So... yeah. How have we come this long without having a thread about this? Boggles the mind. Anyways, abortion. We all know what it is, we all have... many and varied opinions on the matter. It's one of the most controversial issues in America(n politics) at the moment and has been for several years. Currently, the law stipulates that a woman "has the right to choose", that is, abortion is required to be legal - as per the supreme court decision, Roe v. Wade. Last year, a slight backpedaling on the matter occurred when the supreme court ruled that late-term abortions were not allowed. As it stands, the availability of abortion varies, especially to minors. Some states require parental consent. Some merely require parental notification. Some require neither. In general, it is conservatives who are against abortion (most schools of Christianity are against it) and would like to see it made illegal - but that cannot happen without the supreme court overturning its prior decision. Which makes the appointment of justices to the supreme court a major issue, since the political leaning of the justices could potentially sway the outcome of such a case that could do that. Roe v. Wade itself was a narrow 5-4 decision (5 justices in favor of the right to abortion, 4 against). Liberals tend to be the other side of the coin - in favor of keeping it legal. Some more right-wing groups have been known to hurl such epithets as "baby-killer" at such people. Some churches have refused to give communion to people who speak out about being "pro-choice" (in favor of the right to abortion). The group against it is known as "pro-life". My opinion on the matter is thus: Abortion is not a pretty thing. Especially when it occurs in the second trimester (early on, it's less messy and nasty). That said, it is a sort of... necessary evil, in a way, since, well, stuff happens. Women get raped. Condoms break. Oopses occur, and for those mistakes it's best to be able to have an abortion rather than have an unwanted child which you can't love and care for the same as if it was wanted. It's best to get it done as soon as possible, of course. The so-called "morning after pill" is the best way, but things don't always get caught that quickly. Sometimes wanted pregnancies need to be terminated for medical reasons. Ectopic pregancies and whatnot. I understand that some people may have moral qualms about getting an abortion, or simply emotionally not wanting to... and that's fine. The beauty of "pro-choice" is that if you don't want one, you don't have to get one. But those who do want to retain the ability to. And, of course, me being a Libertarian, this is a classic example of where I fndamentally believe it is not the government's place to pass moral judgment - it's best left up to the individual to choose to handle the matter as they see fit. To ban abortion is oppressive, as is to require it in any case(s). Now then, your opinions, discussion, debate, whatever... ...just try and be mature about it and refrain from insults, personal attacks, put-downs, et cetera... Remember, ad hominem is a classic logical fallacy. If you resort to attacking the person rather than the issue, you automatically lose the argument since you demonstrate inferior intelligence. ("discuss the issues, not each other"...) Commence thread now.