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<br>
Abortion is an amazingly divisive issue. It's a question for which
I, personally, don't have a simple answer to. You have a continuum
from just conceived to just about to be born. Where on that line
does the fetus become a baby? Anytime before it would have been
born naturally? When it has developed certain organs? When it
could live on it's own (with or without medical help) if it were
delivered? When it can first feel pain or react to stimuli? And
then you have the conception side, which brings up questions of
potential life. If full rights begin at conception, then if a
mother loses her baby for whatever reason early in her pregnancy
should she be brought up on charges of accidental manslaughter, or
something similar?<br>
<br>
It's such a resoundingly hard problem that has so many aspects to it
that I can't believe we'll ever find an answer to it that everyone
can easily agree with. For example, if you can determine very early
in a pregnancy that the baby has a debilitating disease and won't
survive it's first week after birth, would the moral thing be to let
it come to term and die horribly or take it's life now while it's
not much more than a developing organ?<br>
<br>
Because of this complexity, I generally fall into two camps. Those
who think abortion should be legal and those who think every option
should be explored other than abortion before an abortion takes
place. I can see times when most people would agree that abortion
should be allowed. When neither the mother nor the baby is expected
to survive the birth process, for one simple example. I can also
see that taking abortion lightly is dangerous. In this I agree with
Jay (if I'm understanding his post correctly). I'm for any
reasonable measure to give the parents more information and to
re-think their options when contemplating having an abortion. I can
also see my views on this topic changing because of unexpected ideas
or information that I've never run into before now or have thought
about very deeply.<br>
<br>
I suggest strongly that everyone out there look with skepticism on
those who think they have a simple answer to this question. That
goes for the "abortion is murder" crowd as well as the "it's a
woman's body - she can do what she likes" crowd. I would also
suggest that we respect each other's points of view on this topic.<br>
<br>
Paul<br>
<br>
On 03/19/2012 09:58 AM, Jay Borden wrote:
<blockquote
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<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">As I’m witnessing the level of “smugness” from
the progressive-left approach epic proportions… I’m still
left with a feeling that there is an grain of truth coming
from some of these “hare-brained” legislatures.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">I’m not sure the religious-right is the one to
carry the torch.. but the message they are awkwardly trying
to bring around is one of *<b>shame</b>*.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">We’ve lost an element of shame in the last
generation of America… shame from making wrong decisions…
shame from making bad choices… and without shame comes
shielding/coddling/protecting from repercussions for ones
actions and decisions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">We’re now a “do what feels good” generation… you
are your own person… a unique individual (just like everyone
else)… everyone should get a trophy for mere participation,
and no one should feel bad for not being an ACTUAL
achiever. (In fact, it’s the reverse… when a WINNER
emerges, they are SHAMED for the assumption that they WON at
the cost of someone else… but I digress)…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">It used to be following through on a bad idea
carried its own social connotations. Are you a woman
sleeping around? Yes… for shame. (And, are you a guy who
prides himself in bedding as many women as he can? Yes…
shame as well). Didn’t plan accordingly and got pregnant?
SHAME. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">Getting an abortion because you want to erase
that mistake? Yes… it should be shamed. And it should be
uncomfortable… and it should carry the full gift of
bureaucracy as can only be provided by our government. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">Abortion should be shamed. And it should be a
last resort. And it should NOT be socially acceptable.
Having an abortion should be the LAST line of defense, not
the first action of choice. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">Is having an abortion killing a human being?
Yes, it is. Does that mean under ZERO circumstances that
an abortion should never happen? No, I don’t believe so.
But the more push-back I see from a population that is
against ANYTHING that would have a woman at least RE-THINK
the decision (yes, RE-THINK IT AGAIN and AGAIN) before
taking a human life… the more I see a population that has
grown far too comfortable with the notion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">Abortion should be a practice of EXTREMES… not
something as commonplace as we have made it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">It’s a tired cliché (from a movie, nonetheless, I
know)… but it rings true to the core. “With infinite power
comes infinite responsibility”…. and women have been handed
the keys to create life. That’s a pretty big
responsibility. Is it is raw deal that women have been
dealt a uterus? (Depends on who you listen to… the woman
who think her rights supersede the ones of a child, or the
woman who finds the joy in the sacrificing of
child-rearing). But it is the hand that nature has dealt
our reproductive process… like it or not, it is what it is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">But when people see women not taking
responsibility for the power that they have been given,
OTHERS step in and try to re-introduce the weight and the
gravity of the decision behind taking another human life…
and often its old white men in public office. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">How shameful that its these same old white men
that have more interest in saving human life than the women
going in and killing their children.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">With all of this talk about how SHOCKING it is
that anyone would trample “women’s rights”… I find it
shocking that no one is at least bringing up the LARGER
issue of: “maybe we SHOULD be doing something to make
killing a child just a little more difficult.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">I’m waiting for some news story to pop up about a
woman walking out of a clinic fresh after having an
abortion, and walking right over to some anti-war
demonstration, holding up a picket sign, and saying, “stop
killing our sons and daughters!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">I’m sure I’ll get all sorts of hate-mail from the
“pro-choice” folks out there… and I’m sure I’ll be called
“uneducated” and “stupid” and be accused of living in a
tree, or whatever else the progressive left like to call
people they can’t otherwise classify through logic or
reason. And I’m sure I’ll get more than a handful of
people claiming that “I have no idea what it’s like having
to be put in that position”…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">And… to that last point… they’re right. But I
don’t have to be a woman to know that killing an innocent
child is wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">And I realize I’m spitting in the wind when it
comes to the general opinion of this crowd. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">With all of this outrage on how SHOCKED people
seem to be on the issue of women’s rights… I can’t let it go
much further without at least raising my hand and writing
SOMETHING to the effect of “do you REALLY think that having
an abortion should be as socially acceptable as it is?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);">Jay<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"; color: rgb(31,
73, 125);"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style="border-right: medium none; border-width: 1pt
medium medium; border-style: solid none none; border-color:
rgb(181, 196, 223) -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color;
padding: 3pt 0in 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif";">From:</span></b><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif";">
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a>
[<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a>] <b>On Behalf Of
</b>Tom Hansen<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 19, 2012 5:59 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Moscow Vision 2020<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Vision2020] What if other cartoonists .
. .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Good for Garry Trudeau. It kinda makes
you wonder though . . . what would it look like if other
newspaper cartoonists ran abortion stories? Hmmm . . . I
wonder . . . what would that look like . . . *cue harp*<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Courtesy of the Blogs section of the
Houston Press at:<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2012/03/abortion_comics_peanuts_archie.php?print=true">http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2012/03/abortion_comics_peanuts_archie.php?print=true</a><br>
<br>
------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Doonesbury<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img
id="_x0035_FE0CE8D-104A-456C-B8B0-BF71A3D9D117"
src="cid:part1.02040701.02020309@yahoo.com"
alt="image.jpeg" width="286" height="185" border="0"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; vertical-align:
baseline;"><span style="font-size: 19.5pt; font-family:
"Georgia","serif"; color: black;
font-weight: normal;">Forget <i><span style="border: 1pt
none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Doonesbury</span></i>:
What If Other Comic Strips Took on the Sonogram Bill?<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some testicle-free newspapers got a
bit nervous when Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau
incorporated a story arc about Texas's controversial
"Sonogram Bill," which requires women seeking an abortion
to undergo a trans-vaginal ultrasound at least 24 hours
prior to the procedure. Doctors must also present audio of
the fetus's heartbeat. The requirement may only be waived
in a medical emergency; there are no exceptions for cases
of rape.<br>
Making the bill even more weird is the proviso that
neither party can be penalized if the woman "chooses not
to receive the information," which apparently means that
if the woman closes her eyes and covers her ears, she
won't have to go to jail. How compassionate.<br>
<br>
A few papers pulled the comic for the week, opting to run
older strips in its place. We applaud those who stood
firm, and we applaud Trudeau -- never one to shy away from
controversy -- for tackling this icky subject. We just
wish more cartoonists would have done the same. But since
they didn't, Hair Balls took it upon ourselves.<br>
<br>
---------------<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dilbert<br>
<br>
<img id="D1EF2D64-97FD-435B-B940-A2AE90F1ED2F"
src="cid:part2.05070400.08040301@yahoo.com"
alt="image.jpeg" width="628" height="195" border="0"><br>
<br>
---------------<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mary Worth<br>
<br>
<img id="B2ED64FF-01AA-4901-95BC-528108B3D2E4"
src="cid:part3.01040406.01000705@yahoo.com"
alt="image.jpeg" width="584" height="175" border="0"><br>
<br>
---------------<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Archie<br>
<br>
<img id="_x0030_D63E493-DEBB-4FC3-BBCB-D02CD24B8D3A"
src="cid:part4.03090600.02040405@yahoo.com"
alt="image.jpeg" width="637" height="188" border="0"><br>
<br>
---------------<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Family Circle<br>
<br>
<img id="AE0AFD13-0E20-440E-ABA9-B0DD41AF0925"
src="cid:part5.08020304.01030704@yahoo.com"
alt="image.jpeg" width="320" height="376" border="0"><br>
<br>
---------------<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Peanuts<br>
<br>
<img id="_x0033_AD1B4BA-92DC-4EDD-AEEF-37A54F035D08"
src="cid:part6.00050004.00080207@yahoo.com"
alt="image.jpeg" width="580" height="112" border="0"><br>
<br>
---------------<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Apartment 3-G<br>
<br>
<img id="_x0035_123B049-EBFE-47E3-9DD5-65C0D80AB9ED"
src="cid:part7.05020501.07030904@yahoo.com"
alt="image.jpeg" width="643" height="191" border="0"><br>
<br>
------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"> <br>
Seeya round town, Moscow.<br>
<br>
Tom Hansen<br>
Moscow, Idaho<br>
<br>
"If not us, who?<br>
If not now, when?"<br>
<br>
- Unknown<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<pre wrap="">
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