If abortion's not a solution what is?

Question

You say "don't abort." But when you vote, you don't vote for those who would support the government programs to aid people who have unplanned pregnancies. You say "adoption's a choice," yet many kids go unadopted. Foster programs all over the US are a mess. You say "be responsible for your choices" but then complain when people use government programs and vote for those that would end them. You say "prevent pregnancies" well, sometimes they happen anyway. What do you suggest for those teenage moms, whose parents kicked them out of the house, whose boyfriends don't want anything to do with them? Don't lecture me either. I'm asking for a possible solution here. The problem is very real and we have to offer these teens real solutions.

I'm not a pregnant teen. I'm a mother of two preschoolers.

Obviously education and preventative measures are best. However, I'm asking for solutions....once the pregnancy is an undeniable fact.

Answer 1

Abortion is being used. Conservative Republicans get much of their support from abortion and gay marriage issues, so they will do anything to keep the argument up. The Republicans in power now will not propose a solution because they cannot or will not attempt to find one. They feed on the issue, the division it causes, because due to massive propaganda efforts the majority of people think abortion is evil. They are right in a way in that life should not be taken, but before we simply abolish it without thinking we should find a solution.

So what is that solution? For a single individual it is probably a combination, and as it turns out it is nearly impossible in the average teen--Intelligence, abstinence until marriage, condoms and other birth control methods during sexual activity, and wisdom enough to know the consequences for their own actions. Basically you need to be smart and responsible.

But you know what, my friend? Everything, EVERYTHING in teenage culture today says intelligence and responsibility isn't cool. The average teenage boy today wishes he was a gangster and could participate in drive-by shootings with a bunch of black people just like the rappers they idolize say you should do. The average teenage girl is obsessed with a pop music band, has a bunch of snotty friends and wishes she looked like Jessica Simpson. Traits universally shared among average teenagers is a hatred of their parents and their family values, a hatred of gay people, an obsession with doing what everyone else in their age group is doing, a disregard for love, law, and reason, and an unquenchable thirst for attention.

Do the above traits sound like they make intelligent, wise and responsible people? They don't. In order to put the problem of teenage pregnancies and the abortion issue to rest, we must change the way the average young person in America thinks right now. This is a possible solution to the problem as a whole.

So now, how to change the way America thinks? Right now, no one knows the solution.

Answer 2

If you have two children you already know the answer to your own question! Why must this always be an issue of abortion verses no abortion. If you look at society not just here but in all countries over the world you will see the excuses people use for having an abortion. What exactly is an unplanned pregnancy? If you live in America you have a thousand and one ways to prevent pregnancy, none of which is excused. Birth control comes in just about every shape, size and color and yet people continue to CRY UNPLANNED when they get pregnant. What do we suggest for teenagers who want to have sex without protection? BEWARE! You will get pregnant, or, God forbid, an STD! Aside from Tattooing 'Use Protection' across your foreheads at birth, there is only one thing that will stop this. SELF CONTROL! Don't hate the people who are against abortion because most boys and girls have no SELF CONTROL. What you should be asking is, from this moment on, how can I help another child from contracting a disease or getting pregnant? If you feel you are old enough to have sex than you also must feel you are old enough to except the repercussions, what ever they may be. P.S. A simple answer to your question? Keep your legs together! P.S.S. There are no simple answers! Until children stop ignoring and start paying attention this will continue to be a very large issue without solvent answers.

Answer 3

I do not believe in abortion. I do not look down on people that decide to have an abortion, ONCE. But if they have an abortion and then get pregnant again, they have no right to have another abortion. Everone's story is different. I would think that if a parent goes as far as kicking a teenager out of the house because they got pregnant, then the parent must have expressed their concerns before the fact. I'm sure that a lot of times the teenager knew ahead of time what the parent would do if they ever got pregnant. I am not saying that I think it is ok for the parent to do that. Abortion is a very tough subject to discuss. I do have to say that in our state, Massachusetts, we have a new law that if you have a baby, you can bring it to any police station or hospital and give it to them, no questions asked. I really hate the stories about kids or women that have babies and leave them to die right when they are born. There is no excuse for it especially with this new law. I think it will be very hard to find a solution for it. But I do know that it has to start with the parents of the teens that get pregnant. They need to be supportive of their kids. But they should not need to support thier grandkids. Teenagers need to be able to talk to an adult about their issues. Once they are pregnant they need to be able to discuss their options.

Answer 4

I believe the benefits of abstinence should be taught, and not merely to "just say no." Unfortunately, our youth is having sex, and that's a sad fact of life. Still, I disagree strongly with giving them birth control methods, because that's giving them the green light to have more sex, get pregnant, and contract std's.

Abortion is murdering the most innocent life! If a woman doesn't wanna make a baby, then she can keep her legs closed. If a guy doesn't wanna have to pay child support, he can keep it in his pants. It's so simple, yet so many make the stupidest mistakes.

I'm 37 yrs old and have never been pregnant ON PURPOSE because I'm not married. Hell, if one person can succeed like this, why can't anyone else? It's NO SECRET that sex makes babies, duh!!! Why on Earth would anyone want to play with fire and mess up their lives?

If and when teens get pregnant anyway, then they need lots and lots of counseling and support. Parents need this too, it should be something that's cultivated throughout all levels of society. Throwing out a pregnant young girl just because she got pregnant? That's hideously cruel.

I don't know what the solution is, but it certainly isn't abortion. Perhaps there is a myriad of solutions to this problem, like a holistic effort. Abstinence for sure, though. And no, abstinence isn't inhumane, isn't impossible, it's very do-able.

Perhaps schools should stress that if you have sex, BOING, a baby might pop out. I mean, come on, it's only common sense! They won't call you a sl*t, they'll call you Mom!

Answer 5

Government has no right to dictate what you do with your body so long as it doesn't infringe on anyone else's rights. But, that also means that the government has no responsibility to provide for anyone who makes choices in their life that turn out to be difficult.

As far as a solution goes, first, education for the kids and PARENTS. Parents have to get involved. Second, private funded resource centers for pregnant women where they can receive subsidised health care check ups, and possibly day care for single mothers who need to work and establish a future for their family. As advocates for the program, it will become the responsibility of the people (supporters) to go out and seek this funding from PRIVATE SOURCES, not from government. Surely there are individuals and corporations that are willing to donate for this cause. Wealth and money does not just reside in the hands of "anti-abortionists". Use the Internet, personal networks, and any means available to solicit donations. If you want it, work for it and make it happen without the government. That's the solution.

Answer 6

I'm leaning toward the need for a massive overhaul of our schools. So many parents can't deal with own children. We are now several generations into a downhill slide rather than building upon the previous generation's abilities to be more effective at parenting, (providing food, shelter, and developing a civic sense of responsibility). The upshot is that with hamstrung teachers (thanks to politicians playing "Education Masters" i.e. the "no child left behind" act) now, no one can effectively work with students. The system has been reduced to a rubble where the few left trying are struggling to deal with reading and math. These subjects are just a tip of the iceberg of what needs to be the whole curriculum. But now reading and math are the whole curriculum. (Oh yes, I forgot we still have athletics, thank goodness for that). So where are the students supposed to learn how to make good decisions for themselves? Where are the courses that prepare them for a job interview, how to analyze an argument, balance a checkbook, stay current on national and world events, and sex (ooops! can I say that in school?). Our society has changed so hugely we (at least I'm sure that I can't) any longer grasp it. The abortion question and how to avoid unwanted pregnancies is a symptom of a much larger problem. The teens would rather have sex than listen to a teacher drone on about a subject because they have no stake in it, it isn't "real" to them. For the boys, a hard-on is about as real as it gets.

Answer 7

Why are you so quick to dismiss adoption? There are plenty of people waiting to adopt babies. Yes, there are many older children in foster care, and that is a shame. However, the fact that the foster system is broken doesn't mean we should kill all the babies who might possibly end up there. How about terminating the rights of abusive and neglectful parents sooner, while the child is still adoptable, instead of the revolving door system we currently have? You say we are ending government programs that help young mothers. I see schools that cater to them, even allowing them to bring their babies to school-run day care, so they can continue their education. I see young mothers using WIC coupons at the grocery store. I see schools handing out condoms. I see clinics like planned parenthood offering their services on a sliding fee scale. Don't these seem like solutions to you? Why does a human life have to end to be a "real solution"?

Answer 8

All this stuff about "don't have sex" is a bunch of hooey. It has only been recently in human civilization that girls were not married as soon as they went though menarche. In present western civilization, we are not set up for that. Young people have too much to learn and they are dependant on their parents so much longer.

Human biology has not followed our sociological trend. The hormonal urge to have sex is overwhelming. It is a good thing too, it keeps the species going. Unfortunately for the adolescent sex drive, times have changed and sex for teens is no longer appropriate behavior. Please remember that this is very recent and goes against the biological grain.

Think about your great-grandmother's generation. The great-grandmother that I knew and was close to when I was young decribed life on the plantation to me. She was married at 15 and a mother at 16 and this was perfectly NORMAL. My own mother was married at 18 and a mother at 20 and it was considered perfectly normal in her small town Alabama life.

When I started reading OBGYN medical journals in 1978, women having their first children at 25 were called "elderly primaparta". We have to keep the historical perspective in mind when we start talking about today's human behavior.

Abstenence does not work, has NEVER worked, and will not work. Not unless you want to chemically castrate teens like sex offenders.

So what solution do I recommend? EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION.

How do you expect a teen to make good choices if they have zero information.

Abortion is a shame and a waste. It takes a psychological toll on the woman concerned. It should only be a very last resort and not a standard form of contraception, to be used when all else has failed.

Answer 9

Abortion is an easy "solution" to the problem - kind of like Hitler had an easy "solution" to his problem.

I just don't recall any other instance where the easy way is the best way.

Yeah, rather than go through with a difficult time, it's much much better to go ahead and crack the baby's skulls open, suck their brains out and then throw the rest of the baby in the trash.

Christ, if we could only do that to a few adults - then you might be on to something.

Answer 10

What is all this we do this and we do that? Are you speaking for all of us? Abortion is not a solution - it is state sponsored terrorism! Yes, it has it's moments where it is a life or death situation. I do believe in the COUPLES right to choose however I will always choose what my parents chose for me. Hello Life!
I will state the obvious answers - condoms and abstinence with good education. I asked a question earlier about whether or not pornography can help people. If it is used as a safe alternative, like masturbating, then it can be a good thing. Masturbation is also a 'solution' for sex. I never got a woman pregnant by pleasing myself in front of her.

Answer 11

There are no quick answers here. Nothing is going to happen overnight.

Government programs are not the answer, because they do not work. They cost 4 to 5 times more than private organizations and are less effective. There are a lot of private organizations out there that are willing to help.

Adoption is a good option for many teen mothers. The truth is that while foster kids wait for years to get adopted, healthy babies do not. Most people looking to adopt a healthy baby wait years to do so. Birth parents can even handpick the adoptive parents of their child.

Preventing pregnancy is best. This does not mean handing out condoms. It requires a major shift in the culture. Parents need to realize that quality of time does not make up for a lack of quantity. Children learn by example. They need a parent to guide them through social interactions and in determining correct values. This can not happen when kids and parents are in different places for the majority of the time. Kids can grow up properly without video games, fancy bikes, their own room, or the latest fashions, but they can not do so without parents to guide them through life.

Most (married) mothers who are working say that their family can't make it without a second income, but the truth is that in dual income families the average working mother nets less than $2000 a year after the costs of working such as: Child care, a second car, work clothes, eating out and convenience foods.

This is not intended as an indictment of working mothers because some mothers do truly have to work. What I intend is that couples should seriously consider how much extra income is being netted by both parents working. They need to decide if that amount is worth the time away from their children.

I worked in childcare for 12 years. There are four types of families that put their child in day care centers:

1. Single parents

2. Dual Income parents who truly need two incomes to pay for just the basics.

3. Dual income parents who insist that they "need" two incomes because maintaining their lavish lifestyle is more important to them than time with their children.

4. Parents who had children for status purposes and never really wanted children, but little angels who would give them something to brag about. (These are generally the people who say that being a parent should not get in the way of finding their "personal fullfillment".

Teens who have a stay at home parent are far less likely to become pregnant and Teens who are homeschooled have even lower rates of pregnancy. This is not due to a lack of socialization (homeschooled students tend to have superior social skills), but to the increased level of parental involvement and supervision. These kids are more lilely to talk to their parents about what is going on in their lives and to stay out of trouble.