(no subject)

I'm not usually one of the usual suspects when it comes to commenting on issues. But. A good post today by John Cole over at Balloon Juice.

What this country really needs right now is a serious case of mind your own damned business. We’ve turned into a nation of busybodies and scolds, and people just need to back off. And that goes for the people opposed to and trying to make illegal Andrew (Sullivan)’s marriage, for people like Andrew who sound like they want the weight of the law to come down on people making tragic medical decisions that lead to late-term abortions, for the nutjobs who thought they knew better than Michael Schiavo how to handle his horrible situation with his wife, to the lunatics screaming “murder” when we do stem cell research, and so on.

pecunium said pretty much what I've been thinking.

Abortion should be rare. Not because of social stigma. Not because of cost, or a dearth of access to it. Not because the hurdles to getting one are too many, and too high.

It ought to be rare because it is rarely needed. Pregnancies should be wanted. That means comprehensive sex-ed. It means readily available birth control. It means all the social support needed to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

So if you want abortion to end, support the research, stem cell and otherwise, necessary to treat the fetus in utero so that it can repair itself before it is born. Support sex education, and access to birth control, and the entire social network that needs to be in place to ensure that some scared teenager isn't left on her own in case her family is unwilling, or unable, to help her negotiate through the maze of sexuality and wants and needs and expectations.

Not a Nanny State. Not, heavens forbid, a Daddy State. A humane, civilized state that helps its citizens take care of themselves when that help is needed, populated by people who mind their own business and keep their noses out of yours unless their opinion is requested.

(no subject)

I'm not usually one of the usual suspects when it comes to commenting on issues. But. A good post today by John Cole over at Balloon Juice.

What this country really needs right now is a serious case of mind your own damned business. We’ve turned into a nation of busybodies and scolds, and people just need to back off. And that goes for the people opposed to and trying to make illegal Andrew (Sullivan)’s marriage, for people like Andrew who sound like they want the weight of the law to come down on people making tragic medical decisions that lead to late-term abortions, for the nutjobs who thought they knew better than Michael Schiavo how to handle his horrible situation with his wife, to the lunatics screaming “murder” when we do stem cell research, and so on.

pecunium said pretty much what I've been thinking.

Abortion should be rare. Not because of social stigma. Not because of cost, or a dearth of access to it. Not because the hurdles to getting one are too many, and too high.

It ought to be rare because it is rarely needed. Pregnancies should be wanted. That means comprehensive sex-ed. It means readily available birth control. It means all the social support needed to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

So if you want abortion to end, support the research, stem cell and otherwise, necessary to treat the fetus in utero so that it can repair itself before it is born. Support sex education, and access to birth control, and the entire social network that needs to be in place to ensure that some scared teenager isn't left on her own in case her family is unwilling, or unable, to help her negotiate through the maze of sexuality and wants and needs and expectations.

Not a Nanny State. Not, heavens forbid, a Daddy State. A humane, civilized state that helps its citizens take care of themselves when that help is needed, populated by people who mind their own business and keep their noses out of yours unless their opinion is requested.