Parliamentary group wants to reopen abortion debate

Abortion in favour, against or a place and limit for it

  • Are you in Favour of Abortion ?

    Votes: 4 28.6%
  • Are you in Against Abortion ?

    Votes: 3 21.4%
  • Do you Believe Abortion has its place but should have limits ?

    Votes: 7 50.0%

  • Total voters
    14
  • Poll closed .

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
21,155
149
63
I've known women who didn't even know they were pregnant until they were more than 20 weeks into a pregnancy, so I would assume that yes, there have been women who have found out at a late stage they were pregnant, and gone through with an abortion anyhow. It's their right. And I see nothing wrong with them having the right to end a pregnancy. Fine. That's granted to them. But why do we grant no right to medical assessment and possible intervention for the fetus in those cases, even if they're rare?
Is the MP making assumptions? I wish someone like he would bring forward real cases with all of the facts so a factual discussion can be argued before proposing amended constitutional rights.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
Is the MP making assumptions? I wish someone like he would bring forward real cases with all of the facts so a factual discussion can be argued before proposing amended constitutional rights.

I think he's definitely making assumptions. Real life cases are impossible to get given the nature of FOIP. It sounds to me that what he's asking for is written assurances that what pro-choice advocates say is true, and doctors are limiting late term abortions.

As it is, the way the law is written, those doctors who are doing as pro-choice says, are, btw, breaking the law. By limiting a woman's access to abortion based on ANY criteria, they are violating her constitutional rights.
 

Said1

Hubba Hubba
Apr 18, 2005
5,338
70
48
53
Das Kapital
Anytime anyone is ever injured or ill, the medical establishment is faced with the job of assessing what is necessary, what is viable. They make those decisions for patients on a day to day basis. I don't see where a fetus would be any different than any other person who enters a hospital. I'm not sure where the line is that a fairly regular survival rate occurs is, but, when I was going through my pregnancies, we were often given the 20 week and 2 lb marks as the points past which we could breathe a bit easier, as a 'miscarriage' is now termed a 'premie', and survival rates are much improved. I threw out 30 weeks to be on the conservative side. I'm no doctor though, and won't pretend to be one.

What you wrote in response to Kreskin sounded as though you are referring to rights - as in the fetus' rights to life. No? Anyway, that's what I was asking, not about viability or medical assessments.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
What you wrote in response to Kreskin sounded as though you are referring to rights - as in the fetus' rights to life. No? Anyway, that's what I was asking, not about viability or medical assessments.

A person is considered to have rights once they've been born. What would be wrong with giving the medical profession the ability to decide if a fetus has been born or aborted, depending on fetal development and viability? They draw a line already when it comes to defining miscarried or pre-mature birth. Don't get too hung up on one word.
 

Kreskin

Doctor of Thinkology
Feb 23, 2006
21,155
149
63
I think he's definitely making assumptions. Real life cases are impossible to get given the nature of FOIP. It sounds to me that what he's asking for is written assurances that what pro-choice advocates say is true, and doctors are limiting late term abortions.

As it is, the way the law is written, those doctors who are doing as pro-choice says, are, btw, breaking the law. By limiting a woman's access to abortion based on ANY criteria, they are violating her constitutional rights.
What I have a problem with is that potentially, and likely, the law would be written for cases that don't exist. And it could never cover the issue comprehensively, thus it will be subject to interpretation and likely have unintentional consequences. A complete waste of time and an attack on personal rights is more likely what we'll get out of it.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
What I have a problem with is that potentially, and likely, the law would be written for cases that don't exist. And it could never cover the issue comprehensively, thus it will be subject to interpretation and likely have unintentional consequences. A complete waste of time and an attack on personal rights is more likely what we'll get out of it.

Like I said right off the hop in this thread... with people like him leading the discussion, it will go nowhere.
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
6,770
137
63
Like I said right off the hop in this thread... with people like him leading the discussion, it will go nowhere.

Is it supposed to go somewhere? Or is it simple something to distract you so that you aren't likely to think about the real problem?
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
212
63
In the bush near Sudbury
While I get what you're saying, society doesn't function without imposing morals upon others. It's almost entirely what the legal system is, both criminal and civil.

If a person's errant way of life steps on someone else's toes, then I would agree with you. Between a woman and her conscience is no place for laws to tread. Unfortunately, a fetus has no more rights than a wart in medical or legal terms. Personally, I'm inclined to believe something controversial is just what's needed to focus rage away from Harper's non-government.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
Between a woman and her conscience is no place for laws to tread. Unfortunately, a fetus has no more rights than a wart in medical or legal terms.

And if a fetus can survive once delivered outside of its mother? Where do your morals come in then? If a life can survive without its mother, does she still have the right to extinguish it?
 

Francis2004

Subjective Poster
Nov 18, 2008
2,846
34
48
Lower Mainland, BC
If we didn't need governments to interfere and tell people how to act, we wouldn't need a legal system in the first place. We wouldn't need public awareness campaigns to explain to people that shaking your baby into unconsciousness is not okay. We wouldn't need to broadcast the institution of drop off centers for babies and children, to prevent them being murdered or thrown in a dumpster rather than dropped off at a hospital, fire department, police station, or church. If people on the whole were responsible, abortion wouldn't be necessary except in cases of medical necessity. There's a lot that would be different. But as it would appear... people on the whole are not that great.

That is the whole issue and why it is such a hot topic.. People are not willing to take responsibility for their actions.. Hence we must legislate everything to the point that we are no longer free.

Yet we expect Government to leave us alone.. We cannot have it both ways..

Believe it or not I agree with you that Abortion should only be used in Medical cases or circumstances that cannot be prevented otherwise.
 

Francis2004

Subjective Poster
Nov 18, 2008
2,846
34
48
Lower Mainland, BC
What I have a problem with is that potentially, and likely, the law would be written for cases that don't exist. And it could never cover the issue comprehensively, thus it will be subject to interpretation and likely have unintentional consequences. A complete waste of time and an attack on personal rights is more likely what we'll get out of it.

This happens all the time. Its very easy to take a situation out of context and twist the facts to represent your side. Lawyers do this as part of their court tactics..
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
6,770
137
63
What problem?

Parlament is closed, the economy is still loosing ground and Afghanistan is heating up.

Why in the world do we need to pick now to start talking about Abortion laws? We have a minority government that is at the moment ducking a confidence vote. That an MP would suggest talking about it, more so a Conservative MP suggests that they would like some of the attention off the obvious problems we're facing.

If someone doesn't want you to look at something, that they have created, don't you think it's possible they have an alterior motive?
More so because it's one of the most controvercial topics to discuss?
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
212
63
In the bush near Sudbury
And if a fetus can survive once delivered outside of its mother? Where do your morals come in then? If a life can survive without its mother, does she still have the right to extinguish it?

It's my humble opinion abortion is wrong. I believe life starts at conception. Certainly, at some point - and usually long before it can survive outside the womb - the li'l bugger is kicking from the inside out. How can anyone deny it's alive? Law doesn't distinguish between a day-old mass of cells and a full-term fetus and I think that's where the line has to be drawn.
 

Francis2004

Subjective Poster
Nov 18, 2008
2,846
34
48
Lower Mainland, BC
A person is considered to have rights once they've been born. What would be wrong with giving the medical profession the ability to decide if a fetus has been born or aborted, depending on fetal development and viability? They draw a line already when it comes to defining miscarried or pre-mature birth. Don't get too hung up on one word.

I also have an issue with those who want to protect the rights of others but will not permit those who are fully "of right mind" the right to die. To me it is inhumane to watch someone die in pain when all hope is gone yet we let someone suffer in horror as the rest of the family must watch a family member whither away before their eyes.

I am not talking about someone with no ability, or mentally handicapped to make a clear judgement call, but someone still in full capacity of judging whether their quality of life will every improve and the possibility of every recovering is possible and both answers are NO.

At what point do we finally give them the right to relief.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
It's my humble opinion abortion is wrong. I believe life starts at conception. Certainly, at some point - and usually long before it can survive outside the womb - the li'l bugger is kicking from the inside out. How can anyone deny it's alive? Law doesn't distinguish between a day-old mass of cells and a full-term fetus and I think that's where the line has to be drawn.


I disagree... the key point in our abortion law has nothing to do with the definition of a fetus, and everything to do with our legal stance that no woman should be forced to carry a pregnancy, because to do so violates her security of person. There is nothing that says that the fetus has to be killed in order to return her security of person. Now, granted, the number of abortions it would apply to is miniscule to (according to pro-choice) non-existent, but, I'm merely talking about the law as written and its theoretical extrapolation. It wouldn't even change a single thing about the rights of a fetus, or the rights of a mother.
 

Liberalman

Senate Member
Mar 18, 2007
5,623
36
48
Toronto
The Conservatives are bringing in a bill that says that if a pregnant woman is murdered then the person will be charged for killing two people instead of one.

When this law comes in it’s only a matter of time of whoever performs an abortion will be charged with murder.

The person who wrote this bill was looking at the case of banning smoking where cigarettes are legal while smoking is illegal in a majority of places.

Eventually if a woman terminates her pregnancy herself she will be charged with murder.

Then the abortion law will just fizzle to nothing and join the rest of the hundreds of laws that are out of date.

 

Said1

Hubba Hubba
Apr 18, 2005
5,338
70
48
53
Das Kapital
A person is considered to have rights once they've been born. What would be wrong with giving the medical profession the ability to decide if a fetus has been born or aborted, depending on fetal development and viability? They draw a line already when it comes to defining miscarried or pre-mature birth. Don't get too hung up on one word.

If the medical establishments have figured out what to do (and how to pay for it) in the instances where the mother does not want the fetus, the doctor can chose if and when he wants to take matters into his own hands - is what you're getting at, more or less?

And I don't know what word you mean.
 
Last edited:

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
If the medical establishments have figured out what to do (and how to pay for it) in the instances where the mother does not want the fetus, I suppose the doctor can chose if and when he wants to take matters into his own hands - if that's what you're getting at?

And I don't know what word you mean.

That's exactly what I mean.

and as for the word, you'd expressed confusion because I'd used the word 'right' in terms of the docs being able and allowed to make a medical decision.
 

Said1

Hubba Hubba
Apr 18, 2005
5,338
70
48
53
Das Kapital
That's exactly what I mean.
Why not force the mother to carry the baby to term, instead? Seriously, if someone else is opting to keep the fetus alive when the mother had decided that she doesn't want it, why take risks with a premature birth? I'm not being facetious, just tossing some things out there. I can just hear the pro-lifers on that one.

and as for the word, you'd expressed confusion because I'd used the word 'right' in terms of the docs being able and allowed to make a medical decision.

Actually, the confusion had more to do with context of several words put together. But I don't tend to waste time on semantics - as much as I hate Socratic dialogue, I prefer to ask for clarification.