# Abortion **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437 "2009-09-25T00:09:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/1 "2009-09-25T00:09:16Z")
How would you regulate abortion? Poll to follow. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/2 "2009-09-25T00:25:47Z")
Legal in all circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/3 "2009-09-25T00:28:04Z")
Legal in all circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/4 "2009-09-25T01:46:01Z")
_All circumstances_ looks like a bit of a trap, but offhand I couldn’t think of any probable circumstances that would justify criminalizing it, so that’s what I chose. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/5 "2009-09-25T01:55:52Z")
Legal in all circumstances. (One wonders why some would want to make it _manditory_!) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/6 "2009-09-25T01:56:36Z")
Illegal except for Mother’s life, rape, incest… also Mother’s physical health & severe fetal deformity (maybe). ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/7 "2009-09-25T02:05:23Z")
Legal. But since I _could_ live with certain restrictions and I think some might be wise, I picked the restricted choice. But I’d pick legal under all circumstances before I’d agree to legal with onerous restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![Hirundo82](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/919ad9/32.png) [@Hirundo82](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirundo82)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/8 "2009-09-25T03:04:08Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Legal in all circumstances. (One wonders why some would want to make it _manditory_!) Well, judging from the political atmosphere around here lately some may want it mandatory for Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/9 "2009-09-25T03:36:20Z")
Illegal Except To Save the Life of the Mother. ---
**Author:** ![bri1600bv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@bri1600bv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri1600bv)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/10 "2009-09-25T03:41:19Z")
Legal in all circumstances? How about 2 minutes before birth on a full term baby? At some point is it just infanticide? Or because the fetus is not currently living on its own it’s considered a “parasite” and can be terminated at will? ---
**Author:** ![Discipline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Discipline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discipline)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/11 "2009-09-25T03:49:48Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > _All circumstances_ looks like a bit of a trap, but > [@bri1600bv](#): > > How about 2 minutes before birth on a full term baby? > > At some point is it just infanticide? Or because the fetus is not currently living on its own it’s considered a “parasite” and can be terminated at will? Hey, what a surprise. There it is. Congrats on identifying the slippery slope, you win a prize for being so clever. How about 30 years after? Shove that stupid argument, **bri1600bv** , just answer the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/12 "2009-09-25T04:14:45Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#): > > Legal in all circumstances? How about 2 minutes before birth on a full term baby? In practical terms a red herring since pregnancies are only terminated that late for serious medical reasons. And IMHO the main reason for trying to restrict or illegalize abortion that late is to make sure that the woman suffers or dies from those medical problems. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/13 "2009-09-25T04:33:35Z")
> [@bri1600bv](#): > > Legal in all circumstances? How about 2 minutes before birth on a full term baby? Sounds good. > [@](#): > > At some point is it just infanticide? 2 minutes later. > [@](#): > > Or because the fetus is not currently living on its own it’s considered a “parasite” and can be terminated at will? Being a woman means having the authority to make that decision. That’s nature’s way of making up for periods, PMS, UTIs, and so on. You’re welcome to argue that no woman 2 minutes from giving birth (or 2 months from giving birth or whatever) oughta have an abortion… but it’s her decision to make. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/14 "2009-09-25T04:35:46Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > In practical terms a red herring since pregnancies are only terminated that late for serious medical reasons. **And IMHO the main reason for trying to restrict or illegalize abortion that late is to make sure that the woman suffers or dies from those medical problems.** (my bolding) I’m so sorry for you because I 'm sure you actually believe it regardless of proof. It’s so sad. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/15 "2009-09-25T04:48:47Z")
Looks like one of the people who voted in favor of abortion being illegal in all circumstances is named **poker in the rear.** Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/16 "2009-09-25T04:57:18Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > … **poker in the rear.** If we all could just do that, this would be a non-issue. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/17 "2009-09-25T05:08:13Z")
> [@](#): > > One wonders why some would want to make it manditory! If the child is one of those born with just a brain stem, for instance (microcephalic?), or other terminal birth defect. Or if the mother has been seriously abusing drugs, and the fetus will be born so damaged that even if it survives, it won’t really be a human. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/18 "2009-09-25T05:09:26Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > Looks like one of the people who voted in favor of abortion being illegal in all circumstances is named **poker in the rear.** > > Interesting. A vote _and_ advice on contraception. Am I the only person who finds it odd that incest is lumped in with rape and lifesaving measures? What if it was consensual? Why do potential flipper babies get less love than all the other possible cases of birth defects? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/19 "2009-09-25T05:25:21Z")
Wow, that’s a pretty neck-and-neck set of poll results. 🙂 The liberal bias of the Dope strikes again. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437/20 "2009-09-25T05:31:00Z")
Legal in all circumstances. I do have some ambivalence about parental notification, but that doesn’t effect legality. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abortion/511437.md?page=2)