Pro-Choice or Pro-Life part 2.
So, the interview with the colleague of Tiller made it sound to me like they only accepted patients for late term abortion if the baby was not going to live or if giving birth would kill or cripple the mother.
Turns out they also did late term abortions because of “mental anguish”? If that is so, then no, I do not support that. There is no circumstance imaginable where mental anguish from giving birth to a baby would be crippling to the mother.
Jillian also brought up a point. It is pretty darn near impossible to get to the late term with a pregnancy that could seriously hurt the mother. With even basic prenatal care, the assumption is that any complications that would risk the mothers life would be found much much much earlier than “late term”.
In that case… the question becomes: if the mother neglected to get proper care early in the pregnancy, should she be allowed to terminate the pregnancy in the late term in order to spare her self a crippling/fatal injury.
My gut tells me no, it’s her fault for choosing not to get prenatal care. But I’m sure there’s probably some hypothetical situation where it was not the mother’s fault. It doesn’t seem to me that there could be a straight answer to this. It’s never going to be 100% OK in all cases or 100% not OK in all cases. Almost feels like it should be a case by case decision.
So, I have no answer. But if people are getting proper prenatal care, it shouldn’t be a big issue.
June 17th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
I posted an entry on this topic, not as a direct response (though I do address some of your specific points), but mainly just my views on the topic: http://neb.arwin.net/2009/06/pro-choice-or-pro-life-response.php
June 30th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
I agree with your point that there isn’t one answer–there’s no absolute that abortion is either wrong or write. I know what *I* would do in any given situation, but I’m not everyone.
And when it comes down to it, I have to be pro-choice. Pregnancy changes you forever–and not just because you have a child, but because your body looks and functions in a COMPLETELY different manner after having a baby. I can’t, in good conscience, say that someone who does not want a baby should be forced to gestate and deliver one.
And then, on the other hand, what about fathers’ rights? We only hear about deadbeat Dads, but there are PLENTY of men who are good fathers and who want their children. They should have a right to do that.
And then I come back to my whole “not forcing someone to carry a baby she doesn’t want” concept. It’s a vicious circle and I can’t reconcile myself to just one pat answer. I feel too many different ways about it.