End the Abortion Debate
 

We overturn Roe v Wade and institute nationwide (or statewide) plebiscite broken up by trimesters. Majority rules and the law goes into effect for 25-50 years (take your pick).

Likely results based on recent polls:
First Trimester: Legal
Second Trimester: Dunno, don't keep up on this stuff
Third Trimester: Illegal

The plebescite would be phrased something like this:

We the people believe that a fetus/child/whatever in the X trimester should be considered either a living human being and therefore is a citizen of the United States with all of the rights that entails.

Re: End the Abortion Debate
 

I have felt that since the legal defination of death is teh cessation of brain activity that life should start with the beginning of brain stem activity -

I think that gives people 30 days... we certainly have teh science now to determine when brain activity starts...

That would usually be enough time....but of course, that wouldn't make anyone happy on either side. But hey, why be consistant with our medical definitions of life when we can quote a verse from the old testament and pull a new definition out of our ass that differs from when we think someone is dead.

RB

Re: End the Abortion Debate
 

I think people would be more satisfied if they got a chance to voice thier concerns and simply lost or didn't get all they wanted. There are millions of issues ranging from healthcare to taxation, but none poison our political debate the way abortion does.

Re: End the Abortion Debate
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think people would be more satisfied if they got a chance to voice thier concerns and simply lost or didn't get all they wanted. There are millions of issues ranging from healthcare to taxation, but none poison our political debate the way abortion does.

[/ QUOTE ]

What about the religious right and its collective penis envy of homosexuals?

Re: End the Abortion Debate
 

[ QUOTE ]
...collective penis envy of homosexuals...

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Cute. Never heard it before. Original?

Re: End the Abortion Debate
 

You can't bring social change in the courts, you have to do it in the streets. You have to convince people your right, thus marginalizing the other side. It is the only legitamate and thus effective way of seeking social change.

Sorry if it's a lot of work.

Re: End the Abortion Debate
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have felt that since the legal defination of death is teh cessation of brain activity that life should start with the beginning of brain stem activity -

I think that gives people 30 days... we certainly have teh science now to determine when brain activity starts...

That would usually be enough time....but of course, that wouldn't make anyone happy on either side. But hey, why be consistant with our medical definitions of life when we can quote a verse from the old testament and pull a new definition out of our ass that differs from when we think someone is dead.

RB

[/ QUOTE ]

Using this criteria I propose we abort half the users on this board.

Mack

Re: End the Abortion Debate
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have felt that since the legal defination of death is teh cessation of brain activity that life should start with the beginning of brain stem activity -

I think that gives people 30 days... we certainly have teh science now to determine when brain activity starts...

That would usually be enough time....but of course, that wouldn't make anyone happy on either side. But hey, why be consistant with our medical definitions of life when we can quote a verse from the old testament and pull a new definition out of our ass that differs from when we think someone is dead.

RB

[/ QUOTE ]

Using those criteria I propose we abort half the user on this board.

Weird Deja Vu

Mack

Re: End the Abortion Debate
 

Thge die hards of the side that loses will continue to agitate, try to bring new plebiscites, try to change laws etc.

Better to just let them kill each other and let the fetus live on (if the mother chooses to let it, that is).

Re: End the Abortion Debate
 

They did this in 1820. These states will be slave free, these will be slave states. No more slave states above this here line. All issues solved. Great compromise.

Except, new issues came up. People began to see it as more than a political issue, but as an issue of fundamental rights. So new compromises had to be made down the road, and eventually, the idea of some people being property became unacceptable to enough people that slavery had to die.

Abortion will follow the same path. Decades of compromise will take place on always changing ground. And finally, enough people will see that owning/killing a unique person is no longer acceptable. We may all be dead by the time that happens though.