Chiming in on the whole abortion debate:
Personally, I hate the fact that an issue as complicated as abortion basically gets divided up into two categories: Pro-Choice or Pro-Life. Pro-Choice people say that it's a woman's right to choose what she does with her body, failing to mention that there is a living, feeling being inside her that doesn't get much say in the choice. Pro-Life people say abortion is wrong and it should be outlawed, without accounting for what would inevitably happen if there was no abortion (overpopulation and riskier illegal procedures.)
There are a lot of shades of grey in between there that nobody cares to address. For the most part, I agree with the Pro-Life side. An unborn baby is still a living, feeling human being. When does it reach that state? I'm not sure, but I don't see how you can say that a baby born 2 months premature is alive and has rights, but a baby inside a woman who is 8 months pregnant is not alive and lacks those rights, despite the fact that it is more developed and functional than the former. So let's just say that using that logic, I am vehemently against late-term abortions.
But that doesn't mean that a federal abortion ban is the answer. The biggest problem with the "Pro-Choice" moniker is that abortion is rarely a choice. Women don't use abortion as their primary method of birth control. It's far more dangerous than any other form of birth control. Women get abortions because they do NOT have a choice. They're either too young, lack the income to support a child or lack health insurance to get the proper medical care. Most women are pressured by either their parents or the father into getting abortions. That's really not much of a choice.
So what is the solution? Instead of attacking the problem (abortions), attack the source of the problem. How many less abortions would there be each year if we had a national health care plan, such that every woman knew the full cost of her pregnancy and delivery would be covered? How many less abortions would there be if every woman had better access to birth control? How many less abortions would there be if everyone had a job? Statistics have shown that as insurance coverage and job rates decline, abortions go up.
Sex education is also important, but mostly for the information on proper use of birth control and prevention of STDs. Abstinence education is worthless. I went to Catholic school. We had abstinence education drilled in our heads from the moment we hit puberty. And yet half a dozen girls in my class got pregnant before graduating. Don't think those were the only ones having sex. Kids are stupid. They're going to fool around no matter what you tell them or how illogical it might be. That's the same reason people smoke. No one (except, perhaps those in prison or the military) decides to pick up smoking into their late 20's or 30's. Because it's stupid. You do it because it's "cool" and some older kid offers you a smoke. Then you get addicted and there's no going back.
Okay, enough ranting for now. Maybe I'll post more tomorrow.
