Steve Breen for January 22, 2013

What a shame. Think what they could have been.

Really? And how many babies were “KILLED” by your refusal to adopt them since 1973?

Cool, would you rather pay for their welfare and food stamps?

Everyone is so “concerned” over a child’s welfare before it’s born, but how many give a flying fig about that child’s welfare after he or she is born? Many of the things our tax dollars pay for that “conservatives” so vehemently oppose help insure the children who are born have a chance of a half decent life.If you oppose both birth control and abortions, don’t complain about the cost of schools and welfare services.

Actually, zero babies killed since 1973, since fetuses aren’t babies. Please don’t pervert the English language like that, and let’s instead remember that the difference with Roe v. Wade is that what used to be dangerous, back-alley abortions are now safe and legal.

Learn how to take care of the ones who are actually alive before you worry about the ones which might become human beings some day.

For once, Clark has it right: It is a Woman’s choice whether to bring the child to term or not. I , for one, am glad that Roe vs. Wade is here, as I’d rather see the practice regulated by the medical community than not at all..Even though you males start things, we females have to provide for the child ourselves —sometimes even after it’s born..P.S. to Howie: That’s only true if it’s done willingly. If it is forced on her, and she doesn’t want the child, then your statement is groundless.

I had a girlfriend once who was often graphic, somewhat dramatic and less than subtle in expressing her opinions. In a discussion about abortion once she walked up to me and embraced me tightly. As my head was filled with suggestive thoughts she asked me two questions:

“Is this your body?” she asked somewhat suggestively.“Noooo,” I answered in a trailing voice.“Do I tell you what to do with your body?” she asked in a lilting tone.“No,” I again replied.“Good, I’m glad we got that settled,” she said in a matter of fact manner, giving me a gentle push away and disconnecting herself from my wishful embrace. “You just mind your own business and take care of your body and I’ll take care of mine. As soon as you are capable of conceiving and carrying a baby for 9 months you can talk to me about decisions about abortion…”

Emotionally I have never been totally comfortable with the concept of abortion, but the lady was right, it’s their body, their decision and unless we are invited into the discussion men should mind their own business.

Contraception is the only answer. That keeps (almost) everybody happy. Make it popular and easy to avoid conception. An ounce of prevention.

What babies? Besides what about all those who have starved to death since then, or is in similar poverty? Or I guess those doesn´t matter.

Not babies. Fetuses. There’s a legal distinction. Outlawing abortion will never stop abortion, it only kills women. If you really want to stop abortion, you need to support free birth control and balanced sex education — it actually has been proven to work. Fat chance the Catholics and Tea Partiers will get on board with that!

Toll did not increase due to legalization, but deaths of mothers decreased!

Against abortion?Don’t have one…

Yes, 50 million unwanted babies, will not have to be on welfare.

From a purely objective standpoint, TTM makes some good arguments. Birth control is not infallible, the evils of humanity result in more forced pregnancies than we would like to believe, but you also have a good point in saying, “when it’s warranted and not for sport.” I support women’s choice, but those who don’t take, or force their partner(s) to take, responsible use of birth control are putting themselves at risks for far more than unwanted pregnancies. The polemic reponse to TTM does undermine your own credibility, though.

“Like THAT solves anything?”

doc, if we were really looking for a proactive solution we would teach contraception in schools, but that would inflame much of our more conservative population.

My mom was smart and “had the talk” that introduced us to the “facts of life” at the right time of our lives and demystified the process. She knew we were a pretty randy bunch and didn’t want us propagating the species until we were responsible enough to deal with it on our own.

It’s a religious argument against contraception, and early abortion (especially) and even late term, not generally a “medical” discussion from the “pro lifers” who have no problem with guns in schools, or wars, or abandoned children right here at home, let alone overseas. Adoption hypocrisy is a real tragedy they do little to resolve.

But, as to the ‘toon, considering 50% of fertilized eggs never attach to the uterus, and still more pregnancies end in “miscarriage” , "God’s own abortion program", how many BILLIONS of babies has GOD killed??

The fact that the same Old Testament that gives folks there objection, also states that if a pregnant slave is killed, the penalty for the master is death, but if only her fetus dies, and she survives, only a fine is paid. It is clear from this little ditty in the “laws”, that the “pre-born” are NOT recognized as “people” or “babies”.

Wow think of all those fetuses that didn’t reach term to be born into and raised in homes where they weren’t wanted and couldn’t be cared for properly. And before you right wing stooges start blathering on about Adoption and Foster care I’ll point out how many children today are in foster care or abused or neglected because the church folk only care about them before they are born. How many orphanages and foster homes are you supporting? How many orphanages and foster homes is your church supporting?

I wonder if that 50 Million includes those pregnancies that were prevented by birth control?

I have a daughter myself and I hope that she saves herself for marriage and that her life is never at risk because of a pregnancy. But I would also like her to have access to abortion if she were ever raped. But if you let the right wing bible thumpers have their way they will stop that access because they foolishly believe their own mythos that a woman who is raped can’t become pregnant unless she wanted it.

Infant mortality in the US dropped from 20 per 1000 in 1970 to 6.9 per 1000 in 2003. So of all the babies born since 1973 (approximately 100 M), about 1% died as children. Thank you pro-Lifers for you support.Also, I haven’t looked for the statistics yet, but how many fetuses weren’t created because eggs were prevented from fertilization due to contraception or some other method besides abstention. Anyone?

Somehow, I don’t think the US would be better off by having an extra 50 million people who were raised by someone who didn’t want them.

I am grateful that between 2,000 and 200,000 women did not have to die in illegal abortions (yes some other women died in legal abortion procedures, but many fewer than before roe v wade).

Republicans only care about people when they’re fetuses because it lets them suppress and control women. Once children are born, they’re on their own, with no jobs, only a Walmart-level education, constant danger of being killed, and certainly no health care because then they’d live longer.

“The "it’s her body " argument does not hold up."

From a religious standpoint I don’t contest your belief. It’s that, a personal faith. On a basis of logic, the baby is an integral part of her body and is completely dependent on her to survive. I’m being totally callous in divorcing this from any concept of “identity” in relation to the fetus. It doesn’t bear arguing because this is generally too personal a topic for people to discuss rationally. You need to wrangle with Dr. C, he’s the logic master here…

Where’s the monument to all the women who died due to back ally abortions before Roe V. Wade?

You really have been working to spread your inability to even come up with rhetoric today, at least the comic does this for you.

Now

18% of all potential births are aborted.

47% of abortions occur within 8 weeks, 80% within 12, 96% by 16 weeks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Human_Embryo_-_Approximately_8_weeks_estimated_gestational_age.jpg

By this point 1. There is no nervous system formed2. There is no cerebral cortex ( i will concede that rough development starts at 14 weeks, between this and 16 weeks roughly 4% of abortions are performed

3. between 10-25% of pregnancies ( depending on statistic, age) end in miscarriage, this happens 92% of cases within 12 weeks., taking a medium of 18% miscarriage you are literally as likely to die of miscarriage at this point as you are from abortion.

As for the late term pregnancy, defined as > 18 weeks, 97% of the very few abortions performed are for medical necessity defined as being a serious risk to the mother’s health, if you feel that this should be banned with the understanding that in many cases this will lead to the death of both the mother, and the baby so as in order to give the baby a chance then feel free. I can not dispute it as it turns purely into opinion.

“Some folks think having two parents, one of which has a legal job helps insure the children born have a chance of a half decent life.”That’s not the point my post and ignores many factors.When did it become taxpayers’ responsibility to pay for a child?Again, you miss the point of my post, but your comment does partially illustrate the type of person I was thinking of when I typed it.

as a nurse, I’ve seen that the vast majority of mentally ill people were unwanted, abused children (mentally, emotionally and sexually) IMHO, the ‘lost’ soul deserves a second chance by being aborted than borne into a life of misery

I note that conservatives don’t seem to care that far more people have been killed by guns in that time.

While I’m no fan of abortion as birth control, my immediate reaction to this panel is that 50 million babies have been SAVED. Saved from a lifetime that could not support them, could not feed them, could not protect them. At the risk of possibly misapplying science, I believe that matter and energy can be neither created nor destroyed – which leads me to the opinion that children not born today will be born someday, hopefully into better circumstances.

Can you source that number? Even if it’s true it tells us nothing. Women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies.

I think it’s misguided to demand a specific moment when a fetus becomes a human being with rights. I wish nature would always give yes or no answers, but you don’t always get what you wish. I think the day after conception, an embryo is clearly not a human being, and by the ninth month it clearly is. In the meantime there’s a gradual development. As that development continues, the grounds for abortion become more stringent. At the very early stages, not much justification for an abortion is needed, but late term abortions should be done only under extreme circumstances. I think in practice that’s what happens anyway.

Good point. Of course conservatives care about children, too. Where else will we get a source of cannon fodder?

For some wonderful (is that the right word here?) hypocrisy of the so-called pro-lifers, see:http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/catholics-argue-that-fetuses-are-people-unless-it-costs-the-church-money/

When children become leeches, it’s time to cut them loose.