Why Are We Still Asking if a Dying Woman Should Be Able to Get an Abortion to Save Her Life?

[niyad]

Why Are We Still Asking if a Dying Woman Should Be Able to Get an Abortion to Save Her Life?

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Women have abortions for complex reasons — to better take care of the children they already have, to pursue an education or career and improve their life circumstances, or simply because they know they are not in a position to be the best parent they can be. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

A recent analysis of abortion attitudes by The New York Times came to the right conclusion: The divide on how Americans feel about abortion is much smaller than partisan politics would have us believe.

But there's a bigger idea that the piece in the Times — and the poll it relies on — missed: All too often, we're still asking the wrong questions when it comes to gauging public opinion on abortion. We're too focused on questions at the margins — death versus abortion, rape, and incest or abortion under all circumstances or no circumstances. These questions do little to illuminate the reality of most women's lives and the range of feelings people have about abortions that happen in the real world.

Much of the piece centers on how Americans feel about two questions. The first is whether a woman who needs an abortion to save her life should be able to get one. Why are we still asking this? Is whether a woman should be forced to die rather than have an abortion really still up for debate when it comes to public opinion? I don't think so.

The other question examined at length concerns a woman who wants an abortion because of the sex of the baby. To set the record straight, that's a largely imagined scenario, designed in part by abortion opponents to communicate the stigmatizing idea that a woman who has decided to have an abortion is doing so for a frivolous reason. Not to mention that it's racist, relying on ugly stereotypes about women of color. Asking this question doesn't get at any kind of truth on abortion attitudes.
I'm thrilled that the analysis in the Times' got the real answer. But it's still not asking the right questions.

. . . .

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/05/09/why-are-we-still-asking-if-dying-woman-should-be-able-get-abortion-save-her-life

[Novara]

1. yes

We're too focused on questions at the margins — death versus abortion, rape, and incest or abortion under all circumstances or no circumstances. These questions do little to illuminate the reality of most women's lives and the range of feelings people have about abortions that happen in the real world.

In other words, we're still treating abortion as a bad thing that must be used in emergencies, not as a viable life-planning decision. Most women who have abortions already have children and for whatever reason, feel they can't raise another. It is a viable decision to make, and one that should be wholly in the affected woman's hands.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. This . . .

Why are we still asking this? Is whether a woman should be forced to die rather than have an abortion really still up for debate when it comes to public opinion? I don't think so.

On my insurance - a discovered ectopic (before it becomes imminently life threatening) is listed as an abortion even if the ectopic is found during the course of another surgery.

I could see some ass wipe making a law about this that would take that decision out of the hands of the human being we trust the most.

[niyad]

3. your fear is well-founded. just look at the insane bill the house is voting on today:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11386721

[JustAnotherGen]

4. My husband sent me the link at your link this morning

He's the person who had to make that heart breaking decision (I was in for a salpingectomy). But I trust him with my life (with good reason) - and not some ass wipe like Darrel Issa or Lindsay Graham.

We've had the discussion that so much of the abortion debate removes married couples making decisions that are best for them. And maybe it's his culture but there? You don't put words in another person's marriage.

In his opinion - pro choice married men need to get really vocal really quick. It could be their wife, their daughter, etc. etc. they have to make a life or death decision for and it's nobody's business other than the woman who has entrusted him on paper to make those decisions when we are incapacitated.

Think about it - I'm under and the doctor says the law says we have to sew you shut and risk a catastrophic miscarriage that could cause your death.

It's insane Niyad! These people are INSANE!

[niyad]

5. I can only imagine what the two of you went through with all of this. I hope that you

are doing okay??

you are correct, these woman-hating, gestational slavers don't give a damn about people making the decisions that are best for them, and they are, in fact, beyond insane. this kind of insanity and hatred needs whole new words.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. It was two years ago - and yes I'm okay

And that's a good way of stating it - "Gestational Slavers".

[niyad]

7. I read that somewhere, gratefully stole it!