Am I really that radical that I view abortion as a purely medical issue?

[Humanist_Activist]

In my view, it is, quite simply, between a patient and a doctor, no more, no less. Any moral or ethical considerations should be dealt with through medical ethics boards, not the legislature or courts(unless malpractice is involved).

People seem to forget that until the woman considers it a patient, the zygote or fetus she carries isn't a patient. There should be no laws or regulations specifically targeting the treatment of pregnant women, period. We already have laws regulating the general practices of doctors, surgeons, etc. They are already under ethical and legal restraints, usually related to privacy and/or safety of the patient.

Beyond that, there should be no additional laws to target and restrict medical procedures. I really don't understand why this is so complicated, people have a right to bodily autonomy in regards to their health.

[randome]

1. Biology made women the ultimate deciders on this.

Try as men might, they cannot escape that reality.

[Humanist_Activist]

8. No, but men can make it more risky and dangerous for women to have access to abortion...

and that is why we must be vigilant. Already there are consequences to stupid state laws regarding personhood for fetuses, waiting periods, required ultrasounds(not medically necessary), etc.

[NightWatcher]

2. I'm a guy and that's my position on it. It's up to each woman and her Dr.

[Cleita]

3. Yes, you are in this day and age.

Rush Limbaugh would call you a slut and a murderer. Many would agree with him. It used to be that your position was quite mainstream, back before they started throwing holy water over everyone.

[freshwest]

5. +1

[Humanist_Activist]

17. I guess I shouldn't tell him I use fetal stem cells as butter on my toast?

Its finger licking good, I will say that much.

[Warren DeMontague]

30. Actually, that's not true. Most Americans are pro-choice.

Rush Limbaugh is an ass, and every time the anti-choicers poke their heads up about what they REALLY believe (see Komen) they get their asses handed to them by the American People.

[Lucy Goosey]

4. It's not radical to me...

...but I'm in Canada, where abortion is regulated by the medical profession, and not by criminal law.

I'm stating to feel like we need to start some sort of non-profit organization up here that could help American women coordinate and pay for abortions in Canada.

[Solly Mack]

6. That's all it is - a medical issue/procedure.

Nothing radical at all about recognizing that.

[quaker bill]

7. How I view it is not relevant

How the woman who is making the decision views it is all that matters. Some may view it medically, some may view it morally in the dimensions of their chosing. My place is to support their decision when called on to do so.

[Auntie Bush]

31. +1,000,00

[smirkymonkey]

9. No, you are right.

Government has no businees legislating women's bodies and healthcare. It shouldn't even be a political issue. Keep your laws off my goddamn body!

[spanone]

10. that's how the supreme court saw it too

[Humanist_Activist]

16. Well, yes and no, they viewed it as an issue of privacy...

but left enough wiggle room for shenanigans of the Republican party and Blue Dogs to restrict medical options after so many weeks(usually 12).

[NYC_SKP]

11. Pregnant mother in irreverible coma. Fetus healthy, 3 months from birth.

Who's the patient now?

I submit that, unfortunately, it's never so cut and dried that there aren't special circumstances.

~~~

[Humanist_Activist]

13. Whoever the person charged with her care says it is...

there, that wasn't so hard, was it?

[NYC_SKP]

18. You're the female partner/spouse, and want the child to be born healthy

but you live in a state that doesn't recognize same sex rights.

Yeah, easy, right?

[leftstreet]

19. Yes, because that happens so often

Please

That situation has nothing to do with the OP's assertion that a woman's choice regarding reproduction is a medical issue, not a publicgasm of political opportunism or sensationalized moral fingerpointing.

[Humanist_Activist]

20. That's an argument for same sex marriage rights, not an anti-choice argument. n/t

[drmeow]

29. I would say that in your example

it is still a medical ethics question, not a legislative issue.

[jody]

12. What's your problem? You say "I view" that is an apparent opinion and other people may agree with

you or have different opinions.

How does one determine which "opinion" is correct when perhaps all could be wrong or even all right?

[Humanist_Activist]

14. Uh, can someone translate this for me, or parse it into something intelligible?

seriously, what are you talking about?

[NYC_SKP]

23. +1 (nt)

[Humanist_Activist]

37. After a day to let the rusty gears in my head turn, it finally clicked as to what you are saying...

its easy, my opinion, and position, doesn't restrict medical choices for women. I'm not pro-coathanger, after all.

[jody]

43. I'm a scientist accustomed to using math and statistics to test hypothesis. I'm always

lost when I consider different opinions; particularly divisive, polarizing political opinions; for which there is IMO no way to "prove" which is right.

I'm lost even more after so many decades of working in different cultures with contrasting concepts of morality.

After all this time I retreat behind the position of letting each person do what they wish with their own body as long as it doesn't hurt another person.

Thanks for the thoughtful post, jody

[2ndAmForComputers]

39. Postmodernism sucks ass. Read this book.

Spoiler: all opinions are not equal. Some are demonstrably sound and some are demonstrably bullshit.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0312204078/

[Marrah_G]

15. I agree

[limpyhobbler]

21. Good question.

It would be interesting to see some polling about what percentage of Americans perceive abortion to be a purely medical issue. I doubt whether it is a very radical view.

Some might say there is also an equal rights or human rights issue in addition to the medical issue.

[Humanist_Activist]

25. I just see way too many people frame it as some type of objective moral or ethical issue...

I leave the ethics and morals to the patient and doctor in question, has nothing to do with society at large. People frame it as right or wrong, when I have to ask, is open heart surgery talked about in the same way?

This applies to both pro-choicers and anti-choicers.

An example of classic framing, as moral issue, is a pro-choicer saying that abortion isn't ideal, or even right, but that it should remain legal. Well, open heart surgery isn't ideal either, what the fuck does this have to do with the price of peaches on Tuesday?

[Hydra]

22. Yes, you are a radical

Along with the people that think that Fracking is a bad idea, that schools should be invested in and free, and that most of Wall St. should go to jail.

See, this is what happens when we let liars have a seat at the table and nod sagely as they spit BS. We start getting further from the truth and even sanity with every word that pops out of their mouth.

Congrats- you are now a radical for supporting the right of the individual.

[Humanist_Activist]

24. I think Fracking should be looked at more closely...

and be much tighter regulated, and I think schools are sorely underfunded, and science, art, and literature should get a huge boost in funding.

[ladym55]

26. Not from my perspective

It is an intensely personal medical decision for a woman, which is why all the nice Republican men should all shut the hell up about it.

[MichiganVote]

27. Man I've been waiting since the 60's to be a radical-you and me-radicals all the way

[ismnotwasm]

28. Not by me

To me that is common sense

[FarCenter]

32. Until quite recently, the begining of life was associated with the first breath

Consider that the "spirit" specifically refers to "breath", and that God breathed life into Adam's nostrils.

Then the religious revisionists abandoned this historical concept and adopted new theories about life beginning earlier.

These activist clergy are the problem, and we need a return to clergy who will approach the interpretation of the texts as strict constructionists.

[progressoid]

33. I agree. And furthermore,

I support a woman's right to choose no matter what the circumstance. This isn't just a matter of rape or medical necessity. I say let the woman do as she likes. Her body, her choice.

[Humanist_Activist]

34. I put no qualifiers in my view, so technically what you said isn't necessary...

I agree with it, seems superfluous.

[Humanist_Activist]

36. Pro-Choice, not pro-abortion, only anti-choicers use that language. n/t

[2ndAmForComputers]

42. Give him some credit.

Probably took a great deal of willpower not to say "baby killers."

[2ndAmForComputers]

40. And the welfare queens and the gun grabbers and the feminazis in the Democrat Party too.

Revealing terminology is revealing.

[LeftyMom]

38. I see you got most of the wingnuts to out themselves.

Not that any of them were well-hidden, but anyhow.

[2ndAmForComputers]

41. That is a correct assessment.