So why do people want abortions to be rare but still think they should be allowed? This question isnt just to you, fitswimmer but to anyone who might agree with what you said.
In my case, it has to do with how much and what kind of power I want the government to have over me.
Take the criminal justice system - we have certain rights in this country - that the police may not enter our homes without cause, that we cannot be beaten into confessing to a crime, that our priests, doctors and lawyers cannot be compelled to divulge information about us, that we are entitled to legal representation, that we cannot be jailed indefinitely without being charged with a crime, and so on and so on.
As a result of these rights - sometimes a guilty person is not convicted and punished for that crime. And that is very upsetting. But that is the trade off - we establish guidelines about what our government can and cannot do to its citizens, and that is the consequence.
Sometimes, a citizenry is willing to cede its freedoms, because they feel the trade-off is worthwhile. Legislation is passed requiring seatbelts - an infringment on our "rights" perhaps, but one that the majority of voters consider a reasonable price to pay for increased safety.
I do not want the goverment to have the power to tell me that I must carry any and all pregnancies to term. Any more than I want the government telling me that I must let them listen to my phone conversations or turn over a list of books I have checked out of the library, or that I must allow a police officer to root through my closets without cause or a warrant.
And yes, I am aware that the trade-off for preserving that right is that a baby will not be born. Just as it is with guilty criminals going free - these are not easy choices. I just think the consequences of
not making them are worse.
Glad I pointed that out, then.
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