I understand that this is a difficult issue. And people face difficult decisions when it comes to this topic. People will always bring up the most difficult situation to defend the entire premises of abortion. But I believe what needs to happen is that those situations can be handled when they arise and the remaining should not be allowed. My biggest problem is with the adoption process and why it costs 30K + to adopt a child.

No, because every human life is valuable to the welfare of society.
At the very least there is that potential.

The moment your goals are so important to you you're willing to kill a little one to achieve them
is the moment you became a monster. The weakest sort; because you refused to even
control such an animalistic insinct; actually it's worse than that because you have a human mind.
Such a person becomes a curse to society, a lot more than an unwanted unborn baby.

I would suggest that what we need in society is less death and suffering,
and that we as a community in the West pocess the means with which to support
the unborn.

I believe in absolute and total freedom of individual. I’m not very well versed in the stages of pregnancy, and i do believe there is a certain point where other options need to be explored and abortion is no longer on the table, where that moment is exactly, I’m not sure. But there is nothing wrong with contraceptives, or the plan B (morning after) pill and the fundamental religious right would have us do away with both, so as with most things, there is a middle ground and discourse needs to take place to find the ultimate truth to benefit the most people. We shouldn’t cave to the fringe right, or left on anything.

I’ve come to view abortion as a last resort quality control on new people. Someone who is irresponsible enough to create an unwanted pregnancy, and does not want to take on the responsibility of raising a kid, is probably going to be a pretty bad parent. I think the welfare dependant population and the criminal population would explode without abortion.

The love of money is the root of all evil. Without abortion, where would Planned Parenthood get its money? Referrals for breast exams? I think not. It's all about the flow of money, folks. The love of money turns one into a callous, heartless and evil being. Prove me wrong.

Because it is an innocent life.

I believe in people being responsible for themselves and using a contraceptive. If you don’t want a child, have responsible sex. I believe a child is a child from the moment it is conceived.

What is going on in the US right now, not allowing intervention to save a child who has survived an abortion, is immoral and blatant murder.

This should be used only if the child’s birth endangers the life of the mother or in case of incest or rape. This is NOT a form of birth control. With all the available birth control this is where we should push back. Until there is a penalty for aborting a healthy fetus this will keep growing.

I must needs think of abortion as taking a human life. Obviously people do not grieve the loss of a 12 week reborn baby like they would a born 5-year-old child. There must, however, be a healthy respect for all human life.

I voted "no" for a couple of obvious reasons.

From a Western and UN perspective every human has an intrinsic value to the community, so I think after being conceived that being becomes of intrinsic communal value - so we must defend that one's right to NOT be murdered just like we would defend the right of anyone else being murdered.

People say the pro-life idea are only there to limit the rights of the woman carrying the child. It is not a to be the "only" reason or a prime motivator for this, that argument lacks substance. I think most of the pro-lifers do not want to oppress women, and I am understating that. They are simply putting a fine line between the independent going too far as to murders just like we do to dangerous people.

Its like this, people give limits to others inflicting harm or death upon others - they are called laws. To give anyone the right to kill anybody is a true "free" and "unrestricted" freedom of the individual, but that is going way too far and its not because we "hate liberty" or "free rights".

I voted no because if the fetus was to have an disability or what not it is not 100% correct that that is the case that they have something developing abnormally. We do not just terminate children (and I am talking about disabled children around the age of 4) because "they are going to have a hard life" - they still have intrinsic value to the society.

Now I am sure there a certain situations that may change my mind such as if the baby is somehow killing the mother from the inside and its the baby or the mother that survives - but I would need more information.

The sanctity of human life is a concept most of us embrace. Where we draw the line on when a human life comes into being is an issue which crosses many political and cultural divides. Traditionally it was when a baby draws its first breath, however many feel it is from the moment of conception.

I am not troubled by the idea of a woman having the choice to terminate within the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy. Terminations after that point should only be done if the pregnancy is causing identifiable harm to the mother.

In my research, I've found that approximately less than 1% of abortions performed in the United States are due to rape, incest, or health concerns for the mother/child. That means over 99% of abortions performed in the United States are a "matter of convenience" or just another form of "birth control". That's a statistic that doesn't set well with me. Especially since it takes "two to tango", yet, the second party (the man) has zero rights and zero say in the matter.

We protect insects and animals from extinction through environmental laws but allow human life to be discarded without a second thought.

I think abortion is optional, on birth, severe birth defects only.

The unborn are people by every scientific definition, therefore abortion is murder. All people should have equal rights, including the people who are the most vulnerable and voiceless. The right to life must not be taken away from any innocent person. Therefore abortion is murder. Birth control is not a reasonable argument for abortion.

Well I primarily consider myself pro-life and would like to limit abortions as much as reasonably possible. I do understand that every rule needs exceptions. I would make those exceptions for cases of rape or incest and danger to the mother's physical life. I could also understand aborting a severely malformed fetus.

What bothers me most about the ongoing debate these days is that people who advocate for unlimited abortions always present the most extreme cases as proof that we need unfettered and unlimited access to abortion.

Just yesterday I was talking to a former student of mine who used the example of the 11 year old girl from Argentina who was forced to carry a child that was the product of rape. I personally don't know anybody in American politics who is advocating forcing 11 year olds to carry babies resulting from rape. The laws in Argentina are not like the laws in the United States, so holding this child as an example of why we need even more lacks abortion laws then we had was intellectually unsound.

I believe there are situations when abortion is necessary but I also believe that there needs to be protections for the unborn. We need to debate the question, when is a fetus a human? As our laws stand in most states, If the fetus is wanted its murder to end that life.....unwanted fetus - murder is legal through abortion. Our laws should not be based on whether human life is wanted or unwanted.

I am for government staying as much out of peoples lives as possible. The Roe v. Wade rulings and opinions actually do a good job of explaining the balance between government interest and individual rights. If you are not familiar with those rulings/opinions then I think you are ill-informed to hold a strong opinion on the subject. In my experience most of this debate is emotion based on ignorance.

In the case of rape, incest or severe disability or health issues for woman.

Murder!

I think another issue that has never been addressed is why does there seem to be no interest in optional contrisetives for males other than condoms and vasectomy. There is a need and it would offset much of the unwanted pregnancies. Reproductive rights and freedoms are important for both sexes.

Considering a human life, you set the bar high. The question at hand is whether or not a fetus is a “viable human”. It has nothing to do with “a woman’s body”. If there was anything for the pro side to stand on they wouldn’t have come up with a dodge instead of an argument. One of the most common ways for identifying an individual is through fingerprints. The child in the womb has a different set of those than it’s mother.

I believe in a woman's faculty and domain over her own body, but only to an extent. Once a child is created, a father has no say whatsoever in whether or not that baby can be born...nor whether or not he is responsible financially or legally for aforementioned human. The cards are stacked against men regardless of race...and it is something men face without the opportunity to be heard let alone fight back against legally. In the rare case of rape or abandonment, I see 10 weeks as wholly suffiscient to end a pregnancy. When it comes to 3rd trimester or post-birth abortion, I am absolutely devastated by the state of our humanity to allow such "liberties" to overrule science and compassion.

I can't support the possibility of ending a life for a percieved advantage.

I don't agree with abortion for any reason based on my own person beliefs. Having said that, it is legal, and I cannot say it is not a right, based on that alone. I do however feel it should be highly regulated, I think if the push for regulations was consistent and our prolife lawmakers would not waive on that , that it would eventually be something almost impossible to receive. I also feel the largest problem is when people say " Im not for abortion but what women do with their bodies is not my business," no it is your business when it's between right and wrong.Too many people are to quick to turn their head rather than stand up and speak.