I can't help but notice that the writers are careful to not mention the many safe and relatively inexpensive birth control options that are available in America. Romanian women did not have these choices. In the US, with eduction and the widespread use of available birth control, the last sad resort of terminating what should have been an avoidable pregnancy should continue to diminish in frequency. And this is what is occurring. America in all other aspects is light years from Romania now and during communist times. So it is an irrelevant comparison. With the latest options ( i.e. a low-cost hormone shot every three months) a sex recession in the US seems unlikely.



I look at an abortion as end point, as a failure of the individual, their family and community. Take the Philippines. A friend was excited that her brother's girlfriend was going to have a baby. He had no job and his girlfriend was 17. Even still they looked at the pregnancy as something to celebrate. Crazy to me but there is a half way point here. The family and community were all prepared to pitch in and help. They were not the community shame. The half way point is to create an environment with eduction and options so that an unwanted (or unaffordable) child is a very rare event. But when it does happen family and community has to be part of the solution. I know what my choice is, but I am not prepared to make that choice for others. This is the crux of the matter. Anti-abortionists should not be making that choice for others. They should be creating an environment where choosing to have an abortion is rarely necessary.



Barbara Bush, believed that the soul moved in and life began with a child's first breath at birth and all ended when it stopped. But is it earlier? I don't know. Medical science continues to move back the goal post of what a viable fetus is: that is when abortion moves from a medical intervention to become infanticide. To me all life is precious and our real effort should focus on educating and empowering women so that this hard choice is rarely necessary. And ideally, when it must be made, that decision is made within a supportive, uncritical and caring community.