When does the father get the right to choose?

Question

I have a real problem with women who choose abortion when raising a child would be "inconvenient".

However, if it is the woman's right to choose, as many proclaim, then what about child support? When does the father get a choice? It appears to me that a woman can choose to abort her unborn child without the father's knowledge or consent, or she can choose to have the baby and make the father pay child support for the next 18+ years. When does dad get the right to choose?

Answer 1

That's a good question but many are missing the point.

You should ask the question again with this type of example:

A Man gets his wife pregnant because they both wanted a child. After conception, the wife decides she doesn't want a baby(under current law,thats her right)but the husband wants the baby and is willing to do anything to keep it(pay medical bills,cover her expenses for missing work,whatever)he just wants to keep his child. Under current laws, he has no say if his wife wants an abortion. I am Pro-Choice but I believe the fathers need to have more say in this matter.

Answer 2

not all women think that it is only their right to choose. of those who do, however..maybe they're waiting for the day that men have to carry the burden of child labor and all that comes with it. and i'm not talking about the physical pain, i mean the time away from work, in a society where women are sometimes expected to have a family and a career, the shame that many cultures put on unwed mothers and the fear of knowing that many (although not all) men will turn their backs when they find out that they may be having a child. Child support does almost nothing to change the day to day life of a single mother, especially when there are men who won't claim their total income and end up only giving 200 a month. What is important is having a father figure in a child's life, and having the time with an adult that can teach them something about the real world, and not some make belive crap that everyone wants to live but doesn't have the balls to do it

Answer 3

I've seen cases on television where the father cared enough to go to court and stop the abortion and then take the child and raise it. That option does exist for the father. A decent man can get joint custody of his child and equal time with his child and not have to pay child support if he is contributing equally by caring for the child,. Dad gets to choose when he's smart enough and man enough to stand up and act like a man and be a man. Dad's get a lot more consideration these days, so much so, that if you go sit in child custody court you'll see scumbag dads walking away with their children just because the court feels they got a bad rap in the past.

Answer 4

Great question. I am pro-life. -But in a Pro-Choice world you are right. The father should legally be able to tell the mother early on that he is not willing to support the child and this should factor in the mother's decision to either have an abortion or raise the child without the father or his financial support. There is a case in Michigan challenging this premise right now.

Yeah, IF abortion is indeed moral and safe then the father should indeed be able to "opt-out" early on so the mother can factor this into her "safe & moral" descision.

Answer 5

Because the mother will have full responsibility of the child I believe this is WHY she should have the utimate decision. She has the right to decide to change her life or not. Men do not have the same kind of committment women do to having children, so many men just up and leave their kids, without regret....Men should be very careful and use protection when they know they dont want to be a father, wether in a relationship or otherwise. Child support is never guaranteed and there are ways the men cheat their ex's out of what is a fair assessment.

Answer 6

I think that if a dad signs away his parental rights, then he shouldnt have to pay the child support. After all the mom can do that....she can give it up for adoption and thats that. If the dad never wants to see the child why should he have to pay for it??

Answer 7

It is not fair to the father. Then again pregnancy it's self isn't fair either. The women doesn't say Hey you carry the baby for nine months. It's just a fact that women are the ones to carry the baby for 9 months.
If a father doesn't want to be a father make sure he uses protection. If he doesn't believe in abortion then he should know the women enough to know she doesn't either.

Answer 8

Unfortunately, Men don't get the choice very often. Of course they can take it to court but the judges usually side with the woman. My mom told my brother that the man's right to choose was when he picked the girl up and decided to sleep with her or not. Then everything from there on was up to the woman. It is sad but true.

Answer 9

I agree with what someone else stated. The woman can give up her parental rights via adoption. After that, she's out of the picture. Similarly, the father should be able to do the same thing. If he cedes his parental rights, then he has no further obligation.

Oh consistency, thou art a jewel!

Answer 10

Your question is zipping by most of the answerers here. They're simply regurgitating their opinions without answering your question, which is ultimately a philosophical one.

The "medical" answer cory... gave above is laughable. He's not answering the question, just restating what you already know. If you're "pro-choice" and by that you mean the woman ONLY has the choice to terminate her pregnancy, then consistency dictates she pony up and take FULL responsibility for the child she CHOSE to have. If she can require BY LAW the father to be responsible (which means he can ultimately be killed by law enforcement if he refuses), then he should have some say.

Bottom line: Abortion is the unjustified killing of a human being. Nobody has the moral right to choose to terminate the life of an innocent human being.