Abortion

I am no "fan" of abortion. It shouldn't be as difficult to come to the conclusions that I have. Yet for many it is.

Many want abortion to be illegal. They feel that any conceived shild should be carried onto birth. They very much dislike the fact that up to 78% of conceptions fail - most before a pregnancy is confirmed. 15% of all confirmed pregnancies end in a miscarriage.

Obviosly the problem is not spontaneous abortions but induced. The reasons women claim to choose induced abortions is:

25.5% – Want to postpone childbearing
21.3% – Cannot afford a baby
14.1% – Has relationship problem or partner does not want pregnancy
12.2% – Too young; parent(s) or other(s) object to pregnancy
10.8% – Having a child will disrupt education or job
7.9% – Want no (more) children
3.3% – Risk to fetal health
2.8% – Risk to maternal health
2.1% – Rape, incest, other

The irony about the last percentage is that pro-lifers do not want those raped, etc. to EVER have an abortion. Many do not even believe in birth-control.

In many areas of the world, especially the developing nations or where induced abortions are illegal, many women choose or are pushed to perform abortions on themselves. These self-induced abortions are commonly unsafe abortions as described by the World Health Organization. Furthermore, some abortions are induced because of societal pressures, such as stigma of disabled persons and similar eugenic ideals, or laws, such as under China's one-child policy. These policies and societal pressures can lead to sex-selective abortion and infanticide, which is illegal in most countries, but difficult to stop.

So if the Christian Right does get its way and makes abortion illegal - we will have illegal abortions putting more women at harm. That is their choice - but some will have decent reasons to do so.

I think there is a solution to all the fights over abortion. If it is to be illegal - you must make all forms of birth-control free. I even think surgery for a vesectomy and tubal ligation should be free as well. The ONLY way to eliminate abortion and the problems of making it illegal is to PREVENT it.

This includes making Plan B over the counter. If taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex, Plan B can usually prevent pregnancy, although it is most effective if taken within 24 hours. It has no effect on a pregnancy that is already under way.

While groups such as Planned Parenthood argue that Plan B is a safe, inexpensive way of avoiding unwanted pregnancies and cutting down on the number of abortions, the Christian right argues that Plan B is an invitation for teenagers to become promiscuous and engage in unsafe sex.

David Weldon, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, led a group of 49 congressmen who lobbied against Plan B, calling the morning-after pill "a public-health danger."

The American public needs to look at all sides of this issue. If one looks at all sides - whether for or against - it is simply a matter of prevention. This is America - we have individual freedoms. Most unborn do not make it - and if we legislate making every fetus become a baby we will have more orphanages than we will know what to do with. It would be VERY costly to the taxpayer and our national conscience - prevention is always an intelligent route.
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In Minnesota:

Who supports prevention of abortion:
Mark Dayton ( DFL )

Who cares nothing of prevention - just wants abortion illegal:
Senator Norm Coleman (R)

As far as the US House voting on family planning - there has been none in the last 4 years. I only see voting on restricting the use of abortion and the funding of organizations that speak of it.