Attack at Planned Parenthood Clinic

[robvalue]

Okay, let's say next year Mike Huckabee wins the election and some horrible tragedy (probably caused by gawd!) kills every member of the Supreme Court except Antonin Scalia, and Hucakbee inserts his own justices who overturn Roe V. Wade.

Abortion is outlawed, and miraculously there are no back room abortion clinics where unsafe procedures are performed. Those women now give up their babies instead of aborting their fetuses.

How many unwanted children are the "pro-lifers" willing to take in themselves? Especially considering that the number of unwanted children will increase exponentially.

Exactly. It's not as simple as "more life = good", that's black and white thinking that blocks out all the very real considerations and implications. We already have too many people. If it really was this simple, why don't people who believe this have as many children as they physically can so that the surpless can all go into the adoption system?

It's very popular and easy to view the birth as a wonderful, amazing, positive opportunity for this incredibly lucky new life. This is fine, but it is a very rose-tinted approach if you don't also consider the flip side. I also consider the new life to be a victim, of sorts. It's being forced into this world, having not asked for it, and has to endure any hardships it encounters. Being born into the adoption system is a sure fire way of giving it a fuck ton of hardships, not to mention all the other things that even the best life encounters.

So I consider life to be both a blessing and a curse, because I look at all angles. A popular assessment that life is a net positive more times than not doesn't make it so, as it's entirely subjective. When you allow the child to be born, you've set the basic parameters. If those parameters are that you can't care for it yourself and its future is very uncertain, then I could argue you've done it a disservice. As we realistically only have so many "slots", I'd prefer those slots are filled with children with the best chance of happiness and a secure childhood at least. That may seem harsh, but it's reality.

[Cecelia]

Exactly. It's not as simple as "more life = good", that's black and white thinking that blocks out all the very real considerations and implications. We already have too many people. If it really was this simple, why don't people who believe this have as many children as they physically can so that the surpless can all go into the adoption system?

In 2011 1.08 million abortions occurred.  Medical abortions make up about 20% of abortions.  That'd be an additional near three quarters of a million babies introduced into the adoption system.  Time spent in an orphanage already decreases the mental health of those who there, as well as quality of life. 

I wonder how many of those anti-choicers would, if a woman came up to them and said "I'm going to have an abortion, unless you're willing to sign a contract stating that you will take my child, take care of it, and raise it as your own."  I recall someone asking for money to avoid an abortion, but that's something people can just say "scam".  But if it's asking someone to take care of their baby, I wonder how many would be willing to do it.  Because orphanages are not good places.