I'm a big fan of common-sense solutions for what seem to be really devisive issues. Take, for example, abortion.
Right from the start I have to say that I'm pro-choice. It's ridiculous to think that if a (young) woman has an unwanted pregnancy, she won't try to abort the fetus herself and thereby hurt or perhaps kill herself in the process. After all, that's what was done before abortions became legal - that is, unless the girl was lucky enough to find a woman/doctor who would do the procedure in secret. Also, I can't imagine making a woman carry a baby to term if the baby is a product of a rape. That's a nine-month reminder of the horrible event, all the while the mother has to endure pain and sacrifice to keep the baby healthy. Ultimately, it has to be a woman's choice.
(And I came up with a bumpersticker slogan: "If you choose to have a baby, then you are Pro Choice.")
Given my beliefs, I also recognize that people are going to try and take away a mother's right to choose. More often then not they cite god in their argument, but since we have a separation of church and state, I don't see how that argument can hold water. Or, they call abortion murder. It's admirable that they want to protect the child, but I find it interesting that those same people will turn their backs on the child as soon as it's born. Why aren't they crying out for better and cheaper pre-natal care? Why aren't they supporting more Head Start programs? Why aren't they helping the poor/unfortunate mothers who often have to support the babies alone? Why aren't they adopting the unwanted infants after they're born? I just hate the hypocracy of the "pro-life" movement.
Anyway, my solution is this: since the two sides will never see eye-to-eye, why not compromise. I say that abortion should be 100% legal in the first trimester and 100% illegal in the third trimester, and let the individual states decide if they want to allow abortions during the second trimester. Again, I am pro-choice, but even I believe that 6 months ought to be enough time for a woman/couple to decide on an abortion or not. After that, fly to another country if you want to abort; you have to pay extra for your indecision. (By the way, abortions are never an issue if the mother's health is at stake, no matter what the trimester. That's called self-defence, and that's legal no matter what the circumstances.)
The only problem with my solution as far as I can see is that I don't know if it's technically legal. In other words, I don't know if the federal government has the ability to make a law for two-thirds of a problem and leave one-third up to the states. Perhaps all the states would have to agree to the first- and third-trimester rule and then decide for themselves about the second. In that way, the federal government wouldn't be involved.
Next up: gun control...
Sunday, May 10, 2009
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