[tenguzero]

This topic always interests me- just keep it civil! Few discussions spin out of control faster than the abortion one.

That being said, my view of abortion follows:

I believe in the right to choose. But I also shudder at the thought of that choice being given to some stupid skank who couldn't keep her legs closed. Now, there ARE the instances where it was truly unplanned, such as a failed condom, or rape, or some other action. This is when I believe abortion to be a justifiable alternative. Is it anymore right to allow a child to grow up in a broken/loveless/poor/abusive household? Or perhaps an orphanage? See, this is the essential catch-22 of the whole situation, the thing people don't consider. YOU WILL PAY FOR THESE WOMEN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. If the womam wants to have an abortion and can't afford it, the taxpayer pays. If a woman wants to go through with having the child, you know she'll probably end up opting into WIC or some other aid program, which you pay for. Even though, in the grand scheme of things, and through all the whining people do about tax-burdens from aid programs, YOU REALLY DON'T PAY THAT MUCH. What does it mean money-wise in the course of a year, one less TV/DVD player- so thousands of families who really need it can get the help they need.

But I digress- When it comes down to it, there's really a basic argument to make in favor of abortions (and in particular the 1st-trimester guidelines set up currently.) The fact is, we consider a person deceased when the brain ceases to show signs of electrical activity. This is for the most part accepted. So, it follows logically, that a person isn't considered alive until brain activity commences- at around 12 weeks (or the end of the first trimester.) The potential for life is there, there's just no spark to begin it yet. The consideration here, is that the girls who are the majority of the problem (the idiots who spread their legs and just screw around without caring) are the ones most likely to take the abortion process into their own hands... whether the legal practice is outlawed or not. And that is really bad.

No one likes the thought of cutting short a potential life, but until brain activity begins, the fetus is just another part of the female's body, and therefore her choice to handle how she sees fit. What we NEED, is more education for the he-sluts that go around leaving "deposits" where they see fit, and the she-sluts who spread 'em for these dolts.

Don't criminalize abortion, criminalize being a friggin' idiot.