Our editorial on today’s Opinion page notes that an initiative approved last week by the U.S. House offers rare common ground on abortion. The Reducing the Need for Abortions Initiative includes $647 million for health, economic and educational assistance for women and families. This holistic approach is supported by a study of Kansas data that found that "increasing employment opportunities for families, access to education for children, and health insurance for working families can and will decrease the number of abortions."
Some social conservatives aren’t supportive of some of the programs funded by the initiative, such as increased access to contraceptives and comprehensive sex education. They also are skeptical about whether the initiative is really about reducing abortion, or about funding social programs and trying to make the Democratic Party appear less pro-choice.
On the other side, some liberals complain that the primary focus should be on preventing pregnancies rather than trying to encourage pregnant women not to have abortions.
But most Americans likely will appreciate these attempts to work together on a complicated issue.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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42 Comments
Safe, Legal, Rare. It’s not a pipe dream.
We pro-choicers have always said we wished nobody ever had to feel like they needed an abortion. Prevention IS ALWAYS the best.
Sex is not only a desire it is a biological imperative, that is why abstinences only is a flawed concept.depending on a social or religious imperative to battle the most basic human need. It is like saying that you should not breath! Until we as a species face that reality and come to grips with it, recognizing it and take it into account. We as a species shall be cursed with abortion and ignorance. Will power is a great defense against many incidences but not a total defense. In those moments understanding and education is the key.
We as a species must tear down the stigma and clumsy bug-a-boos of trying to fight the realities of our own being. Such as that in a religious stance, the forbiddance of sex is not for our own welfare as much as it is to prove our devotion to God. A suffering for the faith, yet is it not true that all fall short? In those times that one falls short, would it not be prudent to use a condom or know what measure to take?
Such measure should be on the same level as buying toilet paper. If one is seen buying toilet paper, there is no embarrassment, no fear of someone pointing and snickering and them thinking “OH I know what you are going to do!”. Yet sex is a simple biological function too, taking the big deal out of it is the route to go.
“Taking the big deal out of sex” is too adult for the snickering social conservatives.
If anything we should be trying to get folks to have more babies. We are going to suffer from depopulation if we don’t start producing more offspring. With 4 I have done my part. What about you?
“Suffer from depopulation”
Now that’s a unique concept.
Kev, perhaps you and your family should move to Hong Kong or Buenas Aires.
Heaven forbid you should have to risk living in Andale or Colwich and suffer the lack of population in those towns!
Political Mom, Safe, Legal, and Rare, is a pipe dream. Abortion has moved past being, rare. And the original intent of Roe.v Wade. Example: young women are using abortion as a form of birth control. I know women who’ve used abortion not as a last resort to an unplaned pregnancy, but their choice of birth control. It’s an after thought. And YES they have had plenty of sex education, and free or assisted birth control made avaailable thru Planned Parenthood etc. White working and or middle class women. If,commom ground means more funding for sex education, additional health insurance and assistance for families above what has been provided from local, state and federal government programs, since Roe.V Wade. And the pro-choice view is still in the Roe. mindset then the country will continue to be divided in many camps regarding abortion. It is no longer cut and dry and simple as,safe, legal, and RARE”
Okay, Ostrich, let’s add a fourth condition to abortions: Safe, legal, rare, AND NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. If you don’t believe in abortions, don’t have them. Past that, keep your nose out of the uteri of women who don’t want you there.
Holy Moley, this must a dream. Our totally worthless federal government has broken out of the “make abortions illegal” mentality. They want to actually consider the possibility that abortions can be reduced by doing something about the things that make women want to get an abortion? To quote Theodoric of York: “NAWWWWWW.”
Too darn many Male lawmakers trying to crawl around in the Uteri of females — and I dont mean the kind at the Bordellos!!
“And YES they have had plenty of sex education, and free or assisted birth control made avaailable thru Planned Parenthood etc.”
You may believe this is true, but it isn’t. Yes, most schools do teach sex education, but most students aren’t paying attention or even understand completely what’s being taught. And not all teachers are presenting FACTS. I’ve personally run into both problems.
Planned Parenthood and free contraceptives are not nearly as accessible as you might think, even in larger cities. As long as an unplanned pregnancy is still treated as something to be ashamed of and must be hidden, as long as sex is treated as something that must be done on the sly, we aren’t going to progress.
Yeah ostrich, don’t dare have an opinion on abortion if you’re not female, Tom said so.
I wonder if Tiller who is a male has an opinion on abortion? Is he being hypocritical for being a male, not understanding the female stance on Pro-Choice?
Or is he just a mechanic just adjusting the hardware a bit?
A decision to terminate a pregnancy is between the pregnant woman, her family, and her physician. It’s a private matter that radicals have decided to make public.
Stupid troll. Stick to nic switching and stealing.
Oh I forgot myself Tom. I forgot that only you and lefties are entitled to an opinion on abortion.
Stupid troll. Keep switching names, keep building your straw-man.
I am not entitled to have an opinion on some random woman’s abortion. The only person whose abortion I could have ever had an opinion about is my daughter’s, should she have gotten pregnant as a minor. Then you can bet your putrid troll ass I’d have an opinion about it.
I could also have an opinion about your mother’s failure to abort you. But in keeping with my point, the contents of your mother’s uterus is none of my damn business.
Go back to hiding under your bridge, troll. I’m done with you.
Ah Tom, so hostile…may I suggest some soothing tea.
Abortions are up to the individual female and up to her and GOD alone. I found myself pregnant for the very first time (after 2 marriages and no kids) at the age of 41. I knew that this would be my last change to have a child and that it was literally a gift. I fought with myself over this gift and had many conversations with God about it. I finally decided that the gift would not be accepted. I did not wish to be a single mother at that age. I dearly loved the man who gave me this gift but knew he would not wish to be a part of the childs life and could not expect that of him either. I make the decision and had an abortion. This was my choice and it was between myself and God. I had no regrets about my decision. The government has no right to tell a woman what is right or wrong if they wish to terminate their pregnacy as I did. If they do try to make that decision, the gene pool of ignorant people would grow and there would be many people obtaining welfare and government assistance. There would also be a terrible increase of child abuse and neglect for these women that did not wish to have the child and were too ignorant to place the child up for adoption would place the child in danger.Sorry, that is the way I feel and for you people who are PRO-Lifers, you need to bitch about something else.
I have always found it interesting that social conservatives are so rabid about making abortions illegal but not caring about how the babies are raised after they are born.
There is a percentage of population that no matter how much education they are given, these people will still have sex and will still have abortions.
Do these pro-lifers think there were no abortions before Roe v. Wade? Of course there were. Abortions have been around for centuries - it’s nothing new.
“young women are using abortion as a form of birth control.”
What what what? Why on God’s green earth would someone pay $600 and go through an uncomfortable, cramp-inducing surgery rather than take birth control? I can assure you, if a woman goes through that once, she won’t be in a hurry to do it again.
I would like to see more developments in the birth control industry. Something that requires a one time visit, lasts for a long time and has little side effects. Norplant almost fits the bill but it requires cutting a hole in the arm and is incredibly expensive…
Unplanned pregnancy and the need for abortions is an epidemic, and should be treated as such.
Tara-
You are right.
‘no ostrich here’ is is probably not telling the truth.
Its kind of like saying that man might choose to undergo a prostate biopsy in order to sublimate his sex drive.
He might do it once, but he won’t do it twice, I guarentee it!
If the anti-abortionists really wanted to cut down the number of abortions then they would demand subsidies for contraception, demand sex ed in schools, encourage networks to air contraception ads as part of a national campaign to educate people about contraception.
The fact they they promote ignorance and want contraception to be outlawed just shows that their main effort isn’t in eliminating abortion but eliminate the power of people to control their reproductive options. If women were out of the workplace, out of the voting booths and kept at home as furniture then the antis would be happy.
I think it is funny that these pro-life assholes who obviously know so much more than anyone else have no problem taking these same babies that deserve to be born and find them expendable in this illegal war for halliburton oil
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/27/144210
Report: U.S. Backs Off Saudi Bank Linked to Militant FundingThe Wall Street Journal is reporting the U.S. has opted to take a hands-off approach to a Saudi bank U.S. intelligence has linked to the financing of militant Islamic extremists. The Al Rajhi bank is among vast holdings belonging to the Saudi billionaire Sulaiman Al Rajhi. The banks activities’ reportedly set off an intense debate within the Bush administration on how to take action. But confidential reports show the administration has ultimately chosen to quietly lobby Saudi monarchs rather than take punitive steps. U.S. intelligence says Al Rahji Bank has held accounts and accepted donations for charities formally designated as fronts for al Qaeda or other militant groups. The CIA concluded the Al Rahji family was knowingly involved. Al Rajhi Bank and the Al Rajhi family have denied any link to financing militants.
Bush, as always, cares more about his financiers in Saudi Arabia than actually combating terrorism.
Oops, wrong forum.
“I think it is funny that these pro-life assholes”Posted by: leave | July 28, 2007 at 12:07 PM
Yeah, how dare these pro-life people be for life.
wouldn’t it be nice if the same people who support sex ed in schools would also teach kansas statutes regarding lewd and lacivious conduct and sexual assault charges so that these same children can see the possible results of their sexual activity? They may not need an abortion, but they made need an attorney, and of course they may have their photo on the Kansas sex offender list for the rest of their juvenile and adult lives. Why don’t you also tell them that?????
Kansas…post the rest if you are going to comment.
pro-life assholes= those who foist their beliefs on everyone eles and who cares what they think, feel or believe
just like you
KansrepukeKahn
Yeah, here’s the stance of the Left.
If you’re not female, you’re not allowed to comment.
If you are on the right, you are some sort of monster for supporting life and get profane language thrown at you.
Yeah, Democrats party of substance.
What a bunch of world class losers.
no kansas you do not support life if you support this illegal haliburton war
take your chip off your shoulder and go home
WARE SHOALS, S.C. — The police chief of Ware Shoals said Wednesday that a pastor is facing charges after a father found 20 sexually explicit text messages on his teenage daughter’s phone.
Chief Mickey Boland said that the 17-year-old’s father called police after he found the messages from Pastor Claude Wallace on his daughter’s phone.
The man said that the phone is in his name, and when he checked the phone, he realized who the messages were from, so he called police.
Wallace is the pastor of Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Gaffne. Police said that the teen had visited Wallace’s church but was not a member there.
http://www.wyff4.com/news/13754558/detail.html
I SUPPOSE HE WAS TEACHING HER ABSTINANCE RIGHT?
Kansas, that’s not the stance of the left. That’s a snarky interpretation of the left from a grumpy winger. Having a penis doesn’t mean you can’t comment, it means you don’t have a say. You’re not supporting life, you’re advocating the denial of choice, which negates the life and well-being of a person who has _already_ been born.
I understand a passionate response to the issue, that’s exactly what conservative strategists wanted to get out of you when they latched onto this issue in the first place. You don’t like abortion, you’ve made that clear. But I think it’s very easy to forget the real women and girls behind the word “abortion.” These are hard choices, often made due to heart-breaking circumstances. And as if it wasn’t upsetting enough to begin with, people like you are there to tell a woman just how wrong you think she is. Very sad indeed.
P.S. Are you getting enough fiber in your diet? I only ask b/c I know a lot of people who get cranky when they can’t poop.
CLARIFICATION: I am a WOMAN!!! Sorry to disappoint you rabid pro aborts! And I find myself struggling to attempt some sort of civil discourse, considering how hateful most comments have been! Let me be clear, a formal reporter for the Wichita Eagle shared with me a friend of hers, roomate attending college in Oklahoma and 8 months (EIGHT) pregnant decided she didn’t want to deliver the CHILD(yes the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe and decisions since, declared states have an interest after viability in protecting the potential life of the the unborn child. The friend came to Wichita for a late term abortion. A woman I use to work with had her 5th fifth abortion. And felt very comfortable sharing the info with fellow workers. She absolutely used abortion as her form of birth control. By the way, her 6th pregnancy she decided was a baby and no longer a fetus. White in her late 20’s , and holding a good job!
For the women posting, I don’t CARE about your uterus!What you do or don’t put in it. However, I do care that our society has easily accepted abortion on demand thru all 9 months and YES used by some women as a form of birth control. You radical pro-aborts, can’t have it both ways. It’s a baby when you want to have the child, but a fetus when you don’t. You are not interested in seeking common ground. Many people are uncomfortable with abortions pasted viability. And are opposed to late term abortions.
“I know somebody’s behind this, but Jesus had haters, but you know with prayer we are going to get through this and good always overcomes evil,” Wallace said.
That’s right folks, if you hate children being molested then you hate Jesus. He’d probably knock this kid up then tell her how abortion is immoral.
Lack of need is the only way abortions will ever end.I don’t trust the Government to deliver the means to that end however.
“wouldn’t it be nice if the same people who support sex ed in schools would also teach …”
Counselor, I think you’re spot-on. When I say I’m for comprehensive sex ed, I mean comprehensive. Teach abstinence as the best choice and teach everything there is to know about contraceptives.In addition, teach kids that there are other consequences to sex besides STDs and pregnancy. Scare them with the prospect of statutory rape charges and having to register as a sex offender. Teach them that sex is not equal to love, and sex will not create love (girls tend to fall for this a lot). Teach them that it is a hugely intimate act that can really hurt them if they aren’t 100% prepared for it. And teach them the best way to prepare for it is to wait until they are older, more mature and in a loving, monogamous relationship.
Everyone wins.
I find myself struggling to attempt some sort of civil discourse, considering how hateful most comments have been!
Posted by: no ostrich here | July 28, 2007 at 01:26 PM
Uhh, their have been about 28 posts after your original. One said Prolifeas*****s and the other was Kansas calling Dems losers.
I don’t think that constitutes MOST comments being hateful.
Perhaps you should take your meds now and take a nap deary.
Some truths:1. Despite the discomfort, some women have several abortions, as a form of birth control.2. Making abortion illegal will not end abortion. It will only deregulate it. Abortion has always been available, and always will be.3. Although you can teach sex education (and in my opinion, we should), you cannot teach certain young people to make good decisions. Girls get pregnant because they’re not being realistic about the need for birth control; because they want somebody to love; because it will make them an “adult” (they believe); because it will provide a permanent link to a boy they think they can’t live without; because birth control fails sometimes, no matter what you do; because their mothers did, and they emulate their mothers because of a subconscious desire for approval; and for many, many more reasons.4. Making abortion illegal will change nothing about anything I said in #3. It will result in the deaths of more women. It will not reduce the number of abortions.
I think we all agree that the way to reduce abortions is to reduce unwanted pregnancies..that’s a no brainer. The real disagreement is about how to do it.LM, sorry for your loss. If you gave birth to the child I really doubt you would have regretted it. I have NEVER meet a woman who regretted NOT having one, but plenty who feel as if they have to jusify and rationalize the decision to abort…even years after the fact, and more still that have been honest about regretting making that decision. I want to see unwanted pregnancies to be effectively reduced, so that so many woman don’t have to go through life regretting the abortion they had because they felt they had no other choice at the time.
Mary, Tara - good comments. One thing that bugs me are some of the ‘ultra-moral’ types who would condemn their kid if they turned up pregnant. They may as well be making the appointment at Tillers. After all, if a girl wants to hide it that is the only way.
I think there can be some common ground. Lets improve adoption laws. Lets make it easier on both birth mother and adoptive parents. And, of course, lets improve sex ed - both abstinence AND technology.
And quit saturating our kids with music, movies, TV, etc that perpetrate the myth that one can have sex without any negative consequences.
Very true Mary
The “Reducing the Need for Abortions Initiative” bill became a part of the annual legislation that funds the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education departments for 2008. The billwas formerly a creation of Democrats for Life that promoted several methods of reducing abortions by supporting both pro-life legislation that directly reduces abortions with provisions providing funding and help for pregnant women to reduce the financial incentive that compels some to think abortion is theirbest solution. However, the sponsors changed the makeupof the bill to shift the emphasis to promoting contraception and the morning after abortifacient, and Democrats for Life, along with top pro-life Democrats in the House, withdrew their support.The legislation which WOULD reduce abortions, other than the abolition of the abortion industry, is parental notification and consent, informed consent with ultrasound viewing and alternative counseling, and cutting taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood andother abortion mills. Funneling taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood for condoms and contraceptives, and the dangerous, ineffective Plan B morning-after abortifacient, will NOT reduce unintended pregnancies or abortions.This bill is not common ground, it is burial ground for babies.
There are no easy solutions to this problem. Human nature is what it is and how do you change or legislate that? You can throw money at the problem all you want but until human beings reframe how they view life and start to take serious responsibility for their reproduction nothing will really change.