divisive politics and ideology.

Copyright ©2009 Rum Tickled Humanist