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Paul K. Ogden's avatar

Unfortunately the issue is not as simple as you portray it. Abortion indisputably involves a second human life. The issue is at what stage that life should be protected. Most industrialized countries say 15 weeks. None take the position that abortion is an issue that just involves a woman making a decision as to her body. If that were true nobody would oppose abortion.

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E2's avatar

Of course it's disputed. Many people see a fetus as *living*, as in cells, but not *a life*, as in a person. Traditional definitions usually cite birth or "quickening" as the beginning of individuality.

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Catie's avatar

Listen to these women, and still tell me that these laws don't treat women like chattel: https://youtu.be/AXcXjfbKVws?si=HfhaTjuKpD5gqntE

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Catie's avatar

Paul, I think you are the one who is oversimplying things. The other countries that have 15 week limits have very expansive exceptions, and no doctor fears going to prison for the rest of their lives if they treat someone with an abortion. I don't have a problem AT ALL with the people who support the policies that would make abortion less likely, or offer REAL support to expectant women in need (not the coercive, dishonest kind that comes from many "crisis pregnancy centers"). But the kinds of bans Republicans are passing are unbelievably cruel; just listen to the horror stories of women like Kate Cox, Brittany Watts, and literally thousands of others. The state forcing a woman to remain pregnant against her will, to risk permanent damage to her body and possibly her life, is a grave infringement of her bodily autonomy and a human rights violation.

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Gail Adams VA/FL's avatar

Indisputably is highly disputable.

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rlritt's avatar

Wrong. Sorry. My body my rules. If a baby is viable outside the body, it lives. If it's not viable outside of the body even with extreme care, then it's the woman's decision to continue having the fetus remain in her body. And I say this as an extreme proponent of birth control, which should be free and available to any woman capable of getting pregnant.

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Energenesis's avatar

Most of the 15 week countries have free taxpayer supported healthcare

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Arun's avatar

How about we make it really simple?

Trust the mother, father, their doctor and maybe their families to make the determination for what they want to do. Everybody else either support whatever decision that group will make or just mind their own business.

In fact the best thing these "other" folks (the anti-abortionists) can do is to support policies that can help parents take care of their kids and the expenses/challenges involved. I somehow doubt it they have any interest in doing this though.

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