From: dking@raul.nas.nasa.gov (Dan King)
Subject: Just ain't gonna go back
Organization: Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation Facility NASA
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 92 03:21:03 GMT
Reply-To: dking@raul.nas.nasa.gov (Dan King)

I watched a show Monday night on a local PBS station.  For those in
the Bay Area it was on channel 54.  The show was called "Illegal
Abortion; Untold Stories".

I'm somewhat new to the pro-choice movement.  Therefore, I am not as
familiar with the history of the pro-choice movement as many of my
compatriots.  I've read a few books, such as Tribes, but I never gave
the history portion much thought.

One of the things that hit me watching this show was during the 50s,
60s and 70s the number of sacrifices people were willing to make to
ensure women's reproductive freedom.  There were doctors, lawyers,
and lay people willing to risk their careers and freedom to make sure
women had access to safe abortions.

Now with all that has happened since RvW why do pro-lifers think
legislation is going to even reduce the number of abortions.  It seems
to me that either legislation would have to be so restrictive that it
would remove many rights we are accustomed to now, or the legislation
would need to be lax enough and then abortions are not really going
to be reduced.

So what is it pro-lifers are really trying to accomplish?  Do you think
it will really be possible to go back in time regarding reproductive
choices to the 50s?  How would pro-life legislation address such areas
as:

 self abortion
Very difficult to enforce against without removing many peoples right
to privacy.  With the coming of drugs such as Ru-486 and even with
the pill, this would end up being impossible to legislate away.

Movement of women to areas where abortion is legal
If abortion is illegal in some states, but legal in others, then
the pro-choice movement will immediately set up over ground railroads
to assist women to get to free states.  The quakers have already set
up such a movement in Pennsylvania.  I am ready to open my house to
women coming to California for a safe and legal abortion.  Would you
want laws in your state to not allow women to move to free states?

Exceptions for medically necessary abortions
Prior to RvW there were doctors willing to sacrifice their careers to
allow women to fit into this exception.  The choice is to either
make the exceptions very specific, thereby possibly killing or greatly
harming some number of women, or make them so broad that many doctors
will be willing to allow any woman to take advantage of them.

Exceptions for rape and incest
How would this work?  If the woman must report the rape within a
specific time, what would prevent all women from using this exception?
If you make the time limit small, you will reduce the risk of women
using this exception, but you will be forcing women to report rapes
and incest before they are ready to.  If the woman does not report
the rape or incest in a timely manner, then women that could
qualify for this exception would not be able to.  What kind of reporting
period would you allow?

Penaltys for woman and doctors who participate in abortions
How severe would the penalty be.  If it is too lenient, such as it was
in many states prior to RvW you are needlessly making women criminals
with out really working to end it.  If the penaltys are too stiff,
there will be a large number of mothers in jail.

Penaltys for people who assist women to procure abortions
What kind of penalty would you want to see for people who participate
in the Over ground Railroad?  People who let women know what doctors
are willing to perform abortions, people who teach women how to
perform self-abortion?

To much has happened since the fiftys.  There is not going to be any
way many people are going to be willing to give up rights they have
fought so hard for.  It just ain't gonna happen.

Dan King

Newsgroups: talk.abortion