31st January 2003, 6:36 PM
I'd hardly call it arbitrary... though a lot of things in life are arbitrary. Any cutoff for anything is arbitrary... but the way it works is that its not a human until its born and breathes for itsself. Unborn fetuses aren't humans... early on of course human fetuses look almost the same as any other animal's... later that is of course different, but still its not a child until its born. Before that its not... it hasn't lived on its own or breathed...
Also, abortions that late (ie late on when the fetus is more like a human) aren't very common at all. Almost all abortions are earlier when the fetus is a lot less like a human... but, as I said, if (or when) late-term abortions get banned, it'll get the antiabortion people a victory and make them fight even harder to get rid of the rest of this important right... if the Supreme Court gets one more Conservative, I'll even start getting VERY scared for Roe vs. Wade... not good at all.
Anyway, it really isn't right for people to tell others that they can't do abortions when in many cases they clearly need them... people should NOT be forced to have children if they don't want them. Adoption isn't exactly an easy way to do it either... no, abortion is a important thing to have and trying to stop it is really a very bad thing... its taking away someones choice... not a good thing.
Oh... as for the fact that aboriton numbers are declining. Maybe part of it is other reasons (more people having children, more birth control, whatever), but I'm sure a big part of it is the fact that there aren't many abortion clinics and the ones that there are are constantly threatened and attacked by antiabortion terrorists... they harass women going there, at the very least, and I know several abortion doctors have been murdered. In that climate, fewer places offer them and I'm sure more people are scared away. That just isn't right.
Also, abortions that late (ie late on when the fetus is more like a human) aren't very common at all. Almost all abortions are earlier when the fetus is a lot less like a human... but, as I said, if (or when) late-term abortions get banned, it'll get the antiabortion people a victory and make them fight even harder to get rid of the rest of this important right... if the Supreme Court gets one more Conservative, I'll even start getting VERY scared for Roe vs. Wade... not good at all.
Anyway, it really isn't right for people to tell others that they can't do abortions when in many cases they clearly need them... people should NOT be forced to have children if they don't want them. Adoption isn't exactly an easy way to do it either... no, abortion is a important thing to have and trying to stop it is really a very bad thing... its taking away someones choice... not a good thing.
Oh... as for the fact that aboriton numbers are declining. Maybe part of it is other reasons (more people having children, more birth control, whatever), but I'm sure a big part of it is the fact that there aren't many abortion clinics and the ones that there are are constantly threatened and attacked by antiabortion terrorists... they harass women going there, at the very least, and I know several abortion doctors have been murdered. In that climate, fewer places offer them and I'm sure more people are scared away. That just isn't right.