COMPROMISE IS THE ART OF THE DEAL, PART 2: ABORTION.

     When elections are on the horizon, there are a few issues that never fail to show up. They split us right down the middle, Democrat or Republican. Often, these issues are not the most important issues that we have to deal with, but we are so dug into our side, that we have the potential to make POOR CHOICES on who to elect to high office. Important issues like the economy, war, nuclear proliferation, the environment, education, infrastructure, etc. etc. are not being talked about as much as they should. So, what I want to do is to help find the middle ground on these partisan issues, promote the middle ground, and maybe we, as a society, can AVOID PUTTING TERRIBLE PEOPLE IN CHARGE. Next up, ABORTION.


A.     The pro choice stance, as I see it. Pro choice people believe that if a woman becomes pregnant, and she doesn't think she is ready to have a child/is not financially stable enough to have a child/if she doesn't have a stable home for a child/if the child was conceived in unfortunate circumstances etc. etc., then the woman should have a choice, of whether to go through with the pregnancy or not. There are of course, other more unfortunate instances when, late during a pregnancy, it may be discovered that the fetus may be disfigured in some way, that makes survival outside the womb unlikely. Then the woman may choose to end the pregnancy. Just to make clear, I am not a doctor, this is just how I see it. Also, of course there are other scenarios I havent listed here.

     The anti abortion stance, as I see it. Life starts at conception. All life is sacred, so, pregnancies should never be aborted. There are ofcourse some who would moderate their stance and say except in certain cases, such as rape, incest or if the life of the mother is in danger. 


B.      So, why should anyone consider changing their long held beliefs? Consider who is in the White House now, and how he got there. 

"Exit polls show white evangelical voters voted in high numbers for Donald Trump, 80-16 percent, according to exit poll results. That’s the most they have voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 2004, when they overwhelmingly chose President George W. Bush by a margin of 78-21 percent. Their support for Trump will likely be seen as part of the reason the GOP candidate performed unexpectedly well in Tuesday’s election, according to Five Thirty Eight." -https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/11/09/exit-polls-show-white-evangelicals-voted-overwhelmingly-for-donald-trump/?utm_term=.edac34753497

Trump’s embrace by these groups might signal the importance of abortion—an issue on which at least a fifth of Americans say they will not compromise when voting. .......Seven in 10 voters on Tuesday said the next president’s appointment of a new Supreme Court justice was an important factor—presumably because this judge could have a decisive vote in cases involving abortion and other social issues. Voters “were mobilized by what’s at stake & the clear contrast w/Hillary on life,”Family Research Council president Tony Perkins tweeted late Tuesday.  -https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/11/why-women-and-christians-backed-trump/507176/

Women and Trump

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/11/why-women-and-christians-backed-trump/507176/

     That last one was to just hammer the point home, that supporting the choice, does not mean that a candidate will have the "womans vote." However, a fifth of Americans will not compromise their stance on this issue. Some of these people are just as horrified at President Trumps bad behavior as the rest of us, but cannot vote for a pro choice candidate. Thats how seriously they believe that their anti-abortion stance is correct.   So, its time for political candidates with a respect for these voters views, or we could risk re-electing Donald Trump as President in 2020. A President Trump who risks Nuclear war with North Korea, who wants to repeal Obamacare even if that means stripping healthcare from millions of Americans, who wants to give a giant tax break to the wealthy even if it means America's deficit grows by leaps and bounds, who doesn't believe in climate change and his energy/environmental policies will cause more Hurricane Harvey's. Its time the pro choice Americans take the danger that President Trump poses to America seriously, and compromise with the anti abortion Americans.  Anti-abortion Americans, who you may not agree with, are doing what they think is right. Lets see what we can do to try and help them find a way to not vote for President Trump and the far right in this next election.

C. The Compromise.
Right now, there is a bill before the Senate, The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The name is a bit misleading, The bill, sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), would ban abortions after 20 weeks nationwide, except in cases of rape, incest, or a threat to the life of the mother. http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/03/politics/house-vote-abortion-after-20-week-ban/index.html 
https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/10/3/16401826/abortion-ban-pain-capable-unborn-child-protection-act

1. I think another exception needs to be added. Abortion for of mercy for the disfigured fetus that could not survive outside the womb, or would lead a kind of life no one should have to suffer through. Heres a article on just this kind of story. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/8/31/16229654/abortion-insurance-hyde-amendment. The Hyde amendment should be adjusted as well. Whats the Hyde amendment? - 
     The Hyde Amendment bans the use of federal Medicaid funding to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or a threat to the mother’s life; 32 states have similar restrictions on state Medicaid funds. Meanwhile, 26 states restrict abortion coverage in private plans offered on the insurance exchanges, and 11 restrict abortion coverage in all private plans.

Nearly 99 percent of abortions occur before 21 weeks, but when they are needed later in pregnancy, it’s often in very complex circumstances. https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/abortion/20-week-bans
For more on those "complex circumstances" use the address above for planned parenthood. There are some stories there that really illustrate why late term abortions should be legal.

2. If we as a society want to reduce abortions, we need to strengthen our prevention effort. You are not going to stop people from having sex. If the idea that some of these people are going to later have an abortion is abhorrent to you, then we, as a society, need to help prevent pregnancies. Abstinence only DOES NOT WORK. Thats why insurance companies should have to provide support for birth control. Free condoms should be provided in high schools/colleges/health departments. Sex education in high schools should be a class that is difficult, and you have to get a B in to pass.

3. This isnt an all inclusive list. The main thing we should do as Americans, is respect each other, and our opinions. If we have to agree to disagree, so be it. We should work on the goal of making abortion safe, legal and rarely needed by reducing the amount of unwanted pregnancies with birth control/education. When abortion is needed, we shouldnt shame the women who go through with it. 


I want to say thanks to the websites where I obtained by information. Thank you to Planned parenthood, the Washington Post, CNN, the atlantic and VOX.