Abortion in America?

[Robin T. Fine]

I just heard that America is the only country which allows abortions up to the third trimester, the only country where the supreme court actually upholds laws of abortion as "rights" of women... where as in every other country, the govt. places laws on it being illegal to permit abortions after the 14th week of pregnancy or so. And our country is the only one all up in arms about abortions. This all true?

Speaking from the perspective of a young woman who's had an abortion and lives in America, I'm quite disappointed that I was never really learned about that.

[tricky]

Originally Posted by for the record

Speaking from the perspective of a young woman who's had an abortion and lives in America, I'm quite disappointed that I was never really learned about that.

wtf robin

taught maybe?

[Robin T. Fine]

bwahaha oops.

[tricky]

i hear that they perform lots of abortions in Vatican City

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

Originally Posted by for the record

I just heard that America is the only country which allows abortions up to the third trimester, the only country where the supreme court actually upholds laws of abortion as "rights" of women... where as in every other country, the govt. places laws on it being illegal to permit abortions after the 14th week of pregnancy or so. And our country is the only one all up in arms about abortions. This all true?

As puritanical as most Europeans think the US is we actually have amongst the world's most liberal laws concerning abortion.

Our country doesn't just allow abortion up to the third trimester... we allow it up to and during the third.

Every partial birth abortion ban put on the books has been struck as violating Justice O'Connor's iimpenatrable "undue burden" test.

O'Connor was a great many things... a Justice who left a legacy of lasting, thoughtful and clear jurisprudence she will never be confused with having been.

[kalamu]

Originally Posted by xian

As puritanical as most Europeans think the US is we actually have amongst the world's most liberal laws concerning abortion.

and it's one of the reasons why this country is great

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

Originally Posted by kalamu

and it's one of the reasons why this country is great

What is one of the reasons why this country is great?

[Robin T. Fine]

Do you think if we weren't as liberal about it, like the other countries, that eventually the people here would calm down about the issue and deal with giving birth, and not be so up in arms about abortions?

Why is it JUST America?

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

Originally Posted by for the record

Do you think if we weren't as liberal about it, like the other countries, that eventually the people here would calm down about the issue and deal with giving birth, and not be so up in arms about abortions?

Are you asking that if we didn't talk about abortion so much that then people would not treat it as such a hot button issue?

Originally Posted by for the record

Why is it JUST America?

why is what just America?

[Robin T. Fine]

Originally Posted by xian

Are you asking that if we didn't talk about abortion so much that then people would not treat it as such a hot button issue?



why is what just America?

No, if our abortion laws weren't as liberal, would we still have the same opinions on them (abortions) and would it be such a hot topic issue?

Second part of the post.... why is our country MOST liberal in this situation? I guess I can understand, some states here have different laws.. I just, it really threw me for a loop to hear how it's illegal after the first trimester, in most every other country.

[tricky]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ionLawsMap.png
map of the world with countries status on abortion listed

Originally Posted by wikipedia

Public opinion

Political sides have largely been divided into absolutes. The abortion debate, as such, tends to center on individuals who hold strong positions. However, public opinion varies from poll to poll, country to country, and region to region:

* Australia: In a February 2005 ACNielsen poll, as reported in The Age, 56% thought the current abortion laws, which generally allow abortion for the sake of life or health, were "about right," 16% want changes in law to make abortion "more accessible," and 17% want changes to make it "less accessible." [62] A 1998 poll, conducted by Roy Morgan Research, asked, "Do you approve of the termination of unwanted pregnancies through surgical abortion?" 65% of the Australians polled stated that they approved of surgical abortion and 25% stated that they disapproved of it. [63]
* Canada: A recent poll of Canadians, conducted in April 2005 by Gallup, found that 52% of those polled want abortion laws to "remain the same," 20% want the laws to be "less strict," and 24% would prefer that the laws become "more strict." An earlier Gallup poll, from December 2001, asked, "Do you think abortions should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances and in what circumstances?" 32% of Canadians responded that they believe abortion should be legal in all circumstance, 52% that it should be legal in certain circumstances, and 14% that it should be legal in no circumstances. Canada currently has no laws restricting abortion. See Abortion in Canada.
* Ireland: A 1997 Irish Times/MRBI poll of the Republic of Ireland's electorate found that 18% believe that abortion should never be permitted, 35% that one should be allowed in the event that the woman's life is threatened, 18% if her health is at risk, 28% that "an abortion should be provided to those who need it," and 5% were undecided. [64]
* United Kingdom: An online YouGov/Daily Telegraph poll in August 2005 found that 30% of Britons would back a measure to reduce the legal limit for abortion to 20 weeks, 19% support a limit of 12 weeks, 9% support a limit of less than 12 weeks, and 25% support maintaining the current limit of 24 weeks. 6% responded that abortion should never be allowed while 2% said it should be permitted throughout the entirety of pregnancy. [65]
* United States: In a January 2006 CBS News poll, which asked, "What is your personal feeling about abortion?", 27% said that abortion should be "permitted in all cases," 15% that it should be "permitted, but subject to greater restrictions than it is now," 33% said that it should be "permitted only in cases such as rape, incest or to save the woman's life," 17% said that it should "only be permitted to save the woman's life," and 5% said that it should "never" be permitted. [66] An April 2006 Harris poll on Roe v. Wade, asked, "Do you favor or oppose the part of Roe v. Wade that made abortions up to three months of pregnancy legal?", to which 49% of respondents indicated favor while 47% indicated opposition. [67] One U.S. Gallup/CNN/USA Today poll conducted in 2003 yielded results very similar to an identical survey conducted in 1975. [68]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion#Public_opinion

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

Originally Posted by for the record

No, if our abortion laws weren't as liberal, would we still have the same opinions on them (abortions) and would it be such a hot topic issue?

But the common perception or card played in the media is that the government is about to throw mothers who have abortions into prison. Denis Kucinich said exactly that... that some Senators wanted to throw mothers who had abortions into prison on Chris Matthews a couple years ago. That comment, while stupid, is no that far from popular (common) belief.

Originally Posted by for the record

Second part of the post.... why is our country MOST liberal in this situation? I guess I can understand, some states here have different laws.. I just, it really threw me for a loop to hear how it's illegal after the first trimester, in most every other country.

Some states? The most important impact of Roe and progeny (if such a word can be used) such as Casey is that the issue has been almost entirely wrested from the states. The Supreme Court has in essence taking the job of regulating abortion on a national basis. That is the fact that drives federalists bonkerds - without regard to whether they support or oppose abortion.... the Court has precluded the states from experimenting with legislation to address the issue in a way that best represents their citizens...

Why our Country? I don't have any answer for that.

[tricky]

Originally Posted by xian

But the common perception or card played in the media is that the government is about to throw mothers who have abortions into prison. Denis Kucinich said exactly that... that some Senators wanted to throw mothers who had abortions into prison on Chris Matthews a couple years ago. That comment, while stupid, is no that far from popular (common) belief.



Some states? The most important impact of Roe and progeny (if such a word can be used) such as Casey is that the issue has been almost entirely wrested from the states. The Supreme Court has in essence taking the job of regulating abortion on a national basis. That is the fact that drives federalists bonkerds - without regard to whether they support or oppose abortion.... the Court has precluded the states from experimenting with legislation to address the issue in a way that best represents their citizens...

Why our Country? I don't have any answer for that.

what is your view on abortion xian? prolife?

abortion is kinda like drugs. people are gonna do it if it is outlawed. i don't see why we should roll back the clock to sticking knitting needles and clothes hangers into the uterus.

[St. Stalin the Apathetic]

Originally Posted by tricky

what is your view on abortion xian? prolife?

abortion is kinda like drugs. people are gonna do it if it is outlawed. i don't see why we should roll back the clock to sticking knitting needles and clothes hangers into the uterus.

I firmly support legal abortion for any purpose during the first trimester. I support abortion subsequently only under narrowly drawn circumstances. Life of the mother should never be an issue - given the choice of saving the unborn child or the mother the choice is obvious even if sad. Issues of rape and incest are also situations that would, imo, permit termination beyond the first trimester. The sad fact is this, there are times when we as a society must permit the taking life.

[kalamu]

Originally Posted by xian

What is one of the reasons why this country is great?

Originally Posted by xian

US actually has amongst the world's most liberal laws concerning abortion.

..