I don't often stand up and shout from the rooftops about anything, but this is an issue I feel so strongly about, I couldn't stay silent.
President elect Obama has promised to sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law in his first 100 days in office. I feel we all need to do everything we can to make sure this doesn't happen.
FOCA would establish the right to abortion as a fundamental right (like the right to free speech) and wipe away every restriction on abortion nationwide, including partial birth abortions. (For those who are unfamiliar with partial birth abortion, it is a procedure done late in the pregnancy term, when the baby could have lived viably outside the womb. The abortion is performed part-way through the birthing process.)
It will eradicate state and federal abortion laws that the majority of Americans support and prevent states from enacting similar protective measures in the future.
Twice, President elect Obama has voted against saving the lives of babies who lived through attempted abortions. We can't let his views on abortion become laws!
Please read the expert analysis by Americans United for Life (AUL) and sign the Fight FOCA petition
I can not seem to find a fair and balanced piece about this act on line anywhere. Which just goes to show that both sides are turning to extremism to try to promote their views.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of whether I think abortion is right or wrong, I don't think that I (or the gov't) have the right to force anyone else to believe (or act) as I do.
Actually, I think the government /should/ tell us what is okay to do and not to do in a lot of cases. Stealing. Murder. Lying. Sending a bomb in the mail. Even when to go and when to stop when we're driving down the road. They should tell us whether we can keep our restaurant open if there are rats living in the kitchen. They should tell us whether we can dump our nuclear waste in our neighbor's backyard or not.
ReplyDeleteWe're not talking about the woman's right to choose flats over high heels here. I do have to say, though, that I think women /should/ absolutely have a choice as to when to have a baby and when not to have a baby, just as she should choose when to have sex and when not to have sex. Oh, wait. Those are the same thing. Once she's chosen one, she chooses the other by default - Just as a person can choose whether to show up for their job, but they can't choose whether their boss will fire them because of it.
I'm not saying that I would fight to the death to stop any and all abortions from happening, despite the fact that I think it's wrong. I'm just saying that I think this bill goes way, way too far in the wrong direction, saying that any abortion under any circumstances is okay. No more laws about whether the person performing the abortion be a physician, even.
If a child falls and cracks their head at school, they can't even get an asprin without parental consent. I mean, we have to consider the fact that this is a surgery - or at the very least, a medical procedure. Doesn't a minor at least have to have parental consent for any other medical procedure to be performed?
I just think it's frightening that our new president pledged that the very first thing he would do - before going after terrorists, before fighting crime or fixing the economy - was to put this law into effect. To make sure that mothers have the right to end their child's life at any time, in any place, on any whim.
Your argument, Jennifer, was and is BRILLIANT. You took the words right out of my mouth. I always say that I'm pro-choice: you can choose whether or not or when to have sex. After that, your choice has been made. Some may think you shouldn't impose your beliefs on others, but I'm all for being an advocate for those who don't have a voice or say in the matter.
ReplyDeleteThank you for drawing my attention to this issue - I knew that Pres. Elect Obama had some screwed up ideas regarding abortion (like neglecting a baby who survived a late-term abortion until it died), but for some reason, I wasn't aware of this. I'm going to definitely help spread the word. Thanks again!
Got the email. Thanks. I had no idea as I usually only watch Dora and Backyardigans. Will be joining the effort to spread the word.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heather. I love being called Brilliant. :)
ReplyDeleteElana, no fair! You get to watch Backyardigans, too? I only get to watch Dora!!! All the time!!! :D
I found a link http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.2020: that is the actual text of FOCA. I read the whole the whole thing and couldn't find anything about legalizing partial birth abortions, except in the case of mother's health.
ReplyDeletePlease read it and decide for yourself, and please correct me if I'm mistaken.
Kim, Thanks for clarifying that on the post-viability issue. It does say it would be prohibited after the baby is deemed likely to be viable.
ReplyDeleteBut, some things in the documents do bother me. First of all, they keep talking about Roe v. Wade as if it is some holy grail or something. i.e. "we need to protect against these people who are trying to overturn Roe v. Wade" It just has always bothered me that the judgement of one judge in one court case is determining what is okay and what is not okay for the entire country.
Also, their reasons for wanting to make abortion a fundamental right of women are flawed. Because a lot of women will have unsafe abortions and the mortality will be high, we need to make it legal.
If something is wrong, you don't make it legal just because some people are going to do it anyway. You have to believe it isn't fundamentally wrong for that argument to hold up.
If abortion is illegal, a lot less people will have abortions, and, therefore, a lot less babies will die. Maybe people will even be more careful about safe sex to begin with if they know abortion is illegal.
It's a watery argument - though, admittedly, much better than the rest of the arguments they site, which are:
1 - many women cross state lines to get abortions.
I just can't believe people would think that is a good reason for making it legal.
2 - abortion clinics are commercial actors and they purchase equipment, supplies, etc.
We're talking about a matter of life and death, and one of their "reasons" for passing this act is because of commerce?
3 - abortion clinics employ doctors and other personnel who have to cross state lines in order to perform abortions.
I just have to give another big "WAH" to this one. We should make abortion legal so doctors don't have to cross state lines?
I do have to say, though, that I'm relieved that the act does exclude abortions that are performed after viability. At least if it does somehow pass, there will still be some restrictions.