Abortion Saves Lives

I'll never be in a position to chose an abortion: my thoughts and wishes on the subject of aborting a pregnancy is therefore not relevant to anyone but myself. If I thought that a fetus was a "person" or a "baby," then of course I would actively and aggressively oppose legal abortion--- most people would. After reading the available literature, both in support of legal abortion and in opposition, I conclude that a fetus is not a "baby," nor a "person" in any sense of the words. To assert otherwise is to commit the deliberate falsehood of prolepsis: stating an event that has not occured as if it already has. One has not chopped down an oak tree when one steps on and crushes an acorn.

That over half of all pregnancies spontaniously abort without choice or otherwise human intervention should also be mentioned: abortion occurs more times than not during pregnancy. Humans merely induce a few more.

Human beings are not oak trees; human fetuses are not acorns. It is therefore not an easy choice for girls and women to make. No girl or woman wakes up one day, yawns, and says to herself "Gee, I think I'll get pregnant and then get an abortion." She agonizes over the decision; she weighs the consequences of taking her pregnancy to term or ending it.

Safe, medically supervised abortion saves lives! It is safer than giving birth, by a ratio of 0.7 to 8. It also improves a family's standard of living and benefits society. Choosing an abortion is often the best, most responsible solution a girl or woman can make concerning a undesired pregnancy.

Regardless of what some "Pro-Life" people claim, one will find extremely few people who are "pro-abortion." Pro-choice people are not "pro-abortion." Indeed, one finds that Pro-choice people are often against having abortions: they merely support the right of every girl or woman to chose and aquire a safe, doctor-supervised abortion.

"Pro-life" is a misnomer, of course, since it sets up a false dichotomy. Nearly all people who are Pro-Choice and support the right for a girl or woman to have an abortion are also pro-life. The proper phrase is "Anti-abortion," not "Pro-life." This is the correct dichotomy.

The following links go to pages that discuss abortion. If you are under 18 years of age, please discuss viewing these pages with a parent or guardian first.

Hide the Doctor Playing Hide the Doctor. By Roberta Sampere. From The Magazine: The Body Politic, December, 1994.
Abortion and breast cancer Abortion and breast cancer risk in seven countries. From Cancer Causes and Control, Vol 6 Number 1 January 1995.
NWROC in Albany The National Women's Rights Organizing Coalition, the ACT-UP of the pro-choice movement, held its fourth national conference in Albany, New York December 3-5.
Open Letter An Open Letter to Randall Terry, by Anne Bower. Magazine: The Body Politic, February, 1995.
Oklahoma Oklahoma: Does the Song Linger On? In June 1993, Oklahoma City was the site of a national Rescue America conference LIFE - The Choice of the Next Generation.
Media Is the Media All There Is to the Message? By Jane Claire. Two recent incidents have reinforced my strong belief that the pro-choice movement has a serious problem with mainstream media coverage of our issue.
Dangerous Intentions It was billed as the "most important strategy session of the pro-family[sic] movement during 1993. A weekend that will change your life and the future of America." They just might be right.
Humanizing "Humanizing" Rape and Abortion, by Bruce S. Ticker. She was raped by her father. She became pregnant. "She said there was no way she wanted the baby," recalled her mother.
"The emancipation of women is not possible without reproductive freedom." -- Henry Morgentaler
From Washington TRB from Washington: bad choice. A clear majority of Americans favors a woman's right to choose abortion. But who pays?.
Bush II Bill Clinton: Bush II. Until just before his September 22 speech to Congress on health care, Clinton hadn't held a prolonged discussion on abortion for months.
Saboteurs The Bond Between Sociosexual Saboteurs.
Anti-choice Anti-choice: The Next Generation.
Romania Reforming Health Care in Romania - Interview with Dr Viorica Petrescu.
RU486 Some Researchers Are Pleased, Others Indifferent, RU 486 Moves Toward Ready Availability In U.S.
Sister Sister against sister by Brenda Peterson. On a sunny, seemingly benign afternoon, I sat with my mother, who had summoned me home from college for a talk.
A Setback for 'Pro-Life' Forces New studies find abortions pose little danger to women.

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