First, some interests to declare:
1. I am not a US citizen. I have no vote next month. Nevertheless, the decision you guys make has a profound impact on the rest of the world, including the little island off the north-west coast of Europe I call home; thus, in my view, I am allowed at least to comment as opposed to voting.
2. I am pro-life, anti-abortion, whatever you want to call it. But I am pro-the whole of life, not just the nine months of it before birth. I am however in favour of policies which are likely to reduce rather than increase the number of abortions both in your country and in mine which may or may not include criminalising abortion.
3. I accept - reluctantly - that an outright ban on abortions is unrealistic in our respective countries probably in my lifetime, although a lowering of the numbering of weeks at which abortion becomes illegal may not be.
4. I also read with interest - and sometimes participate in - the various threads which touch upon and concern this subject, particularly with regard to the forthcoming Presidential election. I try to imagine the dilemmas faced by you on this subject, bearing in mind that abortion in the UK is not the polarised party-political issue that it seems to be on your side of the Pond.
So...the dominant thinking on these boards appears to be that a vote for the Democrats is a vote for more abortions whereas a vote for the Republicans is the opposite. But I'm not convinced it's as straightforward as that...
From what I can gather, Democrats are more likely to increase funding for abortion clinics. This, I agree is a Bad Thing and is likely to increase the number of abortions.
However, Republicans are more likely to reduce funding for poorer sections of the community, for example in this vote. This - experience and stats suggest - will have the effect of making abortions in such poorer sections of society more likely, since women who are pregnant are more likely to resort to abortion if they will be unable to afford the child; thus the number of 'unwanted' pregnancies will increase and so will the consequent number of abortions, as surely as night follows day. This, I say, is likewise a Bad Thing therefore.
Now, some here may say, "Well, she shouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place." Maybe. But why have the unborn child bear the punishment for the alleged sin of the parents? I've used 'maybe' and 'alleged' here advisedly, as we need to consider one or two scenarios other than the stereotypical 'feckless immoral single mom':
1. Married couple - three existing children. Husband main or sole breadwinner, so not in receipt of welfare. They try - successfully - to conceive a fourth child as on husband's wage they can afford this. Husband then loses job due to recession. Welfare benefit cuts by Republicans mean they can't really afford their three pre-existing children, let alone a fourth.
2. The same couple but husband loses job before they try for a fourth. They use contraception. It fails and wife becomes pregnant.
That'll do for starters. This is why I said on another thread re Dems and Reps 'a plague on both their houses'. I don't envy you your choice next month...
1. I am not a US citizen. I have no vote next month. Nevertheless, the decision you guys make has a profound impact on the rest of the world, including the little island off the north-west coast of Europe I call home; thus, in my view, I am allowed at least to comment as opposed to voting.
2. I am pro-life, anti-abortion, whatever you want to call it. But I am pro-the whole of life, not just the nine months of it before birth. I am however in favour of policies which are likely to reduce rather than increase the number of abortions both in your country and in mine which may or may not include criminalising abortion.
3. I accept - reluctantly - that an outright ban on abortions is unrealistic in our respective countries probably in my lifetime, although a lowering of the numbering of weeks at which abortion becomes illegal may not be.
4. I also read with interest - and sometimes participate in - the various threads which touch upon and concern this subject, particularly with regard to the forthcoming Presidential election. I try to imagine the dilemmas faced by you on this subject, bearing in mind that abortion in the UK is not the polarised party-political issue that it seems to be on your side of the Pond.
So...the dominant thinking on these boards appears to be that a vote for the Democrats is a vote for more abortions whereas a vote for the Republicans is the opposite. But I'm not convinced it's as straightforward as that...
From what I can gather, Democrats are more likely to increase funding for abortion clinics. This, I agree is a Bad Thing and is likely to increase the number of abortions.
However, Republicans are more likely to reduce funding for poorer sections of the community, for example in this vote. This - experience and stats suggest - will have the effect of making abortions in such poorer sections of society more likely, since women who are pregnant are more likely to resort to abortion if they will be unable to afford the child; thus the number of 'unwanted' pregnancies will increase and so will the consequent number of abortions, as surely as night follows day. This, I say, is likewise a Bad Thing therefore.
Now, some here may say, "Well, she shouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place." Maybe. But why have the unborn child bear the punishment for the alleged sin of the parents? I've used 'maybe' and 'alleged' here advisedly, as we need to consider one or two scenarios other than the stereotypical 'feckless immoral single mom':
1. Married couple - three existing children. Husband main or sole breadwinner, so not in receipt of welfare. They try - successfully - to conceive a fourth child as on husband's wage they can afford this. Husband then loses job due to recession. Welfare benefit cuts by Republicans mean they can't really afford their three pre-existing children, let alone a fourth.
2. The same couple but husband loses job before they try for a fourth. They use contraception. It fails and wife becomes pregnant.
That'll do for starters. This is why I said on another thread re Dems and Reps 'a plague on both their houses'. I don't envy you your choice next month...
