Do Republicans Really Want to Eliminate Abortion

[momof2inPA]

Are Republican legislators really trying to eliminate abortion or are do they just throw the pro-life movement a bone every once in a while to keep their vote?
Republicans control as much of the government at this time as they probably ever will, yet the only supposedly meaningful progress in limiting abortion has been to ban partial birth abortion. But how meaningful was that? Forty states have long-standing laws prohibiting third term abortions except in cases where the health and life of the mother is in jeopardy.

Clinton himself was willing to outlaw partial birth abortion with an exception for when the health or life of the mother was at stake, but the Repulican congress would not let Clinton pass the partial birth abortion ban, they wanted it to come from a Republican president.

So here I sit pondering whether Republican legislators think that keeping the votes of one issue voters on their side is more important that saving babies.


Here are some supporting statistics showing that abortions have not decreased in the past four years:

http://www.mccl.org/abortion_statistics.htm

 

[Chicago526]

I think you're right, the Reps only want to keep the pro-life and religous right people happy. Lets face it, even if Roe v. Wade was over turned this instant, it still wouldn't stop abortion in this country. Each state would then need to ban it, as well, before that could happen. And the odds of all 50 states banning it is impossible, it will never happen.

 

[momof2inPA]

No Republicans can defend their party?

 

[Sabeking]

Okay, you went there. Whenever it comes to a pro-life issue or anything else in this world that is positive the devil will dilute anything and everything he can. Including the Republican party, which I happen to be registered as. The Republican party is not the model. It is Christ. I was raped at 21 and got pregnant and had my baby. Not because of the Republican party, who is not perfect as well as the Democratic party but because of GOD.

 

[Elwood Blues]

Originally posted by momof2inPA
No Republicans can defend their party?

Where's your proof that the Republican Congress held up passing the PBA just because they wanted a Republican President to get credit for it?

All I can say is that THIS Republican would like to see abortion eliminated except for extreme cases.

According to the stats you listed, less than 2 percent became pregnant as the result of rape or incest.

What this means to me is if abortion was limited to such cases, there would be 43 million less abortions in the last 30 years.

A staggering figure wouldn't you say?

*EDIT TO ADD*

I'm sorry, but I was wrong to say 43 million less. I know that there would still be abortions done because people wouldn't care what the law said. That would be sad.

The key is education. I don't care where is comes from. But the first place should be the parents. The second place should be the schools. It can be done in schools so that if doesn't become an issue with stomping on the parents rights.

 

[septbride2002]

I would just like to comment "please don't feed the troll"

Thanks!

~Amanda

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Why lay this at the feet of the Republicans on the board? I'm sure there are pro-life democrats out there and Republicans who support the right to have an abortion.

I think the Republican powers that be...recognize that anti-abortionism only butters their bread so far. Pursuit of an all out ban might lose them members and/or people who identify themselves as Republicans when it is just one issue amongst many on the table.

At the same time if those in power of that party truly believe in banning abortion they can accomplish the same thing at a gradual pace over time. Do I think they believe it? Just as with your regular joes I believe some of them do, and some of them don't.

 

[ead79]

I am a Republican, and I am firmly pro-life. However, that has more to do with my personal religious beliefs than with my political affiliation. I will say that abortion is one major reason (there are many others too) why I tend to vote Republican.

 

[danacara]

Well, as you all know, the day you make abortion illegal, it totally disappears. And there will be no more abortions in America, and we will all get an extra stamp on our ticket to Heaven, for being among the especially enlightened bunch who sent the poverty-stricken women into the back alleys. Oh, and I also think God will be especially pleased that the sixteen-year-old incest victim had that baby with severe birth defects, that the rape victims were forced to suffer through nine months of daily reminder about how badly they were violated, that the hydrocephalitic babies were given a chance to suffer through severe pain before dying their inevitable deaths, and that all the healthy unwanted babies of affluent mothers were simply aborted just as they were before, but by very quiet gynecologists who charged a fortune for the service, or by Canadian or British gynocologists.

That's absolutely what Jesus would want. This is of course natural, as Jesus was a huge fan of legal remedies for moral choices, right? He was in favor of the government furthering his agenda, wasn't he? Oh, wait. Maybe not. I remember some story involving Caesar, letting him have what's his, letting the individuals have the choices that were theirs?

I choose to think that the Republicans simply acknowledge that there are no easy answers.

 

[momof2inPA]

Originally posted by doubletrouble_vb
Why lay this at the feet of the Republicans on the board? I'm sure there are pro-life democrats out there and Republicans who support the right to have an abortion.

I think the Republican powers that be...recognize that anti-abortionism only butters their bread so far. Pursuit of an all out ban might lose them members and/or people who identify themselves as Republicans when it is just one issue amongst many on the table.

At the same time if those in power of that party truly believe in banning abortion they can accomplish the same thing at a gradual pace over time. Do I think they believe it? Just as with your regular joes I believe some of them do, and some of them don't.

I'm not intending to lay this at the feet of the Republicans on the board, but those that I have asked in person, agree that the party hasn't made a dent in this issue.

If the party representatives are truly committed to pro-life and believe that every abortion is murder, there would be no point in moving at a gradual pace.

 

[momof2inPA]

Originally posted by ead79
I am a Republican, and I am firmly pro-life. However, that has more to do with my personal religious beliefs than with my political affiliation. I will say that abortion is one major reason (there are many others too) why I tend to vote Republican.

There are tons of one issue voters in my Church, the Catholic Church. If the abortion issue did go away, I believe many of them would vote differently based on other issues, such as Social Securityand the economy in my part of the country.

 

[TheBellhop]

Killing a child is killing a person, no matter what. You'll still be murdering a living thing..and that's not a crime? The 16 year old rape victims could choose adoption, and allow the child to live with a family able to care for them, instead of the fetus being torn up into little tiny peices and disposed of in the trash.

 

[momof2inPA]

Originally posted by Sabeking
Okay, you went there. Whenever it comes to a pro-life issue or anything else in this world that is positive the devil will dilute anything and everything he can. Including the Republican party, which I happen to be registered as. The Republican party is not the model. It is Christ. I was raped at 21 and got pregnant and had my baby. Not because of the Republican party, who is not perfect as well as the Democratic party but because of GOD.

I am extremely sorry for your situation and hope the rest of your life has turned out well.

I suppose the devil is one possible explanation.

 

[stevenpensacola]

This one does.

No matter the reason, abortion is KILLING a baby. Call it a fetus, or whatever you like....you're still killing a baby.

 

[momof2inPA]

Originally posted by danacara
Well, as you all know, the day you make abortion illegal, it totally disappears. And there will be no more abortions in America, and we will all get an extra stamp on our ticket to Heaven, for being among the especially enlightened bunch who sent the poverty-stricken women into the back alleys. Oh, and I also think God will be especially pleased that the sixteen-year-old incest victim had that baby with severe birth defects, that the rape victims were forced to suffer through nine months of daily reminder about how badly they were violated, that the hydrocephalitic babies were given a chance to suffer through severe pain before dying their inevitable deaths, and that all the healthy unwanted babies of affluent mothers were simply aborted just as they were before, but by very quiet gynecologists who charged a fortune for the service, or by Canadian or British gynocologists.

That's absolutely what Jesus would want. This is of course natural, as Jesus was a huge fan of legal remedies for moral choices, right? He was in favor of the government furthering his agenda, wasn't he? Oh, wait. Maybe not. I remember some story involving Caesar, letting him have what's his, letting the individuals have the choices that were theirs?

I choose to think that the Republicans simply acknowledge that there are no easy answers.

Are you implying that the Republicans are secretly pro-choice but just pretending to be pro-life to get those votes?

 

[momof2inPA]

Originally posted by stevenpensacola
This one does.

No matter the reason, abortion is KILLING a baby. Call it a fetus, or whatever you like....you're still killing a baby.

Do Republican legislators want to eliminate it? Why aren't they making more progress on the issue?

 

[momof2inPA]

Originally posted by Elwood Blues
Where's your proof that the Republican Congress held up passing the PBA just because they wanted a Republican President to get credit for it?

This article is very long but clearly states Clinton's position on partial birth abortion, he only wanted exceptions for cases in which the mother's health would be in severe jeopardy. He pleaded with congress to include this provision so that partial birth abortion would be banned for frivolous cases. Who knows how many of these procedures were performed in the ensuing years until Bush could pass his version of the measure.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/white_house/abortion_veto_4-10.html

(It's a long article)

 

[Sabeking]

Danacara
I was raped and had my baby. So you are saying that she is not worthy of living because it doesn't fit you "perfect world." Isn't it God's choice to decide. "I knew you in your mother's womb."-God "It's amazing that all pro-choice people are living"-Ronald Regan

 

[thetwelfthprincess]

This is my first ever post but I've been lurking for awhile.

I comsidered myself pro-life Democrat. When I say democrat, I mean that I agree with most domestic policy issues. but, the Democratic party has become so extreeme that I will probably be voting for Bush now.

On another thread earlier, someone said
'The anti-abortion crowd for example...when's the last time you heard of a pro-choice advocate murdering someone because they were anti-abortion?'

While I never would advocat violence in any form, I thought to myself, "What, is she crazy? What does she think abortion is?"

Someone used to say to me that a fetus doesn't look at all like a baby. Yes, it does. It looks like a human being at that exact stage of developement. A three month fetus LOOKS like a baby that's been developing for 3 months. It IS still a human but it can't survive by itself. Just like a 3 month old baby can't survive by itself.

And, a fetus is a fetus, not fetal tissue, as the abortion clinics state. Why not have the same informed consent they do with other medical procedutes? Instead the word fetal tissue is used because if they say 'fetus', it is too controversal.

You seem to think that prolife pepople aren't really prolife. That it's political. No. You are wrong. We are prolife because it's an innocent human life. Life or death situations should have exeptions. BUt, becasue it's inconventient? The only thing that makes a wanted baby in the first 3 months gestation and an unwanted pregnancy is the desirability of it. For a wanted fetus, it's a baby. For an unwanted fetus, it's fetal tissue easy to abort.

Look at Guilani and Shwarzennegger. They are both prochoice, but they are welcome at the Republican convention. There is NOT that kind of inclusivness at the Democratic Parry.

 

[ripleysmom]

"So you are saying that she is not worthy of living because it doesn't fit you "perfect world.""

I did not see anywhere in dana's post that said you had to have an abortion, it was your choice not to (I'm presuming at any rate).

Pro-choice is just that....being about allowing someone to make their own decisions as to whether they want to carry a fetus to term or not.