What are your views on abortion?

[echarcha]

When I came to the USA some 3 plus years ago, I did not know that abortion was a major political and social issue.

There are pro and anti abortion groups quite active here.

In India, especially in Mumbai, I used to see bill boards near railway stations and in the local train compartments advertising abortion for as low as 100 rupees.


What are your views on abortion?

Also vote on the poll above.

(Please... its a shame to add this footnote, but please lets have some serious discussion)

[smellyfinger]

Echarcha,

qualify abortion .. at what point ?? what reason ?? etc ..

It is not a black/white issue. Lots of gray areas..

[echarcha]

I dont know much about when abortion is possible. I mean medically is it safe after the first, second, third or foruth month. Or whether it can be done after 6 months...

I wanted to know about your views on this and any related information.

[Big-G]

It's dicey. A part of me says that it should be allowed, as the woman should have a choice whether she wants to bear a child or not. But at the same time, the realisation does not evade me that, it is nothing but murder. Snuffing out a life even before it has had a chance to see the world. I have read about experiments where it has been proved that a developed feutus goes through a lot of pain during the time of abortion. It infacts emits shrieks of pain. There was a documentary about this too, titled "the Silent Cry".

Would like to hear the female's views.

[smellyfinger]

The question is really this .. when is the unborn baby/foetus eligible for normal human rights. At the time of conception, 5 months (considered term) , or at birth ??

Abortion, except in cases of threat to mother, is considered dangerous (and even illegal) after 5 months.

Here is where the 2 extreme viewpoints come into play. The pro life people want to tell you that as soon as conception occurs, even the embryo has the same rights as you and me.

The pro choice people want you to believe that the baby only gets rights at birth.

The happy (?) medium is 5 months.

IMO, abortion should be legal. But for a reason. I do not support recreational abortion. However, rape victims, pregnant teens, high risk pregnancies etc should be given the right to choose before the baby is 5 months.

It is, obviously, a hot button issue, especially in the US, where the church pulls in one direction, the constitution in another, and crazy people blow up doctors.

Now, the question is, should we condone abortion for other reasons .. e.g sex of child, working mom (not ready for children), poverty, family size etc...

[kameena]

well
Like smelly said Abortion isnt a black or white issue. Recent research prooves that foetuses start emitting brainwaves after 5 months. That means it is feeling pain. So a part of me says that abortion after 5 months should be banned unless there is risk to the mothers life in the event of pregnancy going upto its term.

But there is a big unsaid part to it. What if the kid is born to a poor family or a family which is not willing to take care of the kid (Single moms, druggee moms, very poor family). In developed countries like US where there is a well developed foster parent network available, abortion shouldnt be encouraged for those reasons.

But in India if the child is born he will face a living hell anyway. So I feel the child instead of living as a street urchin, ends up being a dead foetus.

I agree with the democrats' idea of a woman's right to choose but then that should not give everyone the license to get abortion.

Sutradhar, the poll has very few options. So, I didn't cast my ballot. I believe in newspaper size ballot paper (just kidding!!)

[tantric_yogi]

Strictly a women's issue.

Poor things. The decisions women have to take.
Depending on situation if they do they suffer mentally all their life and if they don't then too they suffer.

I respect women enough to leave the subject and decision totally up to them.

Father if willing to take responcibility has right to offer his thoughts but not the pressure...

Senorita what ya think...

[nandini]

if it is a medical necesity of course there is no confusion that it should be allowed , if it's a kid born out of involuntary sex even then the woman should be allowed to abort it , if the woman can't bring up the child because of ecenomic reasons then also abortion is better tehn a kid born on the steer or an addition to an orphanage
but if u talk about absolutely on an emotional level killing a child is killing a child is killing a child

[Netra]

Hi, I am very much pro-choice meaning that it is for the woman to decide whether she wants to have the baby or not. After all, she is the one who is going to bring him/her up.

What I am against is aborting a fetus because it happens to be female.

[zaman]

hai charchans.
I think this is a moral crime. There is no one allow to killed a human.

[Netra]

Zaman bhai, if no one is allowed to kill humans, why are militants killing human beings? What is the punishment for a Kafir according to Islam? He should be killed, shouldn't he? What is the punishment for people who go against the laws of Koran? Why is the death sentence hanging on Salman Rushdie's head?

[Netra]

I have noticed something which is quite common: most of the Americans who are anti-abortion are pro-death sentence. I wonder if religious beliefs have something to do with this!

[zaman]

Welllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Netra.
This is not the topic of this thread. I think that there must be a line between the acts of Indian Army and Mujahadeen. You always speak on Kashmir, but unfortunately you have not enough information about Kashmir.

Netra this must be cleared that Kashmiries are fighting for their right of selfdetermination. The right witch is for every human.

I should use one sentence.

Kashmiries are fighting for peace.

Because it's the Quran who thaught us that fight with crueal nation or people for the people who are forced and being exploited by the them.

I always talked for life.

[Netra]

Ok Zaman bhai forget about Kashmir. What about the killing order for Salman Rushdie and what about stoning to death of women who commit adultry (sleep with other men)? And what about hundreds of people who are beheaded in Saudi Arabia under the Shariah law? Are these people not human beings?