I think my own beliefs are best described as "extremely reluctantly pro-choice."
I can totally understand why a woman who was pregnant as a result of rape, incest, etc. would not want to go through with the pregnancy. I cannot fault her decision.
Also, when the mother's life is in danger or when the baby is so severly messed up that it will probably die anyway, again, I cannot fault anyone for making this decision.
These are, for me, the simple cases.
The harder ones are usually economic or "oh no!"
With both scenarios I can sympathize, but in both cases it just breaks my heart. Nine months is a long time - physically, financially, emotionally, mentally. I have never been pregnant so I cannot even imagine how complicated and confusing it must be to be in such a situation.
There are SOOOO many nice people that are desperate for a child of their own that would love to adopt a baby. There are waiting lists years long. It's so sad that one woman would do anything to NOT be pregnant and maybe just one block over lives another woman that would do anything to BE pregnant.
Of course, again, I've never been in this situation, so I just don't think I have the right to judge anyone. But it just makes me so SAD, the whole thing.
What really ticks me off are the "repeat offenders" - the women who are careless over and over with their protection. Not, oops my method failed this one time, but geez, here we go again. What's especially awful is how hypocritical some people can be - I found out recently that my soon-to-be-ex roommate had an abortion a couple years ago. A couple months ago when she and our other roommate and I were discussing birth control, she told us that "P____ pulls out."
HELLO! The girl is 26 years old now, shouldn't she know better? Plus who knows what she was doing with that other boyfriend to protect herself. Now also keep in mind that this charming girl likes to preach to other people on what horrible sinners they are - told me I was "slutty" for dancing with a guy friend at a bar
and told our other roommate that by reading Harry Potter to her 10 year old brother she was "endangering his soul"!
The problem, as someone already stated, is that there really isn't a way to screen out the unlucky ones from the careless and stupid ones.
I don't think it's unfair to require a short waiting period - i.e. maybe 24 hours tops. Go home and sleep on it. Here's some fair unbiased information about your options, risks for both the surgical procedure and risks for carrying a pregnancy to term. Emotional issues that might confront you if you chose abortion,m adoption or keeping your baby. Think about it and come back tomorrow and we will help you with your decision.
On that note, I do NOT like any of the proposals that force consent from some third party other than the woman. It's her decision to make, and while I know how I hope she decides, it is ultimately her decision. Even the parents with minor daughters - it would be absolutely horrible for some poor girl to be driven to seek a dangerous illegal abortion because she can't face her parents. In some really tragic cases, she may face abuse at home or someone at home may even be the father.
I also think that all the meanies who are harrassing the poor women going to the clinics and threatening or attacking those who work there need to shut the heck up and get real lives.
Again, back to my main point - abortions are SAD. I would love for politicians to not feel that they have to swing so far to one side. It seems like all we hear are "Abortions all the time on demand!" or "It's a sin! No abortions ever!"
Just once I would like to hear a politician say that while they realize that they shouldn't interfere in someone else's personal choice, the whole thing makes them really sad and they really wish there was a better option.
...ok, enough of the soapbox...