I propose the following thought experiment for those here who lean pro-life to consider as a rough analogy to the abortion debate, that I think closely enough parallels the problems with what pro-lifers tend to argue:
John and Jane get into their respective cars and head out to do whatever business they need to attend to. The wear their seatbelts, use their signal blinkers properly and are overall good, responsible drivers. At some point, both John and Jane are near each other on the highway, and each make to signal that they want to move into the lane in the middle of them. However, coincidentally neither spots the other in time and they end up crashing into each other. Both are injured badly; let's say they're both paralyzed from the waiste down. But fear not, in the world of this thought experiment there is a simple injection that would remedy such a condition completely in mere days. However, the legislature of John and Jane's nation have made the injection illegal to administer. Their reasoning is that both John and Jane knew the risks of driving - especially on the highway - and that by driving they clearly accept the risk involved. Hence, even though neither John nor Jane are really at fault for what happened, they cannot be allowed off easy and must take personal responsibility for their choices. After all, they don't want a society where people are free of the consequences of their choices willy-nilly.
Now, that thought experiment is clearly absurd. But even if either John or Jane WERE personally at fault for their paralysis, it still would NOT be a reasonable expectation that they should remain paralyzed for the duration of their lives. And yet this is exactly what you expect from those who seek an abortion: that they be forced to accept responsibility for their entire lives for having sex. Worse, most of the time people get abortions late term, it's because their are ridiculous laws or state practices specifically designed to make women unable to get an abortion within a reasonable amount of time. Most women aren't likely to go through the pains of a pregnancy they don't want if they can help it.
And to whoever said earlier that men should have no say in this issue, I think you're off your rocker on that one. :o This is after all really a societal issue, not one that only pertains to individuals. I think if it sort of like self-defense. There are reasonable limits within which one can say they're acting in self-defense. Outside that (and even inside it, really), the law still has to take this into consideration.
John and Jane get into their respective cars and head out to do whatever business they need to attend to. The wear their seatbelts, use their signal blinkers properly and are overall good, responsible drivers. At some point, both John and Jane are near each other on the highway, and each make to signal that they want to move into the lane in the middle of them. However, coincidentally neither spots the other in time and they end up crashing into each other. Both are injured badly; let's say they're both paralyzed from the waiste down. But fear not, in the world of this thought experiment there is a simple injection that would remedy such a condition completely in mere days. However, the legislature of John and Jane's nation have made the injection illegal to administer. Their reasoning is that both John and Jane knew the risks of driving - especially on the highway - and that by driving they clearly accept the risk involved. Hence, even though neither John nor Jane are really at fault for what happened, they cannot be allowed off easy and must take personal responsibility for their choices. After all, they don't want a society where people are free of the consequences of their choices willy-nilly.
Now, that thought experiment is clearly absurd. But even if either John or Jane WERE personally at fault for their paralysis, it still would NOT be a reasonable expectation that they should remain paralyzed for the duration of their lives. And yet this is exactly what you expect from those who seek an abortion: that they be forced to accept responsibility for their entire lives for having sex. Worse, most of the time people get abortions late term, it's because their are ridiculous laws or state practices specifically designed to make women unable to get an abortion within a reasonable amount of time. Most women aren't likely to go through the pains of a pregnancy they don't want if they can help it.
And to whoever said earlier that men should have no say in this issue, I think you're off your rocker on that one. :o This is after all really a societal issue, not one that only pertains to individuals. I think if it sort of like self-defense. There are reasonable limits within which one can say they're acting in self-defense. Outside that (and even inside it, really), the law still has to take this into consideration.
"The reason things will never get better is because people keep electing these rich cocksuckers who don't give a shit about you."
-George Carlin
-George Carlin
