No, my thoughts have not changed. I still believe it's a woman's right to choose.

Ye, my opinion has changed. Prior to the birth of my first child, I was pretty much on the fence with this issue, not really caring either way. Once I had a child, I became what I would call "Pro-Child", and felt that there was no way that a person with any kind of heart could do something like this to their child.

When I hear the term "Choice", I never seem to hear anything about the "Choice" being denied to a woman to do what it is that got her pregnant. To me, the pregnancy is a consequence, not a "Choice". By aborting your own child, you are denying that child the choice to live a full life.

My thoughts on the matter have not changed. It is not the business of the government to restrict abortion. It is generally a religious belief that gives someone a lean against abortion. That isn't Consititutional, religion doesn't belong with politics. Personally as a choice for myself I am against it, but I don't believe it can be outlawed by government mandate.

As evidence of my feelings I have one adopted daughter and a foster daughter. Those who bellow "murder" aren't stepping up to the plate all the way. If your so hellbent on outlawing the practice, why aren't you doing more than yelling "murder'? Why aren't you creating a loving home so the option of adoption becomes more viable? I see most anti-abortionists as hypocrites. I've only met one couple I will give true respect to. They are religiously anti-abortion but have also adopted 3 children. They are walking the walk, not just talking the talk.

I am 100 percent in favor of abortions now, I see too many moms who shouldnt be moms and everyone involved would have been better off if an abortion had been performed rather than burden society and the welfare system.

Sad part is any jerk can become a parent, no license or education required.

My opinion has not changed. I believe it to be a moral and very personal decision that the government has no right to mandate. I also believe that if abortion were outlawed, it would still happen, but instead of being practiced in a safe, sterile environment and by licensed healthcare professionals, it would be done in back rooms with wire hangers by less-than-desireable persons. OK, maybe it wouldn't be quite so archaic at this point, but you get my meaning.

I was a 22 year old mom when Roe v Wade was passed. It was a difficult time in history.
Until the law was passed young women and girls had two options. Go away to a home for unwed mothers, or try a back alley butcher and hope you don't die, or loose your ability to have a child later in life. I've lived as an adult without Roe v Wade and also with it. In my faith, we are told to believe that life begins at conception. However, if you miscarry, late into your pregnancy and there is a fetus, or fetal matter, the church does not require a burial. This has always been a troubling point for me. I think, in a perfect world, doctors should be able to perform abortions as a routine procedure. Government should stay out of it. Religious zealots should mind their own business. A woman should always have the right to do what she see fit for herself. I do not condone abortion as birth control. I also know how difficult it is to give up a child for adoption. I know multiple people who have. None of them have ever recovered from it. I believe it is easier to live with a medical termination, than to know that there is a child that you will never acknowledge. So no, I have never changed my mind about abortion. A woman should always have the right to choose.

@Lenny, I guess it all depends on when you feel conception begins. If you believe that it is life at conception, then I guess there might be emotional consequences. If you belive that there is no child until it can survive on its own outside of its mother, then the emotional consenquences may be less. If the stigma of abortion were taken away, woman would not have such a hard time making the decission. No one wants to be pointed to on the street and wispered about. It's a medical procedure, nothing more.

There will never, ever be a winner in this argument. It's a shame as both sides have a valid argument that the opposition cannot ignore. I only have this thought (not necessarily an opinion) - to every woman, there is also an argument that the man also has input on the decision.

I look at this dilemma on the point of view of the mother...I am appalled at the taking of the life of the innocent and yet, I cannot fathom the consequences of illegal abortions, those getting done in back alleys (read Mary Anne Looby's comment above)...I also agree with Salisbury Resident to have the man/father involved in the process.

I have been faced with this decision and it's a tough one, not to be taken lightly. (they always talk to you about reducing with HOM Pregnancies) I had to seriously consider my life, they life of my then 5 year old son and the health/quality of life for the 3 lives that I was carrying. There was alot to consider. could we handle all the changes that come with having triplets, would they all be healthy? And if they are not, could we handle that and the cost and commitment that go with that. Etc...so many things to think about. .....there are so many more points that I could make here, but the question at hand for this forum is did my view change after kids? The answer is no. While it was a tough to way all my options, and it wasn't a simple choice - the point was I had a choice. I think people need to make their own decisions and have to able to live with the consequences that come from those decisions. You still should be able to MAKE the decision that is most applicable to heir life and others shouldn't judge.

LM I would never condone the taking of a human life by euthanasia anymore than I would an animal. I, with my family, watched as our Mother slipped away from us over the course of 8 long years with Alzheimers. It was heartbreaking, but not once did anyone of us consider any other alternative. I am pro choice, in that I believe a woman has a right to decide what is best for her. Until someone can definitively say when life begins I will not oppose abortion. I also agree with you that in this day and age there should be no accidental pregnancies. Realistically, I don't believe there are. I believe there are stupid hormonal kids having sex with out protection, I believe there are women, who so desperatly want the man that they should not be with, getting pregnant on purpose and then springing it on the man in the hopes that he will leave his wife. I believe there are selfish men out there who do not want to wear protection. I feel sorry for the girl who was murdered by her lover, but lets be real. She knew she was fooling around with a married man. So many women find themselves in this situation. It is their own self esteem that needs to be worked on. As far as rape goes, If it had ever happened to me, I would have been in the hospital so fast, done a rape kit to find the perp and then had my doctor perform a D&C. That is my choice. @Sheila, those woman would be alive today if they had had an abortion. Sadly sometimes women think a baby will make things better.

Just a few comments here. Yes, my opinion on Abortion changed many years ago. Initially i swallowed the bait. Poor mom, she got pregnant. She cannot afford to take care of the child. There is no dad at the table. Add to this that abotion became the number one method of birth control and you have the ability to eliminate someone who cannot speak for himself. What I could never figure out is given the huge number of methods of birth control why would one not use one of those items to avoid getting pregnant. But more importantly is the fact that you are killing the future I can guarantee you that you would enjoy. I am the proud grandfather of two boys and two girls and a proud greatgrandfather of a beautiful six month old greatgranddaughter and a very handsome 2 year old greatgrandson who is quite a character. Those of you who eliminate a child because that child is inconvenient need to remember that you have options--just say NO--and I want to play with those children in my future.

A good friend of mine dropped out of college during the fall of 1972, after she got knocked up. Many years later she spoke of how excited she was to be a new grandmother. The mother of that child was born in June of 1973, shortly after Roe was decided on January 22. What just a couple of months might have done to change all of their lives!

I can remember the place and day I became pro life. I was 12 years old and my mother was expecting a "surprise" child. At a youth group at church the subject of abortion was being discussed (it was the spring of 1973 just after Roe v. Wade was decided). I had never heard of abortion before and the youth pastor was describing it and trying to justify it by saying that God gives us choices about our lives. I remember sitting there being horrified at the idea that my mother could have chosen to end the pregnancy. It was then and there I became prolife. My brother is now 39 years old and is a great joy to our family even though he was not planned.

Later on I found out that the doctor encouraged my mother to have an abortion -- after all she was in her early 30's and she already had 3 kids at home.

The choice comes before a woman gets pregnant -- after that the choice has been made and the innocent child deserves to live.

Beth
I agree with you in that the guy should behave. But allow me to give you the prospective of one who is 67. Geroge Gilder in an article I was reading many years ago, made the point that the job of ladies is to " civilize the men." To put it another way, it is the girl's job to say no and the boy is to obey that command. We don't do that anymore. Why is that happening? We have become an immoral and irreligous people. We think we are protecting our kids by saying don't have sex but if you do make sure you have taken the birth control pills that I bought you or give your boy friend the condom you picked up at school nurse's office. Parent now believes that all bases are now covered. We do this despite the fact that studies show active teenagers, while they might have a condom in the pocket, do not use it. I know i'm surprised. We have gone on a long journey. It is going to take us twice as long to get back.

Lower Mc Resident
Both boys and girls share the responsibility. Boys, despite what they say, don't have unusual happenings. They need to act like a man and treat all women as ladies. Boys don't escape responsibilities because of uncontrollable hormones. My dad made that clear to me.

No finger pointing by me. I think both parties are equally responsible, unless of it is rape. Unfortunately, the girl is the one who is left with the consequences of their actions.

I never met my father. My mom worked full time, and I was cared for by my Aunt who was addicted to crack cocaine. My mom did the best she could with what she had.

Is this anyway for a child to live? When you grow up in the ghetto rules are different. No one cares. Children are having children and there is no guidance. There are generations of families in the projects, and they get food stamps their entire life. Women raised in this environment have low self-esteem and no self respect. I know because I lived it. If they have children they teach them the same values. My mom referred to me as a stupid bitch not as her daughter. I am not for abortion however going up in that enviroment is a slow death. Any suggestions? I wish some of you were around when I need a mother.

There are always 2 sides of a coin...As we read from these comments, each side has its own argument...We are rational beings and we do what we think is right...No entity is forcing us to do otherwise...The government and the churches are just there for guidance...This ongoing debate cannot be resolved by claiming holier than thou attitude...We'll keep staying legal and moral the best we can and move on.

I am pro life unless the pregnancy is putting the mother in harms way. If a woman decides she doesnt have the ability to be a good Mother, there is always adoption. I think many woman that waver on abortion are just scared and do not realize that they do have what it takes to be a good Mom. I also believe that this should be an ethical decision not mandated by the fed or anyone else.

@Allan Bach, I don't get your point unless it is to offer Special some sort of hope for her future. As for the lady who's story you tell, yes all of those things have happened to her, but here is something else, she choose to go to South Africa to build a school to raise girls up out of poverty, her reason being that the young black people in this country have no appreciation for what is done for them. She also, for 25 long years continue to highlight racial devide. I often times felt while whatching her show that she did not want us to embrace diversity. She wanted and tried very hard by her constant reminders of how it was and how it it and how different Black women and White women are. I found it frustrating that she had this oportunity to bring people together, but really only seemed to want to bring the black community together. The way she carried on about Obama was, again, in my opinion, racist. I don't think she cared one hoot what his politics were, he was a black man and by God they were going to get him elected. Even after the elections, to continue to push the "black man" in the white house was to me divisive. He was elected president, good. Move on. I cannot imagine any other nationality in this day and age being this adament about a candidate. I don't miss her.

@Rosemary, how can you say that a woman never recovers from pregnancy. I've had six, four live births and two miscarriages. I take joy in the birth of all four of my children, and while it saddened me and my husband at the time of our miscarriages, we recovered and went on to have two more healthy children. I have recovered quite well from all six of my pregnancies. I have never had an abortion and and therefore cannot speak to how a woman feels after having one. I am surprised that you feel that you can. Abortion is not killing a child, as much as we all would like to think that. Until science can prove that life begins at conception, there is no killing.

Beth
I agree with you that things have changed. I would say the change was not for the better. I have a niece, schooled in the Woman's Liberation message. She doesn't like if if a man opens the door for her. She is in her 40's, head nursse at a very prestigous hospital and is single looking for a husband. That said let me tell you from a bit of experience all the way up to great grandfather and 32 years as a teacher that your kids will keep information from you until it is to late and it is not necessarily a matter of being pregnant. In days gone by it was not just the parents who watched over the kids, the community did that. From the schools to the churches to the scouts and all of your family. That was a good thing but we do not do that anymore. Adults have a job to do, they have to help the children become adults and that does not go away after you rear your own children. It is not easy but it can be done. I would like to see moms stay home and rear the kids not ready for school. I absolutely believe that dad needs to be an equal assistant on this job and I believe that he needs to assit his wife on things that need to be done. I believe this would be extemely beneficial to all involved in the process of making our entire society better. Good book to read "Being George Washington"

@LM we were saddened by the loss of what might have been. As far as your other questions, yes,I have felt movement during my pregnancies, I have never had a ultrasound during pregnancy, in my day those things were only done with problem pregnancies. No I did not thing it was a tumor or mass. I KNEW IT TO BE EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS....A FETUS, NOT A CHILD. @Rosemary if you put a seed in the ground, do you call it a plant? No it is a seed that grows into a plant with the proper nourishment. You can argue this point back and forth but it is a waste of time. I understand that you have your beliefs and I wish that you could understand that other people have theirs, wether in agreement with you or not.

Beth
We do have a lot in common. My wife worked the first year of our marriage while I finished grad school. In our second year she became pregnant with our son. I had been hired on an emergancy certificate as a teacher in Bethlehem. The next year she went back to work, our son went to a baby sitter, and I went back to Moravian to obtain courses I need for education. After that Charlotte was at home with the boy. I had a decision to make do I let my wife do all the homework, customary at the time, or do I help. I ended up behind the and other chores. But we both worked together so that today I can say we married 45 years. It has been a great life and I could not have done it without her. You are correct in that you become partners. The priest who married us all those years ago told us before hand that we would have our respective, designated jobs around the house, she washes the dishes and I mow the lawn. But he also said that didn't mean that we could not assist in one anothers area when needed. You last paragraph is spot on and while it is difficult from time to time we cannot do anything other then help and love our kids

Why we need abortion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Impact_of_Legalized_Abortion_on_Crime

@Allan Bach, you must not get around much. There are plenty of Catholic women who think the same way.

@Rosemary, are you billing by the hour? Where shall I send the check!

To all you nay sayers regarding abortion, I hope you have all read yesterdays Patch article about the girl from Coopersburg who has been committed to jail on a $200.000. bail for attempted homicide. Her victim was her 6 month old baby. There are some pregnancies that should be terminated.

What I am saying is that this is often a quite real result of an unwanted pregnancy, nothing more.

@Rosemary, given your response Tamarya, if, in fact, this is a living human being, please tell me why we do not afford it the common decency of a funeral and burial? Why, because modern science does not in recognize life at conception.

RE: f, in fact, this is a living human being, please tell me why we do not afford it the common decency of a funeral and burial?

Guess that depends on the person--for I have friends and know couples that have had funerals and burials for miscarriages and still births. You can if that is your desire.

@LM having had two miscarriges, one first trimester, second,second trimester, I have never been given any option by a hospital or by my church. I too know people who have had funerals for their still born children. I do not see miscarriges and still born in the same catagory. @Rosemary, that is a crock! Any parent who belives that they were in fact carrying a living human life would not give a damn about the expense of a funeral. First and formost, there is a Funeral Home, right here it the good old Lehigh Valley who will handle the death of a child FOR FREE and hospitals are aware of it. Seperate and appart from that, a service in your church should cost nothing in this case, and almost every other funeral home will let you use a casket, assuming you are going to creamate. If you are going to have a burial, then yes, you would have to purchase a casket and have a grave site and incure all the expenses that go with doing that. If I believed as you do, I would not care if I had to beg, borrow or steal to give my child a proper funeral. You on the other hand seem to think it is not a problem to throw this living human being, as you believe it is, out with the rest of the hospital medical waste.

@Rosemary, you are right, science has nothing to do with funerals, burials, etc.

My views on abortion have not changed since being a parent. However, my depth and breadth of tolerance and understanding regarding both sides of the issue has grown exponentially since becoming a mommy nine years ago.