It isn't just about abortion

[malaise]

It's about a woman's right to make her own decisions on several issues.
If you don't believe a woman has that right, you're not part of a progressive agenda.

[panader0]

1. If men could get pregnant, they would have understood this long ago.

[malaise]

2. That simple

[Stonepounder]

17. If men could get pregnant, no family would have more than one child!

[ProudLib72]

21. Families would have only one child and

there would be a hell of a lot of c-sections!

[niyad]

26. "if men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament, and we would have more

clinics than 7-11 has stores"

[Amaryllis]

3. It's also about freedom of religion. No one has the right to impose their religious beliefs on

others.
My spiritual beliefs say that the fetus is not a human being until it is capable of living outside the mother's body on its own.

[malaise]

4. Agreed - that's implied in the OP

I am free to have no religion

[smirkymonkey]

5. I completely agree with everything you have said.

[mopinko]

6. about self determination. period.

[Delmette2.0]

7. To me it is about the basic freedoms...

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness as equal to Safe, legal and rare.

It's been a long two days with my son in the hospital, so if anyone needs a deeper explanation I will supply that tomorrow.

[malaise]

8. +1,000

Hope he gets well soon

[Delmette2.0]

10. Thank you

Surgery yesterday was nerve racking. But all went exceptionally well and he will finish recovery at home. The surgeon was wonderful and so were the nurses and hospital staff.

[malaise]

11. A child in hospital is stress on steroids

Glad he's recovering

[BigmanPigman]

16. It's about power and control...

and to some people that goes along with religion for some reason. I still don't understand how your job/employment has anything to do with health insurance either (mostly in the good 'ol US). Then I guess that brings up the whole "Your employer doesn't have to pay for YOUR birth control" yet they pay for Viagra issue which leads back around to the need for "choice". What a mess.

[ProudLib72]

22. You've got that right

It's about power in the guise of moral rectitude as according to some religious text that someone interpreted to mean one and only one thing.

I do not doubt that there are liberal progressives out there whose core beliefs include a stance against abortion. But I would like those people to consider if that belief keeping certain people in power is just a happy coincidence or something more sinister. It's funny, isn't it, how the powers that be get to decide to split from the church and make up their own doctrine when it suits them. Having a history of Christianity class would do some people a world of good (if you or I taught it).

[Ninsianna]

9. Autonomy and basic human rights, period.

[George II]

12. I don't believe in abortion, but being a man I don't think I have a right to tell any woman...

....she can't have an abortion. It's her decision, not mine.

[KentuckyWoman]

13. Polite point of order

I'll probably get hammered for this but at the end of the day no one has any right to any opinion about abortion except a pregnant woman who might need one.

[Stonepounder]

18. I don't think I can agree with you on that on, Kentuck.

I am a man. I am not pro-abortion. I am pro-choice. So, my opinion is that a pregnant woman who needs to make what must be an absolutely wrenching decision is the only one to make that choice. If she chooses to involve other(s) in making that choice, that is also her choice. But it most certainly NOT up to a bunch of old men in the state legislature to try and make that choice for her, and it is NOT up to some so-called preacher to enforce their version of "how to get Rich by Preaching' to try and make the rules for everyone.

[KentuckyWoman]

20. We agree

Old men don't get to make her choice. My point is any opinion they have about her choice is invalid. Taking it a step farther.

[Podkayne K]

14. Disagree!

...but change several to all, and you got it.

[malaise]

25. LOL - you're right

[dlk]

15. This About Women Being Treated as Automonous Adults

We live in a country where a woman's body is not her own. Think for a moment how authoritarian (and bizarre) that really is. Could you ever imagine American men ceding control of their bodies to the government (and to random women who believe it's their right)?

What's really frightening to so many Americans if a woman makes her own decisions about her own body?

We still live in the Dark Ages in many ways.

[Greybnk48]

19. Those who don't get that Malaise, don't want to.

They want to pretend that it makes perfect sense to say that the instant a women gets pregnant, even from violent rape, her rights as an autonomous agent in charge of her life cease, and her fate is a public issue up for debate. This idea is NOT based on the factual reality of science and medicine, it is tied to religion and the religious concept of a soul.

If someone's rights can be violated for a reason, then we have no rights. Rights such as the right to autonomous agency are inviolable or else rights are meaningless. To say women can have rights, just not the right to autonomous agency is absurd. It makes no sense and it sure as hell is NOT progressive or liberal. If abortion is in violation of your religion, then don't don't rape anyone, don't force yourself on anyone, or don't choose to have an abortion.

[malaise]

28. +1,000

[Foamfollower]

23. Without a majority in the Congress, the progressive movement FAILS

That's the piece you've missed with your demand for absolute purity in all cases in all districts while we exist in a heavily gerrymandered reality.

[Greybnk48]

24. Asking that all American citizens rights are respected

is now demanding absolute purity? WTF? That argument could have been made, and was made, in the 60's about fighting for Civil rights. If we don't take a stand now, then when? The ERA has never been ratified because of bullshit like this. Enough! At least for this woman.

[niyad]

27. and the willing obtuseness on this point, even on this board, is mind-boggling.

[malaise]

29. Mindblowing

bangs head