MN couple lets online community decide if they'll abort their child

[Tender Branson]

File this one under wisdom of the crowd taken to the extreme. A Minnesota couple says it will base its decision whether to abort a fetus on the outcome of an online vote.

Alisha Arnold, of Apple Valley, Minn., who is 17 weeks pregnant, told the Minneapolis StarTribune that she had suffered three miscarriages and that she and her husband Peter were unsure whether they were prepared to have a child. Thus the decision to create a website where people can vote as well as monitor ting the progress of the pregnancy.

The obvious question is whether this is on the level or another in a long line of online gotchas to hoodwink a sometimes gullible media. The Arnolds were not immediately available for comment, but the couple's website has struck a nerve with a very interested public.

On the site's bulletin board, one person writing under the nickname "Spounge" called it "a sick joke." Another, calling herself "Dini," slammed the idea as "a cowardly way of making a decision."

None of this came as a surprise to the Arnolds. Indeed, in a recent post, Pete Arnold wrote that there was no shortage of emotion surrounding their decision.

"Though there are indeed many hateful. For every ten comments that are negative or spiteful there is one that is positive enough to blow them out of the water. We have even had multiple people (accounting for approximately 6% of those who have sent us a message) who have offered to adopt if the vote result is Abort.We have had multiple interviews today."

"The entire experience has been rather dizzying, and we are both surprised and impressed at how many have taken interest. Most of the interviewers have been very nice and professional, which is something I had not expected. Two radio talking heads we talked to were pretty clear in their attempts to steer the conversation, which we expected. I have been honestly surprised by how all of the local, national, and international media we have talked to so far has been shockingly "professional". One thing is cretin; I am very much looking forward to my return home from my trip to hold Alisha and have a nice long talk about what we have experienced thus far."

The public will be able to vote until Dec. 7 - Pearl Harbor day, incidentally - a couple of days before the Arnolds can legally get an abortion in Minnesota, according to the site.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20023372-501465.html

[Badger]

Just,

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Yeah, that's just terrible. Here's hoping this is just a tasteless attempt at a joke.

[k-onmmunist]

Dumbasses.

[RI]

I saw this earlier. Absolutely disgusting. These people do not deserve to be parents, and I can not possibly imagine what the child is going to feel when he/she learns about this one day, assuming the couple does what 80% of the current voters want. I sincerely hope they give it up for adoption.

[Verily]

The husband is an anti-abortion activist. It's really just a stunt.

http://gawker.com/5694432/abortion+by+vote-probably-a-pro+life-stunt

[Associate Justice PiT]

     That would make sense. They are presumably keeping it open until December 7 in order to make some sort of comparison between abortion & Pearl Harbor, then.

[RI]

The husband is an anti-abortion activist. It's really just a stunt.

http://gawker.com/5694432/abortion+by+vote-probably-a-pro+life-stunt

Either way, it's retarded. They're making a mockery out of their child and the entire issue.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Now that's Democracy!

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Ugh.....looking at them, they shouldn't reproduce.  (insert barf smiley here)

[Frink]

Ugh.....looking at them, they shouldn't reproduce.  (insert barf smiley here)

This.

[??????????]

Have an abortion is winning with 60%!

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The husband is an anti-abortion activist. It's really just a stunt.

http://gawker.com/5694432/abortion+by+vote-probably-a-pro+life-stunt

Figures. What HP.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

If it's not a stunt, it's absolutely disgusting.  Whether you're pro-choice or pro-life, I think everybody understands this is a severely complex issue... one that should be decided by a husband and wife, not a bunch of people on the Internet.  If you can't make this decision on your own, you quite honestly shouldn't be having sex.

If it is a stunt... I don't even know what to say... how and why would you come up with something like this?

[Free Palestine]

If it's not a stunt, it's absolutely disgusting.  Whether you're pro-choice or pro-life, I think everybody understands this is a severely complex issue... one that should be decided by a husband and wife, not a bunch of people on the Internet.  If you can't make this decision on your own, you quite honestly shouldn't be having sex.

If it is a stunt... I don't even know what to say... how and why would you come up with something like this?

Wow, I must be seriously f--ked up then.  It's stupid and all but, I don't really have an emotional response other than that.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

If it's not a stunt, it's absolutely disgusting.  Whether you're pro-choice or pro-life, I think everybody understands this is a severely complex issue... one that should be decided by a husband and wife, not a bunch of people on the Internet.  If you can't make this decision on your own, you quite honestly shouldn't be having sex.

If it is a stunt... I don't even know what to say... how and why would you come up with something like this?

Wow, I must be seriously f--ked up then.  It's stupid and all but, I don't really have an emotional response other than that.

You're leaving the decision whether or not to have a kid up to a bunch of people on the Internet.  Either you want a kid or you don't... it's not something that you ask advice for on the Internet from people who don't know your situation.

Dating advice... I can understand that.

Whether or not to get married... that's where I'd draw the line.

To have a kid... hell no.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

If it's not a stunt, it's absolutely disgusting.  Whether you're pro-choice or pro-life, I think everybody understands this is a severely complex issue... one that should be decided by a husband and wife, not a bunch of people on the Internet.  If you can't make this decision on your own, you quite honestly shouldn't be having sex.

If it is a stunt... I don't even know what to say... how and why would you come up with something like this?

Wow, I must be seriously f--ked up then.  It's stupid and all but, I don't really have an emotional response other than that.

You're leaving the decision whether or not to have a kid up to a bunch of people on the Internet.  Either you want a kid or you don't... it's not something that you ask advice for on the Internet from people who don't know your situation.

Dating advice... I can understand that.

Whether or not to get married... that's where I'd draw the line.

To have a kid... hell no.

Inks I know you prefaced your remarks by "if this is not a stunt"......but c'mon man, it's a stunt.

[Mjh]

     Yeah, that's just terrible. Here's hoping this is just a tasteless attempt at a joke.

[The Mikado]

Courtesy of the Something Awful Goons:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So you can have your say as often as you like.  Note that apparently the site will restrict you if a suspiciously high amount of votes are cast in too short a timeframe, so spread them out.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

If it's not a stunt, it's absolutely disgusting.  Whether you're pro-choice or pro-life, I think everybody understands this is a severely complex issue... one that should be decided by a husband and wife, not a bunch of people on the Internet.  If you can't make this decision on your own, you quite honestly shouldn't be having sex.

If it is a stunt... I don't even know what to say... how and why would you come up with something like this?

Wow, I must be seriously f--ked up then.  It's stupid and all but, I don't really have an emotional response other than that.

You're leaving the decision whether or not to have a kid up to a bunch of people on the Internet.  Either you want a kid or you don't... it's not something that you ask advice for on the Internet from people who don't know your situation.

Dating advice... I can understand that.

Whether or not to get married... that's where I'd draw the line.

To have a kid... hell no.o

Inks I know you prefaced your remarks by "if this is not a stunt"......but c'mon man, it's a stunt.

Well, in that case, these people are messed up and have way too much time on their hands.

[Badger]

The husband is an anti-abortion activist. It's really just a stunt.

http://gawker.com/5694432/abortion+by+vote-probably-a-pro+life-stunt

Meh. Shoulda know it was a prank.

Downgrading from to simply "what's your point? ".

[Verily]

LOL, it's now at over 70% for an abortion. I guess their failed attempt at political viral marketing was defeated.

Amusingly, their website links to some site devoted to claiming voter fraud in the 2008 Senate election and impeaching Al Franken. Yup, no political message here, folks.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Quick someone tell 4chan!

[angus]

I voted.  But only once.   

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I voted.  But only once.   

You didn't vote for them to reproduce did you?