Rape, Incest, and Abortion

[Free Palestine]

No exceptions for incest or rape.  Allowing it in cases of rape suggests that men can sexually abuse women without consequence, and incest is always either voluntary or involuntary.  Ban abortion, but allow contraceptives and adoption as alternatives.

How so? Allowing abortion in the case of rape has nothing to do with what punishment the rapist should get, and not allowing it only punishes women for being raped.

It may not be legal, but it suggests that to society.

I think the alternative suggests to society that women ought to incur consequences for having been raped.

Well, why punish the baby for something it didn't do?

Why punish the female by having to carry the spawn of her rapist in her uterus for nine months, and then endure hours of pain in order to expel it?  Plus having to deal with all the "oh you're pregnant, how nice!" crap.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

People who think abortion should be illegal but not in the case of rape are hypocrites. Their position makes absolutely no sense. That said if you're not going to be sensible and make all abortions (within a reasonable time frame of fertilization) legal and freely available, I am supportive of as many exceptions as possible, especially exceptions that are very easy to lie about.

This. Who cares what a woman does with her body? That's her choice. The alternative, having abortions in back allies and on the black market, is far more dangerous. That's what right wingers who are pro-life don't seem to understand.

[Donerail]

If abortion is going to be illegal, I'm for as many exceptions as possible, especially if people can just lie to get one.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

No, the "what about rape?" argument is incoherent.

(1) It's easy to lie about it. If you're going to abort your baby, which is already a despicable act, what's to stop you from the (relatively) harmless act of lying about being raped?

(I must admit that I would have expected a stern lecture from the left on my heartlessness, but I see so far that many of our pro-abortion members openly discuss and even cheer on this hypothetical action, which makes them more evil than I even expected.)

(2) The entire 'pro-life' idea is based on the idea that the fetus in a person, and that it is therefore wrong to end its life. If that is true (which I think it is), one cannot legitimately say that it's less of a person when it's the product of rape. (In fact, this brings right back to square one, with the arguments about every child being planned/wanted by their mother.)

(3) You can't punish the child for the crimes of his/her father.

And of course the entire "what about rape?" question is, in essence, an argument ad misericordiam at best, and a red herring at worst.

And in the case of incest, it is a less legitimate exception than even that of rape. If it was consensual, then the subsequent abortion is just like the other 80%+ of abortions performed for convenience; otherwise, it's rape and we're back to the arguments presented above.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

No exceptions for incest or rape.  Allowing it in cases of rape suggests that men can sexually abuse women without consequence, and incest is always either voluntary or involuntary.  Ban abortion, but allow contraceptives and adoption as alternatives.

Disgusting. Children should not be seen as punishment (consequence). That's what jail is for. As a father of a young child, I find your comments to be extremely offensive. Shame on you!

I don't view children as a punishment, but some people might think that, and they are the ones that are in the wrong.

[morgieb]

If abortion is going to be illegal, I'm for as many exceptions as possible, especially if people can just lie to get one.

[Donerail]

Many of our pro-abortion members openly discuss and even cheer on this hypothetical action, which makes them more evil than I even expected.

Demonizing your opponents as evil. Great job!

[minionofmidas]

I thought this poll was going to be about which of the three I'd most like to try.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Many pro-lifers allow for a rape exception because they are making allowance for a very difficult situation for the mother. It's not entirely consistent from a principled view, but political positions often aren't, and in some cases maybe even shouldn't be (since our principles sometimes leave out complexity).  I wouldn't support an exception because I think protection of life is still the paramount value here, but it's not an easy question, and it's not just a matter of people who think that abortion is just a problem because of sex.

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Many of our pro-abortion members openly discuss and even cheer on this hypothetical action, which makes them more evil than I even expected.

Demonizing your opponents as evil. Great job!

Considering your original response to this thread, you certainly are (at least as far as the subject in question is concerned).

[Donerail]

Many of our pro-abortion members openly discuss and even cheer on this hypothetical action, which makes them more evil than I even expected.

Demonizing your opponents as evil. Great job!

Considering your original response to this thread, you certainly are (at least as far as the subject in question is concerned).

[Free Palestine]

Frankly, I find it offensive that the state can legally control a woman's body.  It seems to me to be fundamentally antithetical to women's equality.

[stegosaurus]

I believe that abortion should be legal until the fetus is viable (we can save the debate on the definition of "viable" for another thread). No exceptions needed.