McCain opposes a woman's right to choose.

[Jimefam]

Curious... what are your thoughts on assisted suicide? If a woman is to be given such a right as to be allowed to kill a separate life (especially in the cases where they simply "aren't ready")... why then shouldn't a person be allowed to have an assisted suicide? Its their body, shouldn't they have the right? Apparently the law doesn't think so. I believe 44 out of 57... oops, I mean 50 states, criminalize it. (now there's a good comparison for allowing the states to decide and not the federal government). Anyway... seems to me an assisted suicide is a tiny bit better than an assisted murder considering they're doing it to themselves and not a separate life.

The fetus isn't a "separate life" until toward the end of the second trimester so before that I believe that she should absolutely have control of her body. And assisted suicide? ALL for it as a matter of fact i'm blowing my brains out as soon as i dont enjoy life any longer. Who can tell me that I have to continue to exist? When i can find no enjoyment in life because of physical reasons its time to go.

[wingFeather]

technically a single red blood cell is "life

Incorrect. Using this flawed logic, one could reason that if you kill an ant, since it is alive, then you have committed a felony and must be punished. Or, in human terms, if I pick a living cell off you you, I have murdered a part of you... felony!

Now that doesn't make sense, does it???

A red blood cell is not a human life. It is a red blood cell.

We are discussing human life here. This life begins once a sperm begins to share it's DNA with an egg, and the process of human life begins. It is clear as night and day. Before they were sperm, and egg. Once they begin, they are no longer what they were.

Whether we want to make it legal to murder a human at that stage is another story... but let's at least call it what it is!

[AZhitman]

I'm still puzzled by this statement. I don't think you have the power to change anything. Unless you mean by voting, but everyone has that power.

Well, fortunately, I don't have to impress you... and if I gave a damn what you think, I'd have already provided you with an answer.

[The Wicker Man]

Well, fortunately, I don't have to impress you...

people say this when they cant walk the walk

[AZhitman]

Did someone say walk?

You couldn't carry half my workload, Sunshine.

[dusred]

My views on abortion are that it is murder. Plain and simple. You can rationalize it however you want by saying that "you are just removing a growth from your body" but in reality it is murder. You are removing life from something that is living.

If you are big enough to have sex you should be big enough to take the responsibility of a child.

Abortion is in my opinion is very, very inhumane. I've always been taught that life begins at conception which makes perfect sense; however, that is a matter of science and not opinion. It is a FACT that when the sperm cell enters a fertile egg that is where life begins.

Abortion is just selfish and very very cowardly and if I ruled the world anyone caught aborting a child would be hung. . . . in fact I'm already feeling sick just thinking about it.

[AZhitman]

I think I already outlined my views on the subject...

When I was in college, I got fed a lot of lefty propaganda, and even believed some of it ( ).

I wasn't sure how to feel about this topic, but I dated a girl for quite a while who wouldn't tell me where she worked... she just said "a doctor's office".

Heading home from work I got a page from her, pulled over and called (pre-cell phones) and she asked me to hurry and get there... Protesters were throwing things at the clinic she worked at and pelting anyone who dared try to enter (or exit)...

Police were already en route, so I watched from a safe distance, slowly realizing WHY she never told me where she worked. Protesters dispersed, some were arrested, and the scene was cleared, with police escorting all staff out to their cars (many of which were damaged as well).

Days later, I had asked enough questions and she reluctantly offered a "tour" of the facility. She walked me through the process, from arrival to exit... The things that stuck in my head were the medieval-looking instruments, the huge autclaves in every room, and most of all, the array of refrigerated "tissue storage"..

I'm not above saying I think I died a little that day... I definitely cried, seeing what seemed like a hundred jars (yes, like jelly jars) of aborted "tissue" from D & C's.

So, I still am realistic enough to know that a woman ultimately is in control of her own body...

I just wish we as a society could do a better job of supporting them so they can be in control of their own bodies BEFORE the deed is done.

[dusred]

^ Oh my hell Greg!

I am going to Puke. I'm serious.

And that was how many years ago? Imagine how it is now.

USE FUQUING CONDOMS FOR HELL SAKES!

[Jager]

while I am republican, I have a mixed stance on this issue. I think abortion is wrong, and I would fully support to the best of my ability a child I had conceived, but I also use protection and am not an idiot. (not saying that ensures anything, but that i understand the risks and the availible options to mitigate them.)

women should have the right to choose, but I dont support abortion unless it is medically necessary, too many people are trying to adopt to just say abortion makes sense in so many aspects. if it was my girlfriend or wife I would have to have a serious conversation about what is available and what i want and what she wants.

greg I am sorry you ever had to see that, and i cant imagine the pain and thoughts you had to sort out.

[Marenta]

I know as a woman's standpoint, that I'd never get an abortion. Unless my life were in grave danger. Even if I were raped, I'd still carry the child to term; it's not the child's fault that the father is sleazy.

But, my being republican or not has nothing to do with it. I figure I'd feel the same way regardless of if I were rep or dem.. but, that's just me. I had a friend that got an abortion because she didn't want to lose her figure, even though she continued to have unprotected sex with random men. She told me that it felt too good to use protection, and that she didn't like being on the pill or any other type of BC because it made her feel "weird". Now, I don't agree with her decision, because it's shallow; but, I still supported her making it, and I didn't brow beat her because of it.

[wingFeather]

a hundred jars (yes, like jelly jars) of aborted "tissue"

Not sure I should even mention this... but I wonder if one of those jars was your daughter or son

my being republican or not has nothing to do with it.

+1 I'm not sure why murdering a human life has to be a red Vs. blue issue at all.

[Jesda]

Its bad enough that they drive.

[AZhitman]

Not sure I should even mention this... but I wonder if one of those jars was your daughter or son

Doubtful....

But I had a subsequent relationship (which didn't last long), and I found out later (through the friend network) that she had a termination soon after we split up... she confided to her best friend that it was mine. She didn't want to contact me for fear I'd have been "upset" (she had been the one to call off the relationship).

That's a crappy feeling, and almost 20 years later I think about it from time to time.

[srellim234]

I may as well weigh in with my feelings so you all get another glimpse of me.

I used to be opposed 100% to abortion but always wrestled internally with the "rape or incest" part of the argument. When I was a high school coach in the '80s, I was faced with a 13 year old girl on my team who was raped and got pregnant. Helping her deal with that situation (her father was worthless as a father figure) led me to the stance I have today.

I believe life starts at conception. How that life starts should determine whether an abortion is allowed or not. Rape, incest or a life-threatening pregnancy to the mother should be the only times abortion is allowed. It should be the woman's right to choose whether or not to have an abortion in those cases.

Abortion as a form of birth control is absolutely wrong in my book. There are so many forms of birth control available, so much information available, that both the man and the woman have the right to choose whether or not to have a child BEFORE conception occurs. Once it occurs, choosing whether or not to have the baby should no longer be an option.

Yes, there is a failure rate associated with every contraceptive type, but that is a chance you take when you excercised your choice to engage in sexual activity. You didn't HAVE to do it. There may be unpleasant consequences to any choice you make in life and this one is a biggie.

[AZhitman]

My extreme disappointment in the "abortion fans" (hey, there are foes, and there are fans) is this:

WHY is no one talking about the long-term psychological effects of such a procedure? If you think there are none, you're fooling yourself OR aren't educated on the matter.

WHY is no one talking about the health risks asociated with the procedure either? Not just immediate risks to a young mother's health, but the longer-term effects, AND the cumulative damage done for women who have aborted MORE than one pregnancy.

Again, I have NO business forcing my views on someone else. I have no say in the matter, and I don't think the government should either.

BUT, to equate terminating a pregnancy with pulling a tooth does a grave disservice to the female population... much like tobacco companies never really told the WHOLE truth.

[Jesda]

Again, I have NO business forcing my views on someone else. I have no say in the matter, and I don't think the government should either.

To clarify my own position, I believe everyone including men has a strong say in the matter and should be very vocal about it. Pro-choicers act like abortion is a decision that only affects one person -- what about the man who lost his child?

Yes, thousands of man have paid for abortions.But other men have had their children aborted against their wishes.

We function better as a society if we don't force each other to behave in a particular way, but we ought to have a social code of conduct. In other words, the people should continue to disapprove of abortion. Too many people think its "okay" just because its legal. It bothers me that so many people believe that the law can and should dictate all forms of right and wrong.

The law should butt out, but society should step in and feel free to express its disapproval of abortion.

[dusred]

Jesda,

Yes, the man should have some say since he is a) being deprived of his child or b) being deprived of his money for child support. But, any man who would have sex and then scamper like a coward away from what he has created really shouldn't be having sex.

About a year ago my dad showed the family an article from a California news paper where this guy had gotten a girl pregnant and then wanted her to have an abortion. She refused to so and so the dude took her out in the bushes pretending to go on a drive when 2 guys he hired "attacked" them punching the girl several times so that she would abort.

Somehow the baby survived and the guy and his hired helpers were thrown in the slammer. In my opinion the guy should have been castrated before going to jail.

My point is that if people can't take the responsibility of a child they shouldn't be having sex.