Should Abortion Remain Legal?

I don't think it should be legal. It is wrong in my opinion, and terminating a pregnancy is not very practical to me. Also, there are crazy people out there who are saying as far as abortion is legal, there will continue to be more violence, which is definitely not good. Besides, if you don't want the baby, put it up for adoption when it is born, unless the best thing to do would be abortion. The baby would probably have a great life ahead of him/ her, and by terminating it, you ruin all the possibilities. Make it illegal, please.

I've run across cases where I thought an argument could be made that it be mandatory.

I would say that the question as to whether abortion will ever return to its former illegal state is as moot a point as my ever having to make that decision in the future. Anyone who thinks otherwise is probably still hoping for the return of the ringer washing machine.

I realize, that as a guy, I am not Allowed to have an opinion in this Matter, but I will say this: I am glad my kids Mom was Pro-Life.

I could not have an abortion myself. I would not take away another person's right. If we make it illegal, women would still find a way to get one. do not think we should go back to those back alley type of abortions.

I see this as two separate issues, the right of a woman to decide what she can do with her body and the constitutional rights of the unborn (the right to life). If one thinks abortion is the killing of life, they also feel the government has an obligation to enforce the law against it.

Yes....as a moderate rep, I dont believe the govenmet should be the ones making this decision for the women. I do NOT support late term abortion tho.

Yes, I believe abortion should remain legal. I am pro-choice, and believe the legal system has no business telling one what they can do w/their bodies.

This is not about the government telling women what to do with "their" bodies, because it is not about a woman's body- it is about an innocent unborn life. Science- not Pat Robertson- has proven that when a fertilized egg enters the uterus, it has its own HUMAN DNA code.

Abortion is murder. How could murder be legal? Only in America. Seriously, the sooner we ban this butchering of innocent, defenseless human beings the better. Perhaps it may be a good first step to rise above our barbarian mentality. How did we managed to get this low?

Though I personally believe (in most cases) abortion should be discouraged  (and birth control encouraged), government has no business making criminals of people for religious reasons.

Like EDT I am adopted. However, I was born in 1982, after the ruling in Roe vs. Wade made abortion legal in all states. My birth mother, who was a teenager and not supported by her father to keep the baby, could have had an abortion. She chose not to, and I am eternally grateful for that. I can humbly say that my life on earth has made a major impact on the lives of my family and hopefully many other people. If I were aborted my parents, siblings, extended family, my wife, and friends would never have benefited from my presence. My son who now has the chance to love and be loved by others would never have been born. Maybe my life might have turned out differently and people might have wished I was never born. However, I am an optimist who believes that all people have the potential to do great things. It is a shame when another person, no matter what stage of developement, is not given the chance to be great...to be loved...to be free. I sympathize with those who contemplate, and event... Read more

I have always been a bit ambivalent on this issue; maybe it has something to do with being adopted. My birth-mother was 16 when she became pregnant with me-- abortions weren't  easily available or safe at the time, and it wasn't something she considered in any event. She wanted to marry my birth-father, who was a year older than her, and keep me, but was prevented from doing so by her father, who insisted I be put up for adoption. Catholics have always been consistent when it comes to abortion-- my paternal grandmother, who was Catholic, told my birth-mother way back then, "We'll support you all the way in any way we can, just so long as you're not considering abortion." Conservative Protestants have taken up the issue of abortion as a political cudgel only in the last 30 or so years. I find the fanatical intensity and shrillness of these people disconcerting-- why not direct some of that passion to helping all the very-much-alive-and-viable children in this country and this world who ... Read more

When it comes to abortion I am on the fence. I had a friend who was only 16 she was still in the 8th grade, and go pregnant. Her dad made her get an abortion. I think if she kept the baby her life would have gotten way more complicated and she is soo not parent material. Abortions are necessary if it endangers the quality of life of the person or if it could cause serious heath problems. But I think if you are capable of being a good mother and there are not serious heath risks involved then you should keep the baby.

Until you can ask the unborn baby if they want to live, no one has the right to make that choice for them. It has been said that a fetus is not a viable human being; well it you don't abort them, they might just have a fighting chance.

*Update for Canadasucks*"The Taliban is Pro-Life." How is strapping a bomb to a young child or woman and sending them into a crowded area to take as many lives as possible Pro-Life? How is believing that anyone who does not believe in the Koran should be put to death, Pro-Life? If Christians and Right Wing Conservatives were anything even close to how they are portrayed, there would be alot of people in this country in alot of trouble! Life, Liberty and the Pursuit Of Happiness is an inalienable right of every man, woman and child (born or unborn).(Original post 2-19-2005) No. I believe that this cheapens life and contributes to a moral decline in society! This makes the decision as to who lives and who dies based on whether it is convenient to the living. 7% of all abortions are hard cases. Mother's health-3%, baby health problem-3%, rape or incest-1%!!! Birth control or social reasons-93%. Some of the reasons given: Concerns how child would change their life,  not ready for responsib... Read more

The Taliban is pro-life- feel free to live with them if you think women don't have the right to choice.  It's very simple- you believe women have this kind of philosophical right or the state/theology does.  Can't even really understand or comprehend how any intelligent thinking American thinks that serious pro-life principles are commensurate with individual liberties.  I'll buy your plane ticket to a theocracy of your choice if you want and see what happens when ancient theological, social, and sexual dogma make for law. . .

If you believe in protecting innocent lives, then there is no good excuse to allow abortion to remain legal.For everyone out there who spouts the typical right to privacy, my body, etc. BS, there is a second life that needs to be considered here. The right to privacy and the right to do what you want to your own body are perfectly legitimate defenses for things like getting tattoos or piercings, but how can you reduce abortion to something like that? This is killing another human being, not putting some ink on your skin, or putting a small hole in your body.

The so called pro life folks are kind of a funny bunch. Most of them don't believe in evolution but they say life begins at conception where two single cell organisims combine and then start to devide to creat a multi celled life. Abortion is a touchy subject and I do not believe it should be used as a form of birth control but there are situations where it may be the only choice.

This is something that I feel very strongly about! I'm absolutely AGAINST abortion 100%. I don't believe that taking the life of an unborn baby, is any different than taking the life of an 80 year old person. Babies, unborn or not, are still human, and if someone was irresponsible enough to get pregnant, and can't take care of the baby, than maybe they weren't old enough to be having sex in the first place.

My issue with abortion is just the way they do it--no one knows if it's true that the fetus can feel it, it hasn't been proven. That being said, I don't agree with abortion but I don't think it's going anywhere, anytime soon. And partial-birth abortion is disgusting.

Keep it safe and legal. It's the better alternative to keep our population under control. ... It's a woman's right. The fetus shall have no say whatsoever.

Yes.No one is being forced to have abortions.I agree that in an ideal world,people would think before they act-but they never have and they never will.That's why honest sex education and free condoms should be made available to everyone.When irresponsible people get pregnant,they will make irresponsible parents.Their kids are likely to grow up unwanted,unloved and in poverty.It's ironic how many who call themselves pro-life are also all for cutting the programs that help poor and disadvantaged children get food,medicine and a decent education.Maybe you Bush supporters need to think of Stem Cells as Collateral Damage in a War on Death,Disease and Misery.

Only in extreme and rare cases where the mothers life is endangered should abortion be acceptable. I used to not give this issue much thought, but once you see what actually happens during an abortion procedure, you just ask yourself, how anybody could do something so inhumane? Remember, the child being killed can (depending on the trimester and procedure) feel the pain.

Absolutely NOT!! I, as a woman, at one time, thought it was up to the woman. Afterall, it is her body. Until I heard & saw what is done to this little innocent human being. How could anyone believe in abortion, after seeing how it is done, & imagine this poor little Angel being ripped to pieces. Where's your conscience? As for our President being against it, I don't believe he cares one way or the other. He tells you what you want to hear. Andi

On the pill and proud of it!!!!

This is an instant where we as humans have to realize the fleas come with the dog. You cannot force a woman to destroy or give birth to her child. It cannot be that black and white because of rape and all the other things that cause victims of unwanted pregnancy. That would be like living in the dark ages. It does anger me when a woman waits to long to have one though. For those of you who believe it is just flat murder...I think that is a little fanaticle in this instance. A good part of a first trimester abortion could be compared with destroying an amoeba in my opinion. The life form is composed of cells and while it is a human group of cells it is not aware of its own life. It is a tradgedy of sorts, I agree..but it is part of being human. At some point we have to realize that we are animals with insticts that dont always allow us to make the best and most responsible decisions all the time. NOt every woman who is having an abortion is a slut or an idiot. To outlaw abor... Read more

Abortion is another word for murder of and unborn child..

Nope. Just imagine it: A doctor ripping a body apart, sucking life out of life. Liberals always mention about it being a woman's choice. What about the babies choice? Does it get a say whether or not it wants itself to be killed or not?

If we ban abortion, Women will find ways to have them. Now back alley abortions are pretty gross and I will disagree the women deserve them because the majority of women who have abortions are extremely young naive vulnerable girls. Also, I am for it because if we ban abortion, We are going to have to spend all our money on more and more mouths to feed and that means more people go hungry. I also believe that when a fetus is so deformed that it will die anyways at birth and risk killing the woman then the abortion is absolutley neccessary. I don't take the religious context of the bible when it comes to debating abortion. To me, Abortion is more of a scientific matter in debating whether a fetus can feel pain when it first is created at one week. And I care about the mother. I think I have summarized my opinion on why abortion should be legal.

Unborn children are defenseless. I have to admit a bias: I believe in God and His Word. The Bible does not give anyone the right to take an innocent life.

When a baby is created (when egg meets sperm), it is a unique individual with its own DNA. A woman's control of her own body is secondary to the life of another individual. There are no loop-holes for this murder, even in instances of rape. It shouldn't be necessary to make it illegal - human beings should simply choose not to have them because they are wrong.

Yes, women should have control over their own bodies. Making abortion illegal would be again pressing the agenda of the extreme right.

Human women have a choice and rights, the fetus is not yet a human being and is therefore not entitled to the same rights. There is simply no logical reason why a fetus should be given those rights. Sure it may sounds good, but its a non-sequitor when extrapolated in any way.

Of course. Its not about whether you think its right or wrong. The issue is, do you have the right to impose your belief on someone else? I think its a decision best left to women and their physicians.

Sometimes, sadly, women don't choose to have children. Rape does occur, which is very tragic and saddening. I believe that women should have a choice. Now, I do not think they shouldn't have a baby merely because they don't want one--that's what adoption is for. But, if a woman is raped or impregnated under the most extreme of conditions, they should have a right to have or not have the child. I can't say whether or not a fetus is alive or not, but personally, from what I believe and what I've learned in my science classes, they aren't sentient until many weeks after conception. To make a long opinion short, I believe that the choice should be there.

Yes, it needs to stay legal because no one who was raped or molested should be forced to bear the child of her assailant or abuser. If a mother's life is in danger, I definitely support abortion. I'm not too crazy about the idea of a 14-year-old girl having a baby, either;when the mother is just a child, herself, I think abortion is justifiable. However, I'm not sympathetic to women who are promiscuous and have multiple abortions. Either they need to exercise some self-control or get on the Pill.

It's not legal, it's just that our current murder laws aren't being correctly enforced.

Hell no ! Abortion should be as illegal as murder !

As a man I have no right to make judgement on any womans choice regarding her own body. I would want to be part of the decision if it were my child.

I don't happen to support typical late-term abortions. I also have issues with those who think abortion is an okay substitute for conventional birth control. However, many situations exist in which a mother's reproductive rights are important to consider. Not only are there cases of clear rape, but there are also cases of deceitful men who purposely move on to the next woman after impregnating someone naive. Should that young woman who learns her man is a calculated player feel 100% responsible for birthing his child? What if the man who betrays her turns out to be a violent serial criminal? Should the government uniformly demand a woman give nine months of care to that embryo, and potentially many more years of solo responsibility? It may not always make sense to give a fetus more rights than the mother. Especially when the mother's life is at stake. For cases when the woman herself acts clearly irresponsible, wouldn't unsafe and amateurish late-term abortions increase if we ... Read more

Yes, it should. I will adress a scenario which was a true life story: There was a woman who had many psychological problems. She was raped. She became pregnant with the attacker's baby. So the local pastor told her to give it up for adoption. But this woman could not do that for the fact that if she gave up the child, She would be so mentally scarred for life that it would literally kill her. So she aborted it. In town, the local people called her terrible names such as slut, Whore, Killer, Bitch and Murderer. They didn't even take into consideration that she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, depression, multiple personality disorder, and OCD. If you don't care about this woman's mental and physical health, Then you are truly heartless. The aftermath of this story is the woman is now a happy journalist in Scotland and her rapist is in jail. If she hadn't been able to get that abortion, She might have just committed suicide.

I think not, but there has to be a compromise: 1. Allow loopholes for cases of rape, incest, or to protect the health of the mother. 2. Make contraceptives cheap and available to people of all ages (c'mon, we know teens are having sex. Time to stop hiding our heads in the sand). 3. Proper sex education in school. Of course, it's difficult for me to have a truly valid opinion on this isssue because I am not a woman and I will never know what it is like to be pregnant.

Sadly, humans have been aborting pregnancies for thousands of years. A method of abortion in ancient China involved ingesting mercury, which certainly killed the fetus and often killed the mother too. Ancient Romans often left unwanted newborns out to die among the elements. It's very unfortunate, but many pregnancies are unwanted and if we make abortions illegal, women who are desperate enough will go back to illegal abortions which often results in the death of not only the fetus, but the mother as well. Which is worse?

Yes. I saw a billboard stating that the right to life and liberty begins at conception. If you believe this, you also believe that, for a WOMAN, the right to life and liberty ENDS at conception. This is inconsistent with the concept of individual rights.

Obviously there needs to be some controls on the practice of abortion. Allowing this to occur is not good for society at large. It's not good for both the mother and the child. But at the same time, abortion is something that has always been. Indeed, banning abortion outright is a very tricky option. Sometimes women get impregnated by a rapist or by a family member. Sometimes a pregnancy can be a legitimate threat to the mother's life. In these cases, I believe that abortion should be an option. By these standards, abortion should be very rare and done in a healthy medical environment. With the advent of modern birth control methods, it really is unexcusable that abortion really should be an option. If you get pregnant by accident, give the child up for adoption or keep it. Almost all mothers regret at the end of the day having to go through the pain of having to go through an abortion. It's better to just not have it as an option in such cases.

Abortion, obviously is a personal decision. To put a ban on abortion would probably cause more problems. Education and abstinence are the best forms of birth control. Unfortunately abstinence is rare these days and education tends to fall on deaf ears.