LaiLai wrote:
I tend to dissagree, make it:If we give people full authority over their own body, we might as well legalize heroine and such. The problem is heroine is damaging to the user and also indirectly causes inconvenience at least to other people. Why do you have to wear a seatbelt by law? Because it is supposed to protect you. Same goes to a lesser extend, for abortion. It is not a minor thing, it is very serious (for the mother physically I mean), and while IMO there is no such things as sanctity of an unborn 2 week old heap of cells, it still has potential to develop in a human being which should at least deserve a chance. Also another argument is the responsibility itself. Free unquestioned abortion discourages people from taking it. Adoption is not a birth control measure; there are plenty of birth control measures available. They should usually be taken at an earlier stage and the mother should have made the proper choice then. It fact in that way it is still her body her choice. Now think of socialist Europe where to a large extend abortion is insurrence covered; I pay taxes for you to have a expensive medical procedure, because you were to lazy to eat a pill?Diesel_dyk wrote:
So here are the short answers
1. get pregnant = responsibility taken when concieving it = her choice = no abortion
2. got raped = her choice
3. got a fetus with disabilities = her choice
Its obvious what choice you would make, and there is nothing wrong with expressing strong opinions, but there is a issue when people take their beliefs or their sense of morality and try to enforce those on other people. We live in a free society of individuals, if you want to influence people you do it with ideas. We don't make decision for other people and then use the law like a coercive club to make people fall in line. Living in a free society means people are going to make choices that you disagree with, just like I would disagree with your opinion right now and would think it would be great to stop you from expressing it.... but its your right as a individual person and I also cherish my individual rights and if it means that in order to live in a free society of individuals that you have to put up with some shit that you disagree with, then that is a very small price to pay.
Its the lack of or total disregard for respect for the individual that is missing from the whole choice debate. In fact, most debates, from abortion to homo rights run off the rails when people refuse to respect "others" individal rights and their rights to self determination. Individuals must be able to make choices free from the enforcement of other peoples prejudices if we are to life in a free society of individuals.
In the case of the OP, the question deals with a rape victim... I doubt that under those circumstances that that that person would have much "choice" about "proper and prudent" contraception.
And then there is another issue entirely, if a person must resort to rape in order to breed, then that says something about the judgment of the rapist by potential mates. The guy must be a failure and not meant to breed. If a woman wants or doesn't want to bear the rapists spawn, then that's her choice.