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Horrified by Alabama Abortion law

(694 Posts)
NanaandGrampy Wed 15-May-19 15:14:50

I am horrified by the new ruling that makes abortion illegal in the state of Alabama with not even exceptions for rape or incest victims .

The only exception is if the mothers life is endangered . Am I right in thinking this new law puts women back 100 years with no ability to make decisions about their own bodies ?

What are your thoughts ?

agnurse Wed 15-May-19 15:17:16

No, it recognizes that the unborn child has rights.

Less than 2% of abortions are done to save the life of the mother or because or rape or incest. That means 98% of them are done simply because the woman does not want a baby - or because someone else does not want her to have one. (In at least one study, 60% of women seeking an abortion said they were doing so because of pressure from someone else. That's not really "choice", is it?)

Slowcookervegan Wed 15-May-19 15:21:40

I think that its the womans choice to have an abortion. This law is disgusting.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-May-19 15:21:52

I was horrified as well. But then realised that Northern Ireland has the same laws.

Women should have control over their own bodies.

It is a religious perversion.

Jane10 Wed 15-May-19 15:24:06

I was appalled at this ghastly step back into the past. angry

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-May-19 15:37:12

These are the people who voted for the Alabama law.

Not terribly representative is it?

mobile.twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1128576434195369984/photo/1

knickas63 Wed 15-May-19 15:37:17

It makes me very angry. I found out years ago when I thought that we may have been having an unplanned edition, that I couldn’t keep it. As the blue lines showed up briefly on the test before settling into a single not pregnant line, I know I could never have an abortion. However, that was just me. My choice. I believe that abortions should be available on demand up to the 12-14 week mark. After that only for dire circumstances. I do believe in choice, but I also think that with that choice comes responsibility. The vast majority will fall in to the pre 14 week mark. But except in the aforementioned dire circumstances – Rape, Incest, Incompatibility with life, mothers life etc, then there is little excuse for a later abortion. It angers me even more that the patriarchs who voted for this legislation also want to restrict Sex Education and Contraception. These people have the nerve to rant about other ‘backward’ religions! Fuming.

agnurse Wed 15-May-19 15:39:03

You do know that there are atheists who believe abortion is wrong, correct?

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-May-19 15:42:21

agnurse yes of course.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-May-19 15:45:36

knick like you I don’t think that I could ever have an abortion, but if my father had raped me? Or I had been raped? I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell no one should tell me what to do.

EllanVannin Wed 15-May-19 15:55:56

It's a cruel law !
When I worked at the hospital we had girls who'd come over from NI, many alone and scared and whose parent/s weren't aware of their predicament. They were counselled beforehand and also after the procedure. If people saw the fear on the faces of some of these girls and their talk of suicide you couldn't help but to feel for them.

I'm against abortion being used as birth control, i.e. if the woman " didn't want " the child, but in cases of it being injurious to the mum or young school girls, rape victims, then yes the law on abortion stands, but in my own personal view no later than 12 weeks, earlier if possible after a scan.

Beckett Wed 15-May-19 15:56:47

Looks like it was all men who made the decision - oh what a surprise! I personally don't believe in abortion - but I would never wish to put my own beliefs onto another woman.

I'm particularly shocked that it is even banned in the case of rape or incest. Rape must be truly devastating but to then be forced to carry your rapists child would be continuing the violation

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-May-19 16:00:39

Are morning after pills freely available? And perhaps they should be free.

Ilovecheese Wed 15-May-19 16:02:16

So a man can be a father and a grandfather to the same child.

notanan2 Wed 15-May-19 16:05:00

Less than 2% of abortions are done to save the life of the mother or because or rape or incest.

There is abdolutely no way to conclusively obtain figures on this. Given the prevalance of domestic violence it is logically to be much much higher than that!

Lack of access to legal abortions DOES NOT STOP ABORTIONS it never has. Anywhere where abortions have been illegal ABORTIONS STILL HAPPEN they are just much much less safe

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-May-19 16:07:51

cheese yes - although I suspect your comment was rhetorical.

notanan2 Wed 15-May-19 16:08:17

In at least one study, 60% of women seeking an abortion said they were doing so because of pressure from someone else. That's not really "choice", is it?

Women who are coerced into legal abortions would still be coerced into illegal abortions. Making a bad situation 10 times worse. There is no way to spin this to make it good for women.

Bellasnana Wed 15-May-19 16:08:39

Here in Malta abortion is illegal as well.

Eglantine21 Wed 15-May-19 16:09:32

It’s not just rape or incest.

A relative was carrying a baby when a scan showed that vital organs had not developed. The baby could survive in the womb but would not survive birth.

Her life was not in danger, but to compel her to continue with the pregnancy?

notanan2 Wed 15-May-19 16:10:04

There are far fewer safeguards against coerced abortion when abortion is illegal. If you genuinely care about women being forced into abortions, you would want them to be legal and mainstream, not back-street.

Ilovecheese Wed 15-May-19 16:10:46

Absolutely right notanan2, banning abortion does not prevent abortion, just makes it more dangerous and another money spinner for the unscrupulous.

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-May-19 16:11:27

bella is contraception available?

Bellasnana Wed 15-May-19 16:20:52

Whitewave, yes contraception is available but when I first came to live here it was frowned upon and I was made to feel very guilty when I turned up at the pharmacy with my prescription for the pill. blush

Whitewavemark2 Wed 15-May-19 16:22:56

As someone just said. “Abortion is now a criminal offence in Alabama, but the fetus, babies and children still retain the right to be killed by a gun”

notanan2 Wed 15-May-19 16:25:26

There have been cases in countries that ban abortion where women have been arrested for having misscarraiges and still births under abortion laws. Young unmarried girls are particularly suspected. So not only do they suffer the trauma of someone getting them pregnant when they are only a child themselves, but then they have to endure a pregnancy AND a misscarraige/still birth... and then are arrested and punished for it!

Yeah. Anti-abortion law supporters REALLY care about the lives of children hmm