I have decided to post all the posts today that I have been hesitant to post. I figured I would get them all out of that way in one day.
Anyway, let’s talk abortion. Now, as a man and a gay man @ that, I must say that this issue is one that I just don’t feel as if I can speak with any kind of moral authority given that I will never be faced with the reality of contemplating abortion. So, allow me to define this issue a bit differently.
1.) I must say that I find the rhetoric around this issue on both sides to be rather ridiculous. However, I won’t rehash the past. Let’s look forward. I would really like to see both parties reach some sort of compromise. Here is what I propose. Can’t we all agree at least to reduce the number of abortions? See this article that defines it much better than me.
2.) If we want to value life more, shouldn’t we define this issue more broadly? Isn’t fighting a war in Iraq that we maybe should have not entered a life issue? Isn’t torturing innocent prisoners as part of the war on terror a life issue? I guess my point is that I don’t think Republicans should be claiming that they value life more just because they support overturning Roe vs. Wade. See this post that expands my point further.
Overall, I must say that I agree with Clinton’s on this one. Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.
Here are the candidate’s positions:
John McCain – His position is fairly simple. He opposes a woman’s right to choose.
Barack Obama – His position is fairly straightforward. He supports a woman’s right to choose. One additional nuance that is worth adding here. The Democratic party changed its platform this year to includes specific language that Democrats should support reducing the number of abortions while still keeping it legal. I think it’s nice to see a major party attempting to redefine this issue.
In terms of the other life issues I list above, I am happy to say that both candidates are opposed to torture. I never thought I would live in a country where we are know as torturers. However, under George Bush, we are. No matter what happens this November, I am happy to say that either candidate will end this horrific practice.
Uncle Max's Musings 
I hadn’t heard of the change in the Democratic platform. Seems reasonable as long as effective, informative sex education is rolled out across the country and contraceptives are available free on request as they are in many European countries. Changing the culture so that having first sex isn’t something that girls feel pressured into and thus are unprepared for is very important.
This is stupid. Why do people not understand that the abortion issue is left open so they can be manipulated by the political parties. It provides them with an easy divding line for people. Ask any older Catholic/Christian, prior to Roe v. Wade they were likely Democrats. Then once the Roe v. Wade case was a decided, which was a judical abortion in its own right…more on that below, they became Republican and it has become such a fundamental issue that no Republican jurist will ever over rule it. If it is over-ruled it does not mean that abortion becomes illegal.
Abortion is really a legislative issue. Keep in mind I AM PRO CHOICE!!!!It should be decided by the state legislatures. Roe v. Wade as a peice of jurisprudence is complete garbage. It was decided on the right to privacy which is not a right provided in the constitution but to quote the court in cases that provided precedent to Roe v. Wade was part of the “penumbra” of rights provided in the Constituion. It is judicial activism at its worst. The court was out of line for deciding this case and the abortion issue should be decided by the people. Please remember my arguement here is legal, not on the actual issue itself. I am very much for a woman’s right to choose.