Is there a middle on abortion?

The news is really excellent! The president opened up some room for fruitful discussion. Now what we need is an organization that promotes birth control but opposes abortion. I'm imagining something that competes with Planned Parenthood to supply contraception and accurate medical information. If that organization was frankly against performing or recommending abortions they could get a lot of support from the millions of Americans who hate abortion almost as much as they hate most Pro-Life groups.

Paul Bradford, Pro-Life Catholics for Choice

Paul Bradford wrote:

The news is really excellent! The president opened up some room for fruitful discussion. Now what we need is an organization that promotes birth control but opposes abortion. I'm imagining something that competes with Planned Parenthood to supply contraception and accurate medical information. If that organization was frankly against performing or recommending abortions they could get a lot of support from the millions of Americans who hate abortion almost as much as they hate most Pro-Life groups.
Paul Bradford, Pro-Life Catholics for Choice

Why oppose abortion? Because you don't like it?

Planned Parenthood is an excellent organization that does much more than provide abortion.

Paul Bradford wrote:

The news is really excellent! The president opened up some room for fruitful discussion. Now what we need is an organization that promotes birth control but opposes abortion. I'm imagining something that competes with Planned Parenthood to supply contraception and accurate medical information. If that organization was frankly against performing or recommending abortions they could get a lot of support from the millions of Americans who hate abortion almost as much as they hate most Pro-Life groups.
Paul Bradford, Pro-Life Catholics for Choice

Planned Parenthood already provides contraception and accurate medical information. All who are pro-choice want to reduce the need for abortion, not the access to it for those already pregnant. Improving sex ed in schools and providing birth control to women, those who are pro-choice hope to reduce the need for abortions. But abortion must, and will, remain legal.

jlmiller wrote:

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Why oppose abortion? Because you don't like it?
Planned Parenthood is an excellent organization that does much more than provide abortion.

Oh, yeah. Planned Parenthood is developing a sterling reputation at the forefront of protecting underage molestation victims and reporting crimes against minors.

And so generous with their services that despite massive profits (to the tune of $85 million last year) that they still need additional government incentives (our tax dollars) in order to promote "Preproductive Health" options - a.k.a. abortion - to minority communities, notably blacks, in major cities throughout the U.S.

chantlaura wrote:

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Oh, yeah. Planned Parenthood is developing a sterling reputation at the forefront of protecting underage molestation victims and reporting crimes against minors.
And so generous with their services that despite massive profits (to the tune of $85 million last year) that they still need additional government incentives (our tax dollars) in order to promote "Preproductive Health" options - a.k.a. abortion - to minority communities, notably blacks, in major cities throughout the U.S.

And WHO is forcing you to use Planned Parenthood if you don't want to? The answer is simple; no one. So you can stay out of PP and others who want to can use it. See how well CHOICE works?

Your voice is silenced when it comes to Dafur.., right..., preach on brother, never mind your rafters are rotting...., and a big hello to you and your church...

chantlaura wrote:

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Oh, yeah. Planned Parenthood is developing a sterling reputation at the forefront of protecting underage molestation victims and reporting crimes against minors.
And so generous with their services that despite massive profits (to the tune of $85 million last year) that they still need additional government incentives (our tax dollars) in order to promote "Preproductive Health" options - a.k.a. abortion - to minority communities, notably blacks, in major cities throughout the U.S.

Ocean -

PP is in the business of making a profit, regardless its artificial non-profit status. And it makes that profit by selling goods and services - and from taking a cut from the United Way Campaign (which ranges from voluntary to coerced contributions) and from our tax dollars.

It's selling a product - and if a little Madison Avenue-type "reinvention" of the concept is in order, then that's what they're going to do.

There are a lot of other places where women can get gyn. services and contraceptive assistance - and better.

chantlaura wrote:

Ocean -
PP is in the business of making a profit, regardless its artificial non-profit status. And it makes that profit by selling goods and services - and from taking a cut from the United Way Campaign (which ranges from voluntary to coerced contributions) and from our tax dollars.
It's selling a product - and if a little Madison Avenue-type "reinvention" of the concept is in order, then that's what they're going to do.
There are a lot of other places where women can get gyn. services and contraceptive assistance - and better.

Rant on all you want about PP, it makes no difference to ME or any other woman who chooses to use its services. You don't get to decide for me or anyone else what women's clinics are "better" to use. Each woman can decide that for herself.

Sure there's a middle... It called politics... They don't care as long as they get elected in their districts !!

Pro-Life means that you don't value any one human person over another, period.
And please spare us the the political spin game. The GOP is more successful at using abortion to its advantage? How many Democrats are pro-life? Here's a hint, less than pro-choice Republicans. Both political parties are polarized on abortion, but only the democrat party is actually effective. They can seek public funding of abortion, abortion on demand, abolishing the right to conscientious objection for doctors, and support partial birth abortion, and still make believe that they are not radical. No democrats are much more radical than any others, they are just more effective.
(Signed) Someone who is too pro-life to call himself a republican.

jlmiller wrote:

<quoted text>
Why oppose abortion? Because you don't like it?
Planned Parenthood is an excellent organization that does much more than provide abortion.

Yeah, it also makes a huge profit.

Paul Bradford wrote:

The news is really excellent! The president opened up some room for fruitful discussion. Now what we need is an organization that promotes birth control but opposes abortion. I'm imagining something that competes with Planned Parenthood to supply contraception and accurate medical information. If that organization was frankly against performing or recommending abortions they could get a lot of support from the millions of Americans who hate abortion almost as much as they hate most Pro-Life groups.
Paul Bradford, Pro-Life Catholics for Choice

Pro-life Catholics for the Choice to do what? Murder. It simply doesn't cut it Paul.

No. I guess I don't believe there is any reasonable middle ground on abortion. Everytime it's discussed on Topix I'm reminded of this. It inspires aggression, insults, tantrums, and hatred here, and I spose out in the world as well. Good luck President Obama - it's commendable that you'd try to jump-start the discussion and debate, I just think it's not an issue where facts or data mean a damn thing - it's a visceral emotional issue and not amenable to polite discussion... What I'd really like to know is how many people have changed their opinions on abortion over the course of their lifetimes, and what drove them to this...

Newsday is at it again. They work in pro-abortion bias as well as Davinci worked in oils.

It was the intollerant pro-life position that lost the election for the Republicans in 2008 and not the fact we were in two wars and the we had the worse stock market crash since the Depression. Can this writer write this with a straight face?

If this is true, why is it in just one year, the Pro-Life indentity has picked up 8% and now is the majority view in the US? Gallop had multiple polls that confirmed this, and Fox News came in at 49% as the pro-life number. It is a valid number.

The numbers not only grew with Conservatives, but there was a 7 point rise in Moderates within the past year. The only group that stayed relatively consistent were Liberals, and even they have lost 7 points since 2005.

This bias writer says the majority in this poll still wants abortion legal, but doesn't read, understand or is truthful enough to cite only 22% of America wants abortion legal always, with no restrictions, which is cited in this same poll. These are the most militant pro-abortion people out there and even this number is down 6 points in one year. The most militant abortion supports went from 28% to 22% in one year, losing 21% of their base. Planned Parenthood must be terrified.

Both men and women, Catholic, Protestant and Other/None religious demographics became Pro-Life during this past year. It was a clean sweep across the boards. Why?

Barack Obama deserves some credit, yes. When a man was the only vote in the Illinois legislature to deny a baby who survived an abortion and was outside on the womb, breathing by itself any type of medical or life-savings treatments, America understood his extremism and said, "We as Americans, are better than this..."

We are as a kind country much, much better than this and the American heart is coming around.

conservatives and republicans should never, ever buy newsday. newsday is your enemy. newsday has worked for years to defeat every republican or conservative canadidate running for office they could. newsday always supports the democrat or liberal. advice from newsday is advice from an enemy. pay no heed to it. and never, ever buy newsday.

Gualberto wrote:

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Every woman, except the 20 million women murdered by abortion in the womb.

Whatever.@@ If you have problems with Planned Parenthood, no one is forcing YOU to use its services. You just don't get to decide which clinics other women can use. If they want to use PP, there's nothing you can do to stop them.

Wyoming Man wrote:

No. I guess I don't believe there is any reasonable middle ground on abortion. Everytime it's discussed on Topix I'm reminded of this. It inspires aggression, insults, tantrums, and hatred here, and I spose out in the world as well. Good luck President Obama - it's commendable that you'd try to jump-start the discussion and debate, I just think it's not an issue where facts or data mean a damn thing - it's a visceral emotional issue and not amenable to polite discussion... What I'd really like to know is how many people have changed their opinions on abortion over the course of their lifetimes, and what drove them to this...

Unfortunately I'd have to agree completely with you here...I don't think that there's any "middle-ground" to be found on the subject of abortion.
You stated it perfectly that the issue is a: "visceral, emotional one and not amenable to political discourse."
I personally know a couple of people who've changed their minds, but they haven't gone from being "pro-choice" to "pro-life." They've simply started giving more thought to the consequences of having an abortion. The thing that changed their minds...becoming parents.

Wyoming Man wrote:

No. I guess I don't believe there is any reasonable middle ground on abortion. Everytime it's discussed on Topix I'm reminded of this. It inspires aggression, insults, tantrums, and hatred here, and I spose out in the world as well. Good luck President Obama - it's commendable that you'd try to jump-start the discussion and debate, I just think it's not an issue where facts or data mean a damn thing - it's a visceral emotional issue and not amenable to polite discussion... What I'd really like to know is how many people have changed their opinions on abortion over the course of their lifetimes, and what drove them to this...

Personally, I think there could be a middle ground, as far as trying to find ways to increase the availability of contraception to women who can't afford it now because of the expense and improving the quality of sex education in public middle and high schools.

The way I see it, increased contraception and more reliable, FACT-based information offered in school sex ed programs about how pregnancy can and does occur, would go a long way in reducing the number of abortions. I and most prochoicers I know are in favor of such programs, but it seems to be the far-right folks who are constantly opposing them. I have to wonder WHY that is.

Have you been to a doctor like this one?
http://www.wntube.net/play.php...

Wyoming Man wrote:

No. I guess I don't believe there is any reasonable middle ground on abortion. Everytime it's discussed on Topix I'm reminded of this. It inspires aggression, insults, tantrums, and hatred here, and I spose out in the world as well. Good luck President Obama - it's commendable that you'd try to jump-start the discussion and debate, I just think it's not an issue where facts or data mean a damn thing - it's a visceral emotional issue and not amenable to polite discussion... What I'd really like to know is how many people have changed their opinions on abortion over the course of their lifetimes, and what drove them to this...

Of course there is a middle ground-- or at least, there should be. The middle ground is to find ways to reduce the number of abortions-- which everyone would like to see, right?

What is each side willing to give up to make that happen, though?

If the right wishes to stop "baby murders", then they must soften their moralistic stance on contraception use. The more contraception available, the fewer abortions. The cannot simply push an "abstinence only" stance in the public arena. This may be most in keeping with their spiritual values, but it goes against the grain of a free society.... and it INCREASES the numbers of unwanted pregnancies significantly. See Bristol Palin.

If the left wishes to keep politicians "out of their wombs", then they need to make real concessions on the most egregious procedures. Late term abortions are horrific, and should be outlawed. No woman who is raped would wait 6 months to 'accidentally' discover she's pregnant. Particularly after a crime of violence, women can take the "Morning After" pill (which must stay legal, as it is NOT abortion) and they can monitor their status daily to see if they've become impregnated. No woman should be able to choose an abortion once the baby is viable.

These seem like sensible, middle ground solutions, do they not? They would reduce the overall number of abortions significantly, and would end late-term (third trimester) abortions completely.

Can't everyone live with that?