Abortion is a choice for each woman
Did you hear about the banning of abortion going around in the United States? Abortion is becoming illegal in some states, but it shouldn’t be up to the Congress.
Abortion is a Constitutional right, it is the woman’s decisions. The issue with making abortion illegal is that what if a young teenager were to be raped and ended up pregnant, you would be OK with having her to have a child she didn’t want due to being raped. That young teenager wouldn’t be able to live her life because she would have to take care of the child she was forced to have but not physically nor mentally ready for it.
Abortion, in my opinion is a woman’s rights and it should not be illegal in any states for many reasons.
Tehani Togioka, Eleele
Let’s show respect for other’s viewpoints
I am a bit dismayed by Mr. Clark’s response to the recent guest editorial (not an op-ed) by Jim Rosen. Mr. Rosen was simply bemoaning the proliferation of hated and violence that has become so prevalent in our society. He points out the feelings, shared I believe by many, about the insecurity he feels when attending religious services.
Since worldwide, attacks on places of worship of many different religions have become so common place, such feelings are natural. He also was pointing out that the members of a synagogue, church, temple or mosque are close like family.
As for referring to his call for swift punishment in cases where there is no doubt of the guilt of the killer, I find this far from “fascism”. Fascism would call for punishment without the underlying due process of our laws. But, if the guilty have been given the full legal protections of our system, then swift justice would be correct.
Perhaps if the punishment were more severe and fitting to the horror of the crime committed, those that might consider committing such acts in the future would be deterred.
Mr Clark might want to do a little self-examination to determine why his reaction was in itself full of vitriol. Mr. Rosen, like Mr. Clark, is free to express their feelings and opinions, at least in America. That is the purpose of the First Amendment. Expressing one’s opinion may be cause for discussion, but those that resort to outright attacks as a substitute for civil conversation are the reason for much of the problems we see in society today.
No one person’s opinion is more or less important than another’s, and each is due the respect of having the freedom to think as they please.
As for attacking The Garden Island staff, I have found that they are balanced in what they print. Remember Mr. Clark, while they did publish Mr. Rosen’s opinion, they also published yours. That is what freedom of speech is all about.
Barry Dittler, Kapaa
Letter 1 you have now upset Gordo and the beak. They know what a woman should do with her body.
Letter 2 .Barry you do realize that kimo, like his idol in Washington, will say or do anything to garner attention.
Then again all three use religion on an ongoing basis, when convenient , to spew there thoughts.
The word “abortion” includes 2 independent concepts. 1. Yes, a woman should have a right to control her own body — to end her pregnancy by having the fetus removed. 2. No, a woman should NOT have a right to murder her unborn baby, nor to hire a hitman (doctor) to do the murdering. An unwanted fetus can be surgically removed and placed in the neonatal intensive care unit just like any other premature baby. Kaiser has a TV ad boasting that they often save premies weighing only one pound.
I think the real motive for nearly all abortions is not that Mom wants to control her own body, The real reason is to kill the baby because Mom does not want the financial and social burdens of raising a child for 15-20 years. Mom wants to “have a life” for herself, which means not having an inconvenient kid. If you favor late-term abortion for purpose of killing the kid, then you should also favor letting Mom kill newborn babies up to maybe a few months old: see birth defects, kill it. Realize what a burden it is, kill it. But a just society does not allow anyone to kill someone else because they are ugly or inconvenient. A just society protects weak and innocent people against a mom or anyone else who wants to kill them merely because they are ugly or make too many demands.
Regarding the usual 3 conditions when most people say killing the fetus is OK: rape, incest, life of mother.
To save the life of the mother is the only reason I recognize as being morally allowable. Anyone has a right to self-defense. So if the fetus is in the process of killing Mom, then Mom has a right to kill it first.
Rape or incest? But the fetus did nothing wrong and is not threatening mom’s life, so Mom has no right to kill it. Mom might be horrified to have the constant reminder of being raped. So let her get counseling. There are thousands of adults who are contributing to society despite being conceived in rape, and whose Moms are proud that they made the right decision not to abort. And please don’t tell me Mom’s loathing or depression or suicidal thoughts are a medical threat to her life. Medical insurance is now required to cover mental counseling and suicide prevention. I’m already paying for that through my taxes and higher health insurance premiums.
Oh Goody! Another aging white male who knows better than woman do! Not only that, he knows the “real motive” and it’s not what women are demanding! Give me (and women) a break!
So are you personally going to adopt and care for these unwanted babies? No, I didn’t think so. You are too busy telling others how they should live their lives.
If that same young teenager carried her baby to term, but decided the day after birth she wasn’t mentally ready, should she have the choice to euthanize it at that point? I hope you would answer no. The only valid question is when does human life start. Answer that and all the extreme cases of mental and economical stress to the mother you can think of become irrelevant. Abortion is not a consitutional right, but “equal protection under the law” is and “the right to life” is right there at the top of the Declaration of Independence. So called right to abortion is a Supreme Court decision whereby they presumed the power to declare life starts at fetus viability, and can easily be undone with another Supreme Court decision that properly recognizes that as arbitrary and out of their jurisdiction.
Ms. Togioka, “I agree with you!’ However it’s killing of another’s life. The woman/young teenager also have a choice to keep it or give it away for adoption. (No life taken)
Ken, How many kids have you given birth too? Please be honest. Do you have a woman’s body? Or are you just another elephant in the womb? Please clarify.
Why did your mother keep you?
Why isn’t adoption being discussed here as a viable option? Many, many Americans are adopting children from overseas due to the lack of domestic babies available for adoption. Let the innocents live.
Kew, your opinion is just that: an opinion. You do not occupy a female body so your opinion is neither valid or wanted. Mind your own gender business. Abortion would be a constitutional right if men could get pregnant. And if you’d like to see a reduction in abortion rates, I encourage you – and many men – to get vasectomies. 100% of pregnancies are caused by males.
No man, or woman, has any right to tell another individual what they can and cannot do with their own body. Period. What if someone told a man they can’t have a vasectomy because it isn’t their right to take away the ability to conceive. If men could get pregnant, I guarantee it would be way more acceptable and legal to get an abortion. People should have all legal rights to do whatever they want to their body.
I find it sad that so many people immediately go to the examples of rape, incest and such, but a large majority of aborted(killed) fetuses are simply unwanted children. All women have a right to decide for their body, so how about deciding not to get pregnant. The same government that pays for your abortion also supplies birth control.
Tehani:
Find me the clause in the constitution that mentions abortion or the right to take a life.
Make an argument for it if you will…but don’t BS us with the constitutional rights nonsense.
RG DeSoto