The Truth About Medication Abortions

The conservative media, per usual, is spreading disinformation. This time, it is about medication abortions. Click on the following links from independent medical sources for the truth:

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/medication-abortion-your-questions-answered

https://www.aamc.org/news/what-medication-abortion-your-questions-answered

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/18556/

The USA Is Rerunning The 1850s

"I have wondered lately if the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision isn’t our era’s version of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, sparking a countrywide backlash." - - -

"March 15 is too important a day to ignore. As the man who taught me to use a chainsaw said, it is immortalized by Shakespeare’s famous warning: 'Cedar! Beware the adze of March!'

"He put it that way because the importance of March 15 is, of course, that it is the day in 1820 that Maine, the Pine Tree State, joined the Union.

"Maine statehood had national repercussions. The inhabitants of this northern part of Massachusetts had asked for statehood in 1819, but their petition was stopped dead by southerners who refused to permit a “free state”—one that did not permit slavery—to enter the Union without a corresponding “slave state.” The explosive growth of the northern states had already given free states control of the House of Representatives, but the South held its own in the Senate, where each state got two votes. The admission of Maine would give the North the advantage, and southerners insisted that Maine’s admission be balanced with the admission of a southern slave state lest those opposed to slavery use their power in the federal government to restrict enslavement in the South."

Click on the link below for the rest of the story:

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/march-15-2024

"Late-Term Abortion": The Reality

One cannot escape the false meme by Republican political candidates of "even at the time of birth" and "murder." Click on the following links for an in-depth analysis of "Late-Term Abortions":

There's no such thing as a "late-term abortion."

Less than 1% of abortions take place in the third trimester – here’s why people get them

Abortions Later in Pregnancy

The facts about late-term abortions from the OB-GYN Dept

Then again, there is the fact that Republicans get abortions at the same rate as the general population and, yet, are for unreasonable restrictions on such. One doesn't have to wonder why are Republicans missing the boat on reality regarding abortion. (link)

What's The Balance Between The Law And Morality?

Since the dawn of human society, there has been tension between the strong arm of the law and the persuasive arm of morality. Click on the links below for some informed opinions on the matter. With the actions of conservatives to suppress democratic institutions through the packing of the Supreme Court and state courts, and acting immorally as a feature and not a bug, there has never been a better time to understand the roles both should play in a healthy society:

Does Law Exist to Provide Moral Order?

Law versus Morality as Regulators of Conduct

Law and Morals: The Perennial and NecessaryTandem

- - - - - - -

Other points to ponder: 

The question of when personhood begins is a legal issue and there is great diversity of opinion on such. However, the longer a product of conception develops, there is more and more consensus regarding when such becomes another legal person. Those who say it starts at conception are presenting their personal moral view. There is a strong legal precedent for the bodily autonomy of a person.

If all people were moral, laws would not be necessary. Unfortunately, we need laws. Unfortunately, many appropriate laws are not enforced. Unfortunately, many laws are immoral.

Conservative Violence

Since the Republican Party united with conservative Christians in recent decades, elected Trump, and took over local politics in several US states, they have organized efforts to deprive people of their fundamental reproductive, sex, and gender rights. Ironically, these conservatives have claimed, erroneously, that they have been more victimized by progressives than vice-versa. For example, this Fox News piece cites statistics by the discredited organization Crime Prevention Research Center.

Click on the links below for the truth:

House GOP Is Passing Bills Based on Outright Lies About “Pro-Choice Violence”

Violence against abortion providers continues to rise

How political rhetoric factors into the violence against the LGBTQ community

The Negative Effects Of "Pro-Life" Are Greater Than What Is Easily Apparent

"The South holds the sad distinction of having some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the U.S. Sharyn Alfonsi spoke to some of the women trying to improve maternal health care."

Click on the link below for a "60 minutes" segment exposing the harm of the Republican Party in the USA:

Inside the fight to slash the maternal mortality rate in the South

Why Are People Antiscience?

"From vaccination refusal to climate change denial, antiscience views are threatening humanity. When different individuals are provided with the same piece of scientific evidence, why do some accept whereas others dismiss it? Building on various emerging data and models that have explored the psychology of being antiscience, we specify four core bases of key principles driving antiscience attitudes. These principles are grounded in decades of research on attitudes, persuasion, social influence, social identity, and information processing. They apply across diverse domains of antiscience phenomena. Specifically, antiscience attitudes are more likely to emerge when a scientific message comes from sources perceived as lacking credibility; when the recipients embrace the social membership or identity of groups with antiscience attitudes; when the scientific message itself contradicts what recipients consider true, favorable, valuable, or moral; or when there is a mismatch between the delivery of the scientific message and the epistemic style of the recipient. Politics triggers or amplifies many principles across all four bases, making it a particularly potent force in antiscience attitudes. Guided by the key principles, we describe evidence-based counteractive strategies for increasing public acceptance of science."

Click on the link below for a scholarly, in-depth look at the danger and harm of anti-science, as well as its causation and recommended remedies:

Why are people antiscience, and what can we do about it?

"Human Rights" Vs "States' Rights"

Since at least the onset of the US Civil War, groups of people within individual states have used parts of the US Constitution to support nefarious anti-democratic activity under the banner of "States' Rights." Below are some reasons why states' rights do not trump human rights and why the federal government is the final arbiter in protecting both human rights and democracy:

"The protection of fundamental human rights was a foundation stone in the establishment of the United States over 200 years ago." (link)

"Article VI, Paragraph 2 of the U.S. Constitution is commonly referred to as the Supremacy Clause. It establishes that the federal constitution, and federal law generally, take precedence over state laws, and even state constitutions. It prohibits states from interfering with the federal government's exercise of its constitutional powers, and from assuming any functions that are exclusively entrusted to the federal government. - - - " (link)

Human rights are embedded within the US Constitution and its Amendments. (link)

One has to be willfully ignorant not to see what is happening within both federal and state governments, as well as small and larger groups of organized civilians, to defy human rights by acting outside of laws protecting such. It is not unusual for these folks to cloak their action within the "States' Right" meme. Consistent with this is the phenomenon of the "Constitutional Sheriff." Click on the link below for a podcast delving into the history of sheriffs and this concept of such:

The "Constitutional Sheriff" Myth

- - - - - - -

A point to ponder: bodily autonomy is a universal, precedent-supported human right. Why is the US Supreme Court essentially finding that such is a "States' Rights" issue?

Why Women Get 2nd Trimester Abortions (It's Probably Not Why You Think)

"It’s an often cited statistic that a high percentage of late-term abortions are to protect the health of the mother, or due to some complication. As it turns out… this is one example of a left-wing talking point that just… isn’t substantiated. But importantly, it does not matter. In part 2 of our series on The Turnaway Studies, Lindsey takes us through the data on later-term abortions. If you plan on trying to change the minds of pro-lifers, this is a great episode to prepare you. Learn what the data say, and why even though the traditional pro-choice talking point may be incorrect, it doesn’t actually affect the argument."

Click on the link below for a podcast that probably will enlighten you, no matter your opinion on abortion:

Are Most Late Term Abortions for Health Reasons? Actually… No

The Handmaid's Tale And Bodily Autonomy

" - - - This theme – women’s bodily autonomy – is intrinsic to 'The Handmaid’s Tale.' Atwood poignantly said, 'A belief is a belief. It is not evidence-based. These ideas that a cluster of cells is a human being – that is a belief.' In our extended conversation, Atwood dives into the subversion of religion and warns about what she views as 'a sham version of Christianity.'”

Click on the link below for a clear and concise video conversion with Margaret Atwood:

Margaret Atwood in a #PostRoeAmerica

The Evolving Catholic Church View On Abortion

" - - - the Church has consistently opposed abortion as evidence of sexual sin but has not always regarded it as homicide because Church teaching has never been definitive about the nature of the fetus."

" - - - the prohibition of abortion has never been declared an infallible teaching."

"Early Church leaders began the debate about when a fetus acquired a rational soul, and St. Augustine declared that abortion is not homicide but was a sin if it was intended to conceal fornication or adultery."

" During the period of 600-1500, illicit intercourse was deemed by the Irish Canons to be a greater sin than abortion, Church leaders considered a woman's situation when judging abortion, and abortion was listed in Church canons as homicide only when the fetus was formed."

"The next period, 1500-1750, found anyone who resorted to contraception or abortion subject to excommunication (1588), saw these rules relaxed in 1591, and banned abortion even for those who would be murdered because of a pregnancy (1679). From 1750 to the present, excommunication was the punishment for all abortions (1869). This punishment was extended to medical personnel in 1917, but the penalty had exceptions if the woman was young, ignorant, or operating under duress or fear. In 1930, therapeutic abortions were condemned, and, in 1965, abortion was condemned as the taking of life rather than as a sexual sin. By 1974, the right to life argument had taken hold and became part of a theory of a "seamless garment" representing a consistent ethic of life. The current Pope recognizes that the moment of ensoulment is unknown but condemns abortion in all cases (except as the unintentional byproduct of another medical procedure)." (link)

The USA Is BOTH A Republic And A Democracy!

"Since 2020 Republicans across the U.S. have been undermining democracy by fabricating claims of voter fraud and passing laws to make it harder to vote. But a disturbing new report by Robert Draper in The New York Times Magazine shows how Arizona Republicans are increasingly committed to waging a war on the idea of democracy itself, in part through a bid to call the U.S. only a “republic” and not a democracy. These Republicans think they’re defending American traditions of governance, but they’re not in touch with the history they believe they’re championing, and they’re catalyzing more virulent anti-democratic extremism on the right."

Just more evidence of the harm from today's Republicans. Click on the link below for the details:

Arizona Republicans are making a case against democracy itself

Who Owns Our Rights?

The religious claim that a God owns our rights (top-down). Secular opinions on rights essentially hold that they come from the people (bottom-up) in a social contract that fosters maximum human flourishing (link). The US Constitution is a secular document, with a clear separation of government and religion (link). 

Many conservatives claim that there are no rights not explicitly enumerated in the US Constitution, as can be seen in the recent Dobbs abortion ruling: unwritten rights should be recognized only if they were "deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition" and "implicit in the concept of ordered liberty". However, this approach effectively freezes an 18th- or 19th-century understanding of rights in place. The Obergefell case in 2015 not only made marriage equality the law of the land and transformed tradition's role in discerning unwritten rights but that the court rejected the idea that the rights inquiry could be “reduced to any formula.” It instead embraced an approach that “respects our history and learns from it without allowing the past alone to rule the present” (link). Essentially, the Originalistic view of the US Constitution (link) has been debunked.

Click on the link below for a brief video showing clearly that the 9th Amendment to the US Constitution (in the Bill of RIGHTS!) supports the claim that the federal government doesn’t own the rights that are not listed in the Constitution, instead, they belong to the people, thus supporting the precedence leading up to Roe v. Wade:

The Constitution and Marriage

Fetal Rights

"Historically, under both English common law and U.S. law, the fetus has not been recognized as a person with full rights. Instead, legal rights have centered on the mother, with the fetus treated as a part of her. Nevertheless, U.S. law has in certain instances granted the fetus limited rights, particularly as medical science has made it increasingly possible to directly view, monitor, diagnose, and treat the fetus as a patient." (link)

The issue of fetal rights is not easy to determine and essentially involves unsettled law in many cases. Regarding the question of abortion, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which adjusted some of the features of Roe v. Wade, seemed to me to be a reasonable decision. An important issue left undecided in both of these cases is the question of personhood. Good luck with agreeing on that.

Conservative Morality Is Based On Narrow, Unsupported Ideology

The slogan for today's Republican Party. They have
been hijacked by conservative Christians who
reject science-informed morality.

The USA was NEVER "Great", it has been a work-in-progress from its beginning. Conservatives want to "conserve" an imperfect past, whereas, progressives look forward to improving the well-being of all (link). One has to be blind to reality not to see the slow and unsteady progress toward greater recognition of basic human rights, much of which has been opposed by religious dogma. The case can be made that this is because morality pertains to the conduct of human affairs and relations between persons, while religion primarily involves the relationship between human beings and a transcendent reality (link).

It is clear that morality is not objective (no evidence of a God), but subjective in each normal human from biological and social factors. Thus, an agreement is difficult. However, if at least most of us can agree with the general definition of morality as well-being and flourishing, humanity can maximize such with information from science. Evidence shows that morality without a God (secular) is superior (link). 

Applying the above to the question of abortion:

• Religions can't agree on when a human person begins, and science shows that life does not begin but it has flowed continuously since the first chemicals emerged with the traits we call life.
• There IS agreement that a woman is a person. Persons have bodily autonomy.
• One has the right to believe anything they want but not the right to impose it on others. The law must reflect what the majority believes is moral.

Bodily Autonomy Is THE Basic Human Right

ANOTHER PERSON'S BODY IS NOT YOURS

I have written several blog posts on the issue of abortion and bodily autonomy (link). As with many moral issues, reasonable people can disagree. The following links are the best I could find discussing this issue. 

I will not be posting on this issue again. My strong conclusion is that, since the case is made and supported that bodily autonomy is THE basic right, pro-choice is both the most moral and practical stance regarding abortion:

Seven Myths That Undermine Individual Rights And Freedoms

United Nations stance on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice

The Right's Bad Faith Argument About Bodily Autonomy

Whose Rights Are Most Right?

Abortion Facts

Abortion opposition primarily comes from conservative Catholics and evangelical Christians. However, there is no agreement within Christianity, or most other religions, regarding the issue. (link) The Old and New Testaments don't mention it. (link) There is no objective evidence for anything supernatural, let alone a god. (link) Thus, secular morality from biology and socialization should be used only. (link)

There is no agreement on when *life begins or when personhood begins. (link)(link) 

• *Life began within the ancient history of the Earth and has been an evolving and continuous process. Thus, the eggs and eggs/sperm produced by animals are not dead tissue. All life on Earth today came from the same source. (link)

The US government/Constitution is secular, with a strong separation of religion and government.

Bodily autonomy is a universally-recognized principle but it is ignored by abortion opponents. (link)

The Evidence Is Clear Regarding The Social Effects Of Abortion

The research supporting Roe v. Wade was clear: "Possibly there is no social measure with a higher benefit-to-cost ratio than the legalization of abortion, and therefore none more qualified to be given number one priority on the agenda of needed domestic social reforms." (American Journal of Public Health, 1972)

The latest research continues to support the social benefits of abortion. (The State of Abortion Rights Around the World)

Abortion And The US Constitution

"The right to abortion is not explicitly enumerated in the Constitution because the Constitution does not concern itself with the rights of women. As originally written, the Constitution did not even guarantee women the right to vote—it endowed no one with that right aside from propertied white men. The omission of abortion, then, says less about the issue itself than about who the Founding Fathers considered *people. (* NOTE: it doesn't include non-sentient human tissue)

"Nearly 200 years after the Constitution was drafted, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, women across America pushed to liberalize restrictive abortion laws. These advocates were coming into their own as professionals, and they realized that reproductive autonomy was essential for them to live full lives."

Click on the link below for more:

The Constitution Was Not Written For Women

Pro-Life Folks Ignore It After Birth

"It was heralded as a game-changer for America's social safety net. It dramatically reduced child poverty. But, last month, the enhanced Child Tax Credit — a kind of "Social Security for kids" — expired, and millions of American children sank back into poverty."

A society's morality is based on how it treats the least among it. Children should be placed at the front of the line. Click on the link below for an expose of how bad the USA has become:

Why America Has Been So Stingy In Fighting Child Poverty