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Rape and Incest....Is Abortion Ever Okay?(Important legal perspective midway)
Georgia Right to Life - pdf document ^ | Georgia Right to Life

Posted on 03/09/2006 11:44:59 AM PST by cpforlife.org

Rape and Incest… Is Abortion Ever Okay?

Many advocates for life are challenged with myths and tough questions. Is abortion the answer in some cases? No! All life has value and therefore should be respected and protected. Much of the truth about abortion receives little attention in public discourse, for it exposes what we, as a nation would rather not see. Following are myths and questions frequently raised by abortion proponents, and facts about the "hard cases" in the abortion debate.

ACCEPTING ABORTION FOR HARD CASES SUCH AS RAPE AND INCEST IS ONLY SENSIBLE. DOESN'T ABORTION NEED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THESE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS? Pro-lifers must emphasize that no matter the circumstances of conception; there should never be embarrassment about bringing a child into the world. The value of a person is not determined by the circumstances of his or her conception. Rape and incest victims need support and compassion, not a "quick-fix solution" like abortion. Abortion only adds to the trauma and injustice already inflicted upon the mother.

ABORTION IS USED MAINLY AS A LAST RESORT, MOSTLY FOR PREGNANCIES THAT RESULT FROM RAPE OR INCEST. In a study conducted by the pro-abortion Alan Guttmacher Institute, entitled “Why Women Have Abortions,” women were asked to give specific reasons why they had an abortion. The top three answers were: 1. Unready for responsibility 2. Can't afford baby now 3. Concern about how having a baby would change her life. The three reasons, which came in last place and were tied at 1 percent included: 1. Was a victim of rape or incest 2. Husband or partner wanted the abortion 3. Didn't want others to know she has had sex or is pregnant. Studies and statistics consistently show that pregnancies due to rape and incest are rare. According to Guttmacher that 1% due to rape and incest is 14,000 babies per year. Therefore, abortion is not mainly used as a last resort.

ABORTION MUST BE ALLOWED IN ORDER TO SAVE THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER. "There are rare instances where a choice has to be made to save the mother's life over a child's," according to Kathleen M. Raviele, M.D. Dr. Raviele specializes in adult and adolescent gynecology and practices in Tucker, Georgia. Physicians now have the ability to treat the mother and child separately as the two individuals they are. Considering today's medical technology, it is extremely rare that an unborn baby's life must be sacrificed to save the mother' life. A very important distinction must be made between abortion, and removing an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy or inducing early delivery. While the former intends to destroy a life the latter seeks to preserve it.

WHAT ABOUT FETAL DEFECTS? WHY WOULD PRO-LIFERS PUNISH MOTHERS BY FORCING THEM TO HAVE BABIES WITH DISABILITIES? The value of human life cannot be measured by one's abilities or lack thereof. As human beings, we have unalienable rights despite any physical, mental or emotional disabilities we may have. Denying another's humanity on the basis of some concept of productivity or "perfection" is a very dangerous proposition. The door is then open to other forms of "mercy killing."

IF SAFE AND LEGAL ABORTIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE WOMEN WILL BE DRIVEN TO DANGEROUS BACK-ALLEY ABORTIONS, RESULTING IN NEEDLESS INJURY AND DEATH. It should be remembered that a death occurs every time an abortion is performed - the death of an unborn child. It should also be emphasized that abortion is a surgical procedure, and though legal, it puts many women at serious physical, mental and emotional risk. Increasing attention is being focused on the fact that many women suffer post-abortion complications. While abortion proponents allege that thousands of women died from abortions prior to Roe v. Wade, such numbers were actually made up by individuals and groups pushing for abortion's legalization. The truth is that no one knows exactly how many women died from illegal abortions for the simple reason that illegal abortions were not reported. What we do know is that women - and their children - are suffering and dying now from legal abortion.

WHAT IF STATES PASS ABORTION-RESTRICTIVE LAWS THAT ALLOW FOR RAPE EXCEPTIONS? 1. Laws permitting abortion for pregnancy resulting from rape illustrate well the legal dictum "hard cases make bad law." Exceptions seem to make the rule.

2. Laws allowing abortion for impregnating rapes are unenforceable and easily abused.

3. Legislation allowing this exception has historically led to abortion on demand. Former President Reagan has attested to widespread abuse of the rape exception in his home state of California while he was governor. That exception became a legal loophole leading to abortion on demand due to overly broad interpretations of the law. Likewise, in England, the 1967 Abortion Act was passed to allow abortion for 'exceptional' cases. The outcome has been abortion on demand.

It is noteworthy that an entire U.S. Supreme Court case was predicated on the lie of a gang rape. That case, the now notorious Roe v Wade, brought us abortion on demand in this country.

SHOULDN'T ABORTION AT LEAST BE AVAILABLE TO VICTIMS OF RAPE AND INCEST? The last thing a woman who has been through the trauma of rape needs is the added trauma of an abortion. Rather than mitigating the original shock of the attack, abortion compounds it. Clinical studies demonstrate this. A study done at the University of British Columbia's Department of Psychiatry, as reported in the March 3, 1978, issue of Psychiatric News, a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, showed that abortion often exacerbates a woman's psychological stress. That study concluded in part: "Whatever may be the case at the conscious level, at a much deeper level abortion is regarded by many women as infanticide." Abortion advocates have used the rape and incest exceptions as a smokescreen - first to legalize, then to promote abortion on demand.

STILL, CAN'T ABORTION BE THE TRULY COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE TO RAPE? A cornerstone of the 'pro-choice' movement is that abortion is the treatment of choice for rape. Yet pregnancy rarely results from rape; the vast majority of abortions (over 99% according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute statistics-14,000 per year in the U.S.) are for far more convenient reasons than rape or incest. Vicki Seitzer in Volume 32 of the Journal of the American Medical Women's Association stated: "Perhaps more of a gross exaggeration than a myth is the mistaken and unfortunate belief that pregnancy is a frequent complication of sexual assault. This is emphatically not the case, and there are several medically sound reasons for it. Honesty requires us to say that it is unjust that a woman carry to term a child conceived through rape, but that it is a far greater injustice to kill the child. This is a rare situation in which injustice cannot be avoided; the best thing that can be done is to reduce it. The first injustice lasts for nine months of a life that can be relieved, both psychologically and financially. The second injustice ends a life, and there is no remedy for that."

WHAT ABOUT INCEST? Abortion actually protects the perpetrator of the crime by concealing the incestuous act. Returning the girl to the same environment after an abortion does nothing to solve the primary problem. By taking away the result of the incest, abortion advocates think they can take away the act itself. Consider the example of Edith Young, a 12-year-old incest victim, who writes 25 years after the abortion of her child: Throughout the years I have been depressed, suicidal, furious, outraged, lonely and have felt a sense of loss...The abortion which was to 'be in my best interest' just has not been. As far as I can tell, it only 'saved their reputations,' 'solved their problems,' and 'allowed their lives to go merrily on.'...My daughter, how I miss her so. I miss her regardless of the reason for her conception.

IF PREGNANCIES FROM RAPE AND INCEST ARE UNUSUAL, WHY CAN'T PROLIFERS COMPROMISE ON THIS ONE ISSUE? It is absolutely indisputable that the life within the womb is a unique human being. To say that this irreplaceable life can be destroyed for a crime its father committed is to deny the intrinsic humanity of the unborn. Civilized societies don't stoop to routine violence in an effort to conceal their social problems.

Abortion doesn’t stop rape! Abortion stops the life of the unborn child!


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: abortion; abortionarguments; abortionlist; incest; murder; prolife; rape; rapeandincest
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To: RHINO369
"I understand why you want to have this exception, but it doesn't make any sense."

Actually it does in a way...

The sex act (intercourse), can not reasonably be separated from the reproductive process. It is in fact the first step in a continuum that begins with intercourse and ends with the birth of a child.

Therefore, if the start of this process is an unwanted assault on the female (rape), then the pregnancy could reasonably be considered a continuation of the same assault. So the woman could very well have the right to terminate the assault, right up to childbirth.

It's true that the kid is a victim and perhaps doesn't deserve to die. But life isn't fair sometimes...

For example, suppose a pregnant woman had a gun and was trying to murder another person. Would that other person not be justified in killing the woman in self defense, just because doing so would put her unborn child at risk? Like I said, life is not fair sometimes.

Incest is a totally different matter (except that probably most incest is also rape).
41 posted on 03/09/2006 1:11:08 PM PST by babygene (Viable after 87 trimesters)
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To: glowworm
Maybe, in eons gone by. But now a rapist's intrusion can be fixed with the morning after pill and doesn't need to wait til the last month.

Well see, that's the problem. Those that oppose surgical abortion oppose the morning after pill with the same fervor. Ask cpforlife.org if you don't believe me. He/she considers the morning after pill an abortion.

42 posted on 03/09/2006 1:12:22 PM PST by Melas (What!? Read or learn something? Why would anyone do that, when they can just go on being stupid)
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Comment #43 Removed by Moderator

To: cpforlife.org

My response requires no elaboration.


44 posted on 03/09/2006 1:20:06 PM PST by verity (The MSM is comprised of useless eaters)
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To: gidget7

I'm sure you know that it's fairly customary here (at FR) to provide backup to statements you make that aren't opinions, if someone makes the request. I have done some Googling, along with some other research, and my information doesn't match what you stated in your previous post - which is confusing to me - and which is why I asked. Nitpicking on my part? No. I just like accuracy. Thanks anyway.


45 posted on 03/09/2006 1:20:53 PM PST by coop71 (Being a redhead means never having to say you're sorry...)
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To: Melas

Charming.


46 posted on 03/09/2006 1:22:21 PM PST by CounterCounterCulture (Abortion is a weapon of mass destruction)
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To: pissant
Because ol Ted has no right, legal, moral, or otherwise to create that child in the first place. And I have no obligation legal, moral or otherwise to let it live.

Innocent children are not "its."

SD

47 posted on 03/09/2006 1:26:51 PM PST by SoothingDave
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To: microgood
The author of this obviously does not know how traumatic a rape can be. The article should be honest and admit that in some cases, forcing a rape victim to have a child is not saving a life but swapping one life for another. I have seen this happen in real life.

And I have seen the opposite, where the rape victim abortee feels years of sorrow and anguish for the sin of abortion her parents chose for her.

There are no easy solutions. Killing an innocent child doesn't make the rape go away, it compounds one crime with another, and turns the victim into a predator.

SD

48 posted on 03/09/2006 1:30:15 PM PST by SoothingDave
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To: SoothingDave

The other thing is, if it is morally acceptable to abort a child that is the result of rape, logically it must be morally acceptable to abort any other child, as they are all equally human.

There is either a human being at stake, or not.


49 posted on 03/09/2006 1:32:51 PM PST by B Knotts
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To: B Knotts
Allowing abortion for fetal abnormalities is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Either we believe in equal treatment under the law, or we do not.

One thing you don't do is punish the child for the sins of the father. Two violent crimes don't make a right.

SD

50 posted on 03/09/2006 1:35:35 PM PST by SoothingDave
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To: cpforlife.org

Thank you for the ping. Wonderful Letter to the Editor in this week's hard copy edition of the Washington Times on this very subject!


51 posted on 03/09/2006 1:39:12 PM PST by .30Carbine
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To: SoothingDave

I agree.


52 posted on 03/09/2006 1:40:22 PM PST by B Knotts
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To: SoothingDave

Very true. It's short hand for he/she since it unclear on the gender.


53 posted on 03/09/2006 1:42:20 PM PST by pissant
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To: pissant
Very true. It's short hand for he/she since it unclear on the gender.

"It" is not shorthand for he or she. Especially not when you are talking about killing an unborn innocent.

SD

54 posted on 03/09/2006 1:49:25 PM PST by SoothingDave
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To: SoothingDave

You commented, I clarified.


55 posted on 03/09/2006 1:53:10 PM PST by pissant
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To: Gay State Conservative
God,that's an easy one.If "rape victims" are the only ones who can get an abortion,then the incidence of "rape" in this country would jump to 10,000,000 a year....overnight.

The number of innocent men thrown in jail for false accusation of rape will skyrocket.

56 posted on 03/09/2006 1:53:47 PM PST by Paul C. Jesup
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To: cpforlife.org
I wish someone would tell me why this is always classified as rape or incest ... the incest they're talking here IS rape.
57 posted on 03/09/2006 1:56:28 PM PST by MozarkDawg
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To: cpforlife.org

Murdering children is never an option!


58 posted on 03/09/2006 1:57:02 PM PST by Beagle8U (An "Earth First" kinda guy ( when we finish logging here, we'll start on the other planets.)
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To: cpforlife.org

Then can we all at least fight for the death penalty for the rapist?


59 posted on 03/09/2006 1:57:46 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: pissant
No sane man would ever force his wife or daughter to carry the child of a rapist.

Since when did any MAN have a say so as regards?

No sane woman would punish HER child with death for the manner in which he happened to have been created.

60 posted on 03/09/2006 1:59:51 PM PST by MozarkDawg
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