What's your Abortion Policy?

[Darth Plagueis]

Pro-Life. Abortion should be illegal in all cases but the life of the mother.

[Redalgo]

My stance is a lot like True Federalist's.

Pro-choice for the first two trimesters, then pro-life during the third, with the concern mainly being a balance between the mother's rights and those of the life form within her gradually developing toward personhood. No exceptions in the third trimester, except for serious risks to the mother's survival. Minors should be able to get the procedure done without parental consent or notification, if that is what they want.

[Kushahontas]

Pro-Choice. 24-hour Abortion on-demand. Partial-birth abortion as well. No questions asked. Federal funding.

[barfbag]

I am going to ask the question in a few different ways in order to demonstrate how certain forms of the abortion question can cause different reactions in people.

Are you pro-life?

People feel better when they say they're pro-life.

Are you pro-choice?

Most people still will want to say yes.

Are you pro-life or pro-choice?

This question is the best way to find out just how people feel because they're faced with a choice between the two.

Do you support a woman's right to choose?

People feel better about themselves by saying yes.

Do you support a ban on abortions?

Despite how strongly people feel, they're more likely to oppose federal intervention.

Do you support partial birth abortion?

Notice how this provokes a different response. The problem is that humans, especially Americans can't stand to feel guilty about themselves. This lack of responsibility demonstrates to a degree our nature as humans. Below are two actual polls taken on the matter.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/gallup-more-americans-are-pro-life-pro-choice_738558.html

http://www.newsmax.com/US/abortion-pro-life-pro-choice-poll/2012/11/14/id/464121

Both of the above polls have been taken in the last year and we all know the public's opinion doesn't change so drastically on such a sensitive issue. If anything, this is an issue where people are very unlikely to change their position unless of course they're in politics.

[windjammer]

Pro-choice: 1st semester without restriction, abortion funding,...
Pro life: 2nd semester with exception of rape, incest, mother's life,
Pro life: 3rd semester, only if mother's life is in danger.


Well, I believe abortion should be safe, legal and rare. So I support sex education.


So I guess I'm moderately pro-choice.

[politicallefty]

I'm pro-choice until viability, which I think is right around 24-25 weeks. That would pretty much restrict 3rd trimester abortions, which would be reserved for the life of the mother.

That's my political position on abortion. On a personal note, I don't think it's right.

[Pheurton Skeurto]

I'm pro-choice until viability, which I think is right around 24-25 weeks. That would pretty much restrict 3rd trimester abortions, which would be reserved for the life of the mother.

That's my political position on abortion. On a personal note, I don't think it's right.

Exactly this.

[barfbag]

The free market would fix problems if abortion was made legal. In a strong economy, even if people simply don't want kids, we'd have a big enough surplus and a strong enough private sector to afford more childcare services, daycares, and adoption centers. Gay adoptions should be made legal too in order to increase and expedite adoptions. Here is my new abortion policy.


Increase Home Owner Mortgage Deduction.
Provide low income housing tax credit to encourage multifamily housing.
No deductions for credit and debit card payments.
Allow for IRA tax deductions for deposits of $2,000 or more.
Require social security numbers for dependents over the age of 5.
Remove tax shelters for real estate investments.
Remove marriage tax.
Remove death tax for those with less than $600,000 property value.
Reduce windfall profit taxes by 23%.
Cut capital gains taxes nearly in half.
Provide tax simplification by requiring employers to deduct federal taxes.
Make child tax credit permanent.
Eliminate corporate taxes for companies with shareholders to bring back jobs.
Make a Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
60% supermajority needed to raise taxes.
No national sales tax or VAT.
Tax increases damage federal revenue by causing higher unemployment.

Tax Brackets:

income < $64,600      15%
income < $195,000    28%
income > $195,000    33%

Non-Shareholder Corporate Tax Brackets:

income < $50,000                 15%
income $50,000-$75,000       25%
income > $75,000                 34%

Deductions:

medical and dental expenses
charitable contributions
casualty and theft losses
qualified interest on property used as a residence
estate tax

Jobs and job training programs are also essential. With low taxes comes strong GDP growth as we saw in the 1980's. We're going to have a lot more revenue in the private sector which eventually leads to job creation whether direct or indirect. In order to not have to rely on the "trickle down" effect though, we need innovation. Innovation is also a major component to a strong economy. When people are able to start their own businesses and succeed competition increases. Competition is another huge aspect to our nation's free enterprise economy. How will we get there? We'll need to spend some money, but once people are qualified, the economy will see another jump start. Here is an outline of goals followed by policies to get there.

Prepare youth and unskilled adults for entry into labor force.
Provide job training to economically disadvantaged individuals.
Carry out summer adult and youth programs.
Provide employment and training assistance for dislocated workers.
Establish a racially and gender diverse National Employment Commission.
Extend unemployment benefits by 20 weeks.
Extend unemployment benefits through recessions.
Restrict employer interference in union organizing.
Keep minimum wage as is in order to maintain a lower cost of living.
Allow for Air Traffic Controller's to unionize.
Secret ballot as opposed to card check.
Ban discriminatory compensation by allowing 2 years to sue.
Stronger enforcement against gender based pay discrimination.

 
Adult and Youth Programs:

Maintain networks of learning centers to prepare students to meet state and local general education diploma competency requirements.

Provide a pre-employment skills training program for youth from ages 14 to 21, with priority given to those who do not meet established academic achievement levels and plan on entering the labor force after graduation.

Provide for an entry employment experience program for youth who meet certain requirements.

Provide for a school to work transition assistance program for high school seniors with an economic disadvantage and dropouts.
 

Native Americans and Seasonal Workers:

Establish administrative procedures and machinery for the selection, administration, monitoring, and evaluation of Native American and Seasonal farmworker employment and training programs through the Department of Labor.

Set forth employment for seasonal farmworkers by requiring public agencies and non-profit organizations to administer a diversified employable development program for them.

Labor Department to work with state and local officials in administering national farmworker programs.


Job Corps:

Maintains a Job Corps for disadvantaged youth to operate exclusively as a distinct national program.

Labor Department will make payments to organizations for the cost of recruitment, screening, and selection.

Arrange for advanced career training programs for selected members for one additional year of Corps participation. Work with businesses and labor unions.

Provide Corps enrollees with allowances and support.

Secretary of Defense to arrange pilot projects at Job Corps Centers to prepare youth for military service. Work with community based organizations.

Allow for charitable donations to Job Corps.

Veterans- Conduct programs to meet training needs of disabled veterans recently separated from military service.


Summer Youth Employment and Training Programs:

Target specific territories for summer youth program.
Teach job training activities designed for employment preparation and retention.
Require programs to be conducted during summer months.
Economically disadvantaged people under the age of 22 are eligible for such programs.


Employment Training Assistance for Dislocated Workers:

25% of appropriations for this bill go to the states to help with job training programs, mass layoffs, and natural disasters.

Authorize states to identify a list of eligible citizens who have been laid off, terminated, are long term unemployed, or have limited opportunities for employment.

Require full consultation with a labor organization before states are given further assistance.

Require states to submit a plan for the use of assistance including provisions for coordinating programs, energy conservation programs, and social services.

Lastly, don't forget free trade. We should always be opening up new markets to U.S. exports while creating a business friendly economy at home in order to bring jobs back from overseas. Corporate taxes could be eliminated for companies with share holders. Keep wages low as well in order to keep costs down due to affordability. With low wages and low costs comes a greater value of the dollar. Such an economy would surely make things more livable for younger parents, childcare centers, daycare, and adoptions.

[Flake]

I'm pro-choice until viability, which I think is right around 24-25 weeks. That would pretty much restrict 3rd trimester abortions, which would be reserved for the life of the mother.

That's my political position on abortion. On a personal note, I don't think it's right.

Exactly this.

[courts]

heart beat laws with exceptions for certain severe/low-survival rate deformities like anencephaly or harlequin ichthyosis.

[All Along The Watchtower]

I believe that women should have reproductive rights, which include unrestricted access to abortion.

I also believe that men, including myself, are not qualified to make policy on the matter.

[Indy Texas]

As with most constitutionally protected rights, I support a woman's right to an abortion and the right of government at various levels to regulate it in prudent ways.

When you're dealing with a medical issue, it's important that those regulations be reflective of and responsive to scientific and medical developments.

During the first push to legalize abortion in the early and mid-20th century, there was no reliable form of birth control that women could utilize (they were at the mercy of men choosing to use condoms or choosing to "pull out" at the right time). Prenatal diagnostics were limited; it wasn't possible to detect fetal abnormalities until very late in the pregnancy or after birth. Childbirth itself was far riskier to the mother.

We don't live in that world anymore. While I am not morally opposed to abortion on demand with no restrictions, I don't think it is necessary anymore from the perspective of protecting women's health and choices as to whether to continue a pregnancy to term. An abortion policy that balances preserving the choices of women and families with whatever "public interest" exists in placing limits on abortion access is one that will not place a family in the position of having their right to an abortion limited before the family has all of the information needed to make that choice.

The problem with the current crop of abortion restrictions popping up is that they limit the procedure at a time when many serious fetal abnormalities cannot be detected and possibly to a time when a woman will not even be aware she is pregnant. This places a burden on all women, but especially on poor women who are less likely to be getting routine check-ups that would bring this to their attention.

I also believe anti-choice legislators who feel there is a compelling public interest in limiting abortion should be required to make a comparable public investment in addressing the consequences of unwanted children being born. These would include resources for foster care and adoption; more spending on early childcare; and more spending on education and healthcare for children with physical and mental disabilities.

I also believe in a comprehensive family planning policy that acknowledges that the best way to avoid abortion is to avoid pregnancy, and that society is healthier economically and socially when women and families can control their reproductive health and not have more children than is sustainable for them or for society.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Illegal after the first trimester with life/health/rape/incest exceptions only after implementation of national comprehensive sex education and full government coverage of both male and female contraception costs.

[SPC]

If someone with standing to file a wrongful death suit could demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that a woman commissioned the death of a sentient human being, they would probably obtain a settlement. Otherwise it would likely be thrown out as a frivolous suit with the plaintiff ordered to pay the legal fees of the defendant.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

I'm not Pro-Choice or Pro-Life. This shouldn't even be an issue for government. The government has no business regulating what women do with their bodies.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Pro-life, unless the mother's life is severely threatened.

[morgieb]

I'm pro-choice until viability, which I think is right around 24-25 weeks. That would pretty much restrict 3rd trimester abortions, which would be reserved for the life of the mother.

That's my political position on abortion. On a personal note, I don't think it's right.

Exactly this.

[Gass3268]

I'm actually quite radical on this issue. I don't support any ban, and I support federal funding for abortion. Agree pretty much with TNF.

Exactly this.

I never understood the ban on federal funds for abortion. From a moral viewpoint, my family and I never supported the war in Iraq. So why should our tax money go to support war? Its the same logic used to deny what should be the proper funding to medical coverage that includes abortion.

[barfbag]

I'm actually quite radical on this issue. I don't support any ban, and I support federal funding for abortion. Agree pretty much with TNF.

Exactly this.

I never understood the ban on federal funds for abortion. From a moral viewpoint, my family and I never supported the war in Iraq. So why should our tax money go to support war? Its the same logic used to deny what should be the proper funding to medical coverage that includes abortion.

That's partisan logic.

[Gass3268]

I'm actually quite radical on this issue. I don't support any ban, and I support federal funding for abortion. Agree pretty much with TNF.

Exactly this.

I never understood the ban on federal funds for abortion. From a moral viewpoint, my family and I never supported the war in Iraq. So why should our tax money go to support war? Its the same logic used to deny what should be the proper funding to medical coverage that includes abortion.

That's partisan logic.

How? I disagree with war, I don't want want my tax dollars to pay for war. No different than someone who opposes abortion who doesn't want to see their tax dollars pay for abortions.. Why is their opinion more vaild than mine?

[barfbag]

I'm actually quite radical on this issue. I don't support any ban, and I support federal funding for abortion. Agree pretty much with TNF.

Exactly this.

I never understood the ban on federal funds for abortion. From a moral viewpoint, my family and I never supported the war in Iraq. So why should our tax money go to support war? Its the same logic used to deny what should be the proper funding to medical coverage that includes abortion.

That's partisan logic.

How? I disagree with war, I don't want want my tax dollars to pay for war. No different than someone who opposes abortion who doesn't want to see their tax dollars pay for abortions.. Why is their opinion more vaild than mine?

No one's opinion is more valid, but I hope we're above opinions here on this forum. All of our tax dollars go towards things we don't like at some point or another. There are elections to fix this every two years.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

Pro-choice during the first two trimesters, pro-life except for risk to the mother's life in the third trimester.

Essentially this. Aren't abortions rare in third trimesters anyway?

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

If you can take the infant out and it can survive on it's own, or would have a chance to, then that must be done.  Other than that I'd oppose any restrictions on the ability to obtain an abortion. 

[Maxwell]

Pro-Choice until viability, no federal funds for abortion.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

So, I wonder if the pro life movement died a bit after the partial birth abortion ban act. I mean, surely many people are just content with that?