Dr Rick

Can you imagine why this is a fallacious false dichotomy?

fatherphil

bring orphanages into the 21st century. then promote and insure the reality that being in one would be better than never being born.

as far as where the money would come to finance this, would any here be willing to donate to this cause?

scigirl

Orphanages as a great place? Didn't you watch Annie?

See, the problem with your suggestion is that it just isn't practical. The same political party that wants to ensure every single sex act leads to a baby is the same party that keeps cutting social services programs. Oh the irony.

scigirl

Edited to add - yes I would donate, if I had any money. I do plan on starting to volunteer for a local pro-choice group, which does find ways to fund alternatives to abortion as well as lobby to keep abortion legal.

fatherphil

is a life sentence less practical than the death penalty?

brighid

No, but if a child was never brought into a horrible life sentence in the foster care and orphanage system they would never know the suffering in the first place. As those systems are now abortion is a better choice.

Brighid

fatherphil

i'd say improving the orphanage system is the better choice. especially for those unfortunate souls that failed to get terminated prior to birth.

Daleth

Frankly, and I'm sorry to say it, no.

We've currently got a real mess on our hands with education and health care. We don't seem to be willing to take adequate care of the people we've already got. Until we're making a decent effort to take care of the needs of the living, I'm not willing to donate or be taxed for any further institution that would draw our resources away from those needs. I'm not willing to encourage the births of many more people to be taken care of by the state when the state is not willing to take care of the people already here.

I hate how that sounds, but so be it.

That I'd agree with. That's in the realm of taking care of what we've already got, and we're handling those kids terribly. There's no excuse for kids sleeping on the floors of child welfare agencies. If we're willing to first fix problems like that, maybe eventually we'll be mature enough to encourage more births into the system.

Dal

Opera Nut

Speaking of orphanages, have you seen what a no-abortion society produces? Romania under dictator Ceasescu strictly prohibited abortions. When he and his wife were executed by mob firing squad during the collapse of the Communist regime, Christmas Day 1989, we were treated to horrible pictures of orphanages, overflowing with hollow-eyed, malnourished, pitiful children of all ages, who never got a hug from an adult, never had a stuffed toy to hug, never were talked to, trapped in sterile wards with no life, no joy, no hope and no color.

You think that's good?

Furthermore as has been previously pointed out, the US can't or won't take care of the people who are already alive here, and won't provide proper medical care for its citizens, thus causing much unnecessary suffering and death.

dk

I'm not sure what problems you think abortion answered, but Sangers snake oil pitch, "Make every child a wanted child" has boomeranged.

brighid

I think you are supporting OperaNut's point, although I am not sure you intended to.

Sweden has a very similar "make every child a wanted child" and a system to support this. It works very well there. That motto hasn't failed here because people believe this should be the case, but because the system of support in this country is so absolutely abysmal and continues to be downgraded by the very pro-life political organizations that support "family values" and attack abortion, etc.

The state of our foster care system is disturbing example of children born into situations by parents incapable of handling the responsibility of parenting who should have used birth control, abstinence, and or abortion as a solution to prevent the actual suffering of live, fully formed human children.

If you want to correct the terrible state of foster care I suggest following the proven examples of countries instituting proper family planning, providing birth control, abortion, pre and post natal care, extended maternity leave, safe and affordable day care, and a social and work structure that supports the healthy development of families and children. The current American system doesn't even compare to those of our European counterparts and it fails millions of children every year that must live in horrible conditions that an animal shouldn't have to endure.

If you want abortion solutions address the reasons why women find that choice more appealing then bringing a child into the American landscape. The pro-life movement will be more successful and actually live up to the claim of being pro-life: pro-life of the woman before, during and after pregnancy, as well as the child and not just while the fetus is in utero.

So if you are anti-abortion, but don't actually work or focus on the REAL life issues that affect these women and children don't have the audacity to call yourself pro-life. I am pro-life AND support abortion.

Brighid