I have to refresh this thread. I know I am biased (because I started it). But it is as relevant today as it was when I started it.

A friend commented on it when I sent it around by email. This is what he said, "Also, when all children can have genuine love and care, we can start talking about finding ways to reduce abortion."

I said:

Yes, abortion is definitely part of the equation. Now, feel free to assert that you are not one of the "them" that I am talking about and to clarify your position. But most of the pundits and policy-makers I hear who call themselves "pro-life" are steadfastly (and even violently!) opposed to honest sex education and condom use advocacy that would absolutely mean fewer abortions. Furthermore, I doubt if you could find a single advocate for choice, much less someone who has had an abortion who takes or has taken the decision lightly, as one would a walk in the park or having another beer. I also doubt that you could find any advocate of reproductive choice who thinks that abortions should be thought of as first line contraception. That is why you see among the advocates of the right to choose people also advocating wider access to condoms and education on their use and appropriateness.

Furthermore furthermore, the advocates for abortion decisions by law and not individual choice "choose" to focus on the very low failure rate of condoms as reason to oppose such education and access. Can you show me one public figure who opposes individual choice who does advocate for condom access and honest sex education?

Furthermore furthermore, and furthermore, I can't see why anyone would oppose the use of condoms. If one sees life as "beginning at conception" as these pundits and policy-makers say they do, a condom 99.9% of the time (or pretty close to that) prevents any conception. A quick Google search shows this website:

http://advocatesforyouth.org/publications/416?task=view
And this cut and paste:
Condoms Are Effective in Preventing Unintended or Unwanted Pregnancy.

    * In one year, only two of every 100 couples who use condoms consistently and correctly will experience an unintended pregnancy—two pregnancies arising from an estimated 8,300 acts of sexual intercourse, for a 0.02 percent per-condom pregnancy rate.[3]


The truth is that, despite what those who call themselves "pro-life" might think (or say they think), no one wants abortions. But depriving women from the right to make that painful choice is not only not the answer, but it is an affront to all women. They, not the state, not anyone, no matter how strongly they feel about their religious beliefs that tell them when life begins is entitled to make that choice for them. It is essential for any potential mother to want her eventual child. And that is why I specifically said "born wanted."

Indeed, if a woman is forced to carry a fetus to birth against her will, how can anyone in their right mind expect that that child will be wanted or loved? And if the child is not wanted or loved, how can we reasonably expect that it will grow up to be loving and non-hurtful?

Saul