Proposal: The Abortion Prevention Act

[ck4829]

Now that I got your attention, I want to show you all something I was thinking about this morning.

Mothers-to-be don't wake up one morning and say "I'll think I have an abortion". It is without a doubt a very hard decision. Instead of outlawing the Solution, we should fix the problem.

The Abortion Prevention Act will not ban abortions, it will instead make sure the Mother-to-be is comfortable and taken care of, and she needs or wants an abortion, then she can have one. The APA will follow the guideline of 'safe, legal, and rare'.

1. Welfare. We need to adjust welfare, we need what I call a 'Maternal Welfare Office' and make adjustments as such.

2. Contraceptives. New Contraceptives should be found.

3. Definition of what a Person is NOT. A fetus that does NOT have a central nervous system should never be able to be defined as a person.

4. Adoption. There needs to be a boost to adoption services.

I know this is a touchy subject even on DU. Please know that I am 100% Pro-Choice.

[SmokingJacket]

1. This is the kind of thing Hillary Clinton was talking about...

though she got a lot of flack for it. Unfairly, imho.

I'm pro-choice, but I do think pretty much every woman who has an abortion would prefer to have NOT gotten pregnant in the first place. So maybe we should start there.

[electron_blue]

3. Add 1 yr paid maternity leave while you're at it

And I'm not kidding, although it sounds overly drastic and outrageous to some.

[merwin]

4. You're exactly right.

When someone tries to give me crap for being pro-choice, I go into how I am against abortions. I would never wish that one anybody, and I'm sure that the people who get them did not WANT them. Women don't wake up in the morning and say "Gosh, I'd like to get pregnant so I can get an abortion. That would be great!".

However, it is each person's right to have an abortion if they feel it is necessary. "Pro-life" is exactly the opposite of their name. They aren't for life, they're against choice.

To put it simply, the "pro-choice" crowd (for the most part) believes that abortions really suck, and we need to find better methods of prevention and contraception to avoid them. But if for some reason a woman becomes pregnant and does not want to have the baby, it is her right to get an abortion without fear of retribution.

[merwin]

2. It will fail with many religious groups because of the definition of

'person'. They'd never go for that.

As for the rest of it, it's a brilliant idea. Frame the discussion, just like they do.

[CTyankee]

6. Glad to hear from you!

All of the great things that HIllary Clinton suggested in her bill should be enacted, but on coursd wont because of the RW, these are things thatwill reduce teen pregnancy and abortions.

How silly.

[DanCa]

5. as someone who is pro neutreal

It simply is not my place to tell a woman what to or not with her body. I hope you understand and I am not yelling at anyone. I do believe that a man say so begins quite bluntly at the point of insertion and after that its out of his hands. If men are so against abortion than they are the ones who shouldnt be having sex.
Now with that said I do believe in adoption programs. I truly hope I didnt offend anyone and I wish everyone peace.

[Hello_Kitty]

7. Birth control pills should be over the counter and cheap

They are less dangerous than Tylenol, for gawds sake!

[ck4829]

8. Yes, I agree.

[Momgonepostal]

10. The problem with making the Pill OTC...

... is that as they are now, there are very risky potential side effects for certain kinds of people. It's been quite a few years since I've been on the Pill but as I recall, it is riskier or contraindicated for smokers, women over 35, women with high blood pressure, women with diabetes, women with heart conditions. Is this no longer the case?

[Mandate My Ass]

12. Pregnancy is also very risky for those groups

and also to women who appear to be in perfect health.

[Momgonepostal]

17. Which is why most people recommend getting pre-natal

care and having a health care provider attend the birth rather than going it alone. Similarly, most people would advise using BPC under the care of a health care provider.

[Mandate My Ass]

9. Change the title of the Maternal welfare office to

the Unborn Baby Protection Office. Since everything that protects the baby helps the mother anyway - affordable housing and health care, vitamins, enough healthy food to eat etc.

Nobody on the RW cares about mothers, particularly needy ones. Most of them believe pregnancy is apt punishment for enjoying their sexuality, and they absolutely hate welfare. Let them explain why they're against protecting unborn babies.

[More Than A Feeling]

11. This is the kind of pro-life that I am

I would add comprehensive sex education (yes, abstinence can be on the menu, too, but no misinformation scare-tactics). #3 makes me a little nervous, I don't think it should be defined one way or another. Other than those two things, i would be fully behind such an approach.

[ck4829]

14. Education is necessary

I remembered that Education is probably the most important thing right after I had written the post.

[tnlefty]

13. 5. Tell males to keep it in their pants.

I never became pregnant from masturbating.

[More Than A Feeling]

16. I feel annoyed when attitudes like that come up

It feels condescending, like guys can't be trusted to use condoms, so they have to abstain or else they'll go around making every girl pregnant.

[gaia_gardener]

15. I would argue it doesn't go far enough

Several women I knew who had abortions did so not just for the immediate problems, but for future problems.

They were women who would be discriminated against if they gave a baby up for adoption (professional women are afraid they will be let go at the slightest provocation and have rumors spread which will prevent future hiring). But, even though they could afford the early years, they saw no way of affording or caring for a teen and college. They were afraid to be failures as parents.

We need to assure free college education. We need a societal shift away from giving up for adoption being shameful. We need people everywhere to quit treating parents like shit if their child makes even the slightest sound.

Which brings me to another reason for some women. They couldn't find appropriate, affordable childcare. And they knew they'd have to give up their whole lives for a child, being that children are not welcome anywhere (even bookstores apparently).