Unwanted Pregnancy

The Left Says

It is about a woman’s right to choose what happens with her own body. The government has no place coming between a woman and her doctor

The Right Says

It is about the rights of the defenseless, unborn babies. Life begins at conception, and abortion is murder.

The Solution

The issue isn’t about Life or Choice; it is about Unwanted Pregnancies! Let’s be up front. If the Right were serious about preventing what they say are hundreds of thousands of murders each year, then we would start with lots of condoms. They work and prevent STDs. A bigger lift would be reversible vasectomies at puberty (after sperm banking, just in case), which would take care of about 99% of unwanted pregnancy, and would be way better for everyone than any female contraceptives. Second, mandatory child support after genetic testing, with grandparents on the hook if the new parent is a minor. Third, how about we agree that we’re never going to all agree on “when life begins,” but because abortions don’t just go away if we make them illegal, then we need to draw a line somewhere. Conveniently, we already have the distinction between embryo and fetus. This happens at 11 gestational weeks (9 weeks after fertilization, or roughly 7 weeks after the first missed period). The little plucker is the size of a fig or golf ball, and is mostly done looking like other vertebrates. Let’s avoid abortions after this stage. So effectively, if I miss that second period, then I’ve got a couple of weeks to figure out what I’m going to do. If the Left is serious about a woman’s right to choose, then we’ve got to choose. Don’t be sitting around and waiting until you’re more than 9 weeks in.

However, if we’re going to be ‘Pro-Life’ after we’re dealing with a fetus and not an embryo, then that means we have to be pro-mother, pro-education (including Sex Education), pro-nutrition, pro-preventative medicine, and pro-ADOPTION! Can someone explain why any two idiots in the back of a Chevy can make a baby, but you have to wait years to get approval for an adoption and pay thousands and thousands of dollars? Remove the stigma of giving a baby up for adoption. Make it a celebration.

Treat expectant mothers like royalty. By that third trimester, every day should be a spa day. Every community should have a Women’s Center, where they can go during pregnancy and even during their menstrual period to take a break, get their feet or back rubbed, get any questions answered, meet the person(s) that are going to adopt their baby. For those keeping the baby: 6-month maternity leave, followed by 6-month paternity leave, followed by day-care (and elder care) at work.