- This is the most difficult issue I have addressed. Morally, I believe abortion is wrong.
- However, I do not believe an outright, legal ban is practical in the 21st century. Therefore, my approach is to seek to minimize abortion through other means rather than expend resources trying to outlaw it.
- It is currently the law; to change now is no better than how it came in; 30+ years of law. On the premise that legality and morality are different, select a defined time during which a pregnancy can be terminated ( e.g., first 20 weeks).
- Those who oppose abortion (especially churches) have the right to work to reduce the needfor abortion and the right to seek reasonable state regulations as needed for health and safety; however, this is an appeal on a moral level not a legal level.
- Keep in mind this is arbitrary line - it is still killing of a heartbeat; it is not "control of woman's ovaries" or choice. It is an arbitrary line for terminating a life. Whether such life is terminated in 1st month, 9th month , 10th month, 1st year or 10th year, all have impact on the mother's life - therefore, it is merely line-drawing (not some personal right tied to impact on the mother).
- We should encourage adoption and abstinence
- Human life must still be respected
- Special circumstances considered - health of woman
- This should primarily be a state issue - dealt with by the people. If states want to require parental consent and prohibit partial birth abortion, they can do so.
- We should consider the demographics of those who are having abortions to determine the impact on various segments of society. For example, 30% of the abortions are performed on African Americans.
Goal: Settle the issue in a civil way
Reasons: The arguments have gotten to a point of being unreasonable and uncivil. The issue is getting in the way of good policy and in the way of proper health regulation; there cannot even be a good dialogue on the issues because of the emotion. I make two assumptions: (i) there are many opposed to abortion who agree that there are certain circumstances where abortion should be allowed, and (ii) many of those who believe abortion is a right would agree that other options should be explored by a woman considering abortion as long as the right to choose abortion remains available. There is no deep fundamental principal or right which can be applied here to reach a compromise. We often draw lines as to when, we, as a society, will protect life. If we acknowledge that the line is in place allowing it to x months, we can regulate for best interest of all without either side feeling threatened. At some point the mother must make a choice and live with that choice. 91% of the abortions occur within the first 3 months; 9% occur within the second 3 months and less than .01% occurs in the last 3 months. I assume that everyone would agree that one year after birth is too late to decide. The day before birth also seems too late. The first three months seems too early to require a rational decision in all cases. That small percentage of women who can't make the decision before 20 weeks needs a deadline. They need to get over it and understand the fact that because the baby can live outside the womb, it has certain rights. We draw lines all the time where we know certain people will be killed. This is a line we are drawing - 20 weeks. We agree that such right will be preserved. Once it is settled, we can move on to other issues. Some (on both sides of this issue) will still not be satisfied, but let's move on from this issue which is destroying our political/judicial process.
"Rights! There are no rights whatever without corresponding duties. . . You will nowhere in parliamentary records find the miserable sophism of the rights of man." -Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"Abortion is inherently different from other medical procedures, because no other procedure involves the purposeful termination of a potential life." -Potter Stewart
"What is constitutional may still be unwise." -Zechariah Chaffee Jr.