for Naina_Manam -whether it should be made illegal Whether or not abortion is a good choice or a moral/ethical choice is different than whether or not it should be a LEGAL choice. For many people, this difference is difficult to understand. If something is bad (and we have not yet considered whether or not abortion is even a bad thing yet), then they believe it should be forbidden by law.
This, of course, is flawed thinking. We make distinctions all the time between what we ourselves believe should or should not be legal, entirely apart from whether or not we believe it to be moral.
For example, I believe it is morally and ethically wrong for a woman or man who is married to commit adultery by having sex with someone other than their spouse. I do NOT believe that those who do commit adultery should be prosecuted through the criminal justice system.
Some people believe that smoking is wrong, but as long as smokers do not infringe others right to breathe clean air, I do not believe that the private act of smoking should be forbidden by law.
I also oppose the use of drugs and of drinking to the point of intoxication, yet I believe that I can oppose these vices more effectively by supporting adequate treatment programs than by putting alcoholics or addicts in jails.
Would anyone accuse me of being pro-adultery, pro-smoking, or pro-drugs/alcohol, merely because I believe that they are either matters left to individuals that are none of my business or that they can be opposed more effectively using strategies OTHER THAN the criminal justice system?
Similarly, there are many individuals who strongly oppose abortion on moral grounds, and could never conclude that it was the right choice to make, but feel that it is not a choice than can be compelled by force of law.
Those who wish to keep the government out of other people's personal decisions, whatever they may believe for themselves, see themselves in the moderate middle -- planted firmly between two extremes.
The extreme right (as in the Christian Coalition) opposes abortion and believes that the government can and should require as a matter of law that a woman use the most private part of her reproductive anatomy to carry an unwanted pregnancy even if she doesn't want to.
The moderate middle believes that whatever their own opinion about abortion may be, that they do not have the right to have their hired POLITICIANS pass MORE LAWS to FORCE their OPINIONS onto anyone else who might want to make a different choice with her own body.
The decision about what is right and what should be legislated are separate and distinct issues. Edited by indygirl - 19 years ago