Ohio Bill Would Make Abortion Illegal Without Paternal Consent

[Nova]

OLG,

I so love your honesty and bravery. Thank you for your posts on this subject.

I'm sure there are women who regret abortions they have had. But in my experience, most of us don't. The decision to have an abortion is never an easy one, but it is often the right one.

It's ironic. Anti-choice advocates argue, on the one hand, that women just go around killing their "babies" willy-nilly, and, on the other hand, that women who get abortions are racked with guilt and regret for the rest of their lives.

In reality, of course, it is as you suggest: most women who have abortions will admit to conflicted feelings. It is a difficult decision, and not an occasion for celebration or eternal self-condemnation.

 

[Nova]

As written, the bill would ban women from seeking an abortion without written consent from the father of the fetus. In cases where the identity of the father is unknown, women would be required to submit a list of possible fathers. The physician would be forced to conduct a paternity test from the provided list and then seek paternal permission to abort.
Claiming to not know the father's identity is not a viable excuse, according to the proposed legislation. Simply put: no father means no abortion.

if this bill passes, i'll be very shocked....

The more this bill is described, the more it sounds like yet another attempt to get around the constitutionally protected right to abortion. If it passes, a court will strike it down.

 

[BethInAK]

I'm very pro choice.

i'm also very aware of the issues with unwanted children and how many times men are not given ANY choice. I have a friend who had sex with a girlfriend who claimed she was on the pill, but deliberately went off the pill when the relationship started to sour. He now is a parent. He's a pretty good parent, but he's saddled with child support and a child he never wanted. He had NO choice in the matter. Doesn't quite seem fair.

We need to come to some happy medium where both men and women have equal contraceptive choices (only choices for men are condoms and abstinence) and equal choice to choose to be a parent. Ideally people will consider their options before having sex and discuss what would happen if the woman were to become pregnant and come to some agreement. Of course, thats not going ot happen. So I think we need to give people excellent birth control choices and then hold them responsible for using it.

 

[IrishMist]

Why even the need to have to go this far. People need to take responsbility by preventing a pregnancy - not terminating one.

So I think we need to give people excellent birth control choices and then hold them responsible for using it.

I see comments like these, and that sounds really good. On paper.

What about someone like me? Over 40 and a smoker, so I can't take the pill. I got my tubes tied, because I know I don't want any more children. You know how I know if the tubes grow back?

If I get pregnant.

 

[southcitymom]

I see comments like these, and that sounds really good. On paper.

What about someone like me? Over 40 and a smoker, so I can't take the pill. I got my tubes tied, because I know I don't want any more children. You know how I know if the tubes grow back?

If I get pregnant.

There's that.... but I'm sure we can legislate something that would be just moraly perfect for your situation.... :blowkiss:

 

[IrishMist]

There's that.... but I'm sure we can legislate something that would be just moraly perfect for your situation.... :blowkiss:

Yes, yes. The lawmakers know what's best.

 

[IrishMist]

I guess that if you have sex with a man and get pregnant by that man, you give him a say so in the life of the child within you.

Just as when you get married to a person, you give them say in your finances. Just as when you go into a partnership in business, you give that partner say in your business.

Cal

Marriage and partnership in a business are surprisingly similar.

To each other.

Not to having sex with someone. Just having sex with someone does not in any way give them the power to control not only your body, but the rest of your life.

No. Way. :snooty:

 

[csds703]

I see comments like these, and that sounds really good. On paper.

What about someone like me? Over 40 and a smoker, so I can't take the pill. I got my tubes tied, because I know I don't want any more children. You know how I know if the tubes grow back?

If I get pregnant.

Yes and some guy can tell you to have this child even though this would be a high risk pregnancy putting both your life and the life of this baby in danger. :silenced:

 

[IrishMist]

Hey, I understand that it is inconvenient. No doubt.

Think about this ladies...I am a lone voice in the forest here . You ladies are all up in arms over the government or even worse A MAN telling you what you can do with your bodies. Yet you have no qualms about telling the Dad of that baby to scew off, I am ripping that child out of my womb. You talk about your rights to not be inconvenienced, what about his rights not to have his child killed. Yeah, I know...not until birth but explain that to the Dad who believes that is his child.

As for God, God is not mocked by the modern day feminism. I don't know which God you speak of but my bible says the body is a temple. My bible says that God gives life and takes life. My bible says that God knew you before you were even conceived. My bible says that if a man kills a woman who is pregant, he has killed TWO people. My bible says that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was great with CHILD...not fetus. Yes, God is forgiving for those who ask (I may, perhaps be pushing the boundaries of that edict myself! :innocent: ) but despite that we will still give an account of deeds done in the body, I believe. Not casting the first religious stone but todays feminism that says "it is a woman's body and a woman's fetus" flies in the face of God.

I guess that by a couple of the arguments I have disputed today, if Jesus had waited to be born until 2007 instead of when he was born, he would have been aborted. Mary suffered humiliation...abort him. Mary surely wanted to marry Joesph....abort him. Mary surely might have wanted an education...abort him. Mary has airline tickets to France next spring...abort abort abort. Sad commentary folks.

Cal

That's the beauty of Separation of Church and State.

You can believe in all of the above, and live your life accordingly.

I can, and do, believe differently, and get to live my life accordingly.

Your religion doesn't determine the laws in this country, nor the laws that apply to my body, thank goodness.

 

[Autumn2004]

The sad thing about this is if you know the person your having sex with enough to know how they are you would rarely need to make this decision. People hop in bed too quickly with others before they know them, You need to look at the person and decide what would happen if you made a child with them instead of getting directed just by lust. As adults we should have enough personal control to do that. Teenagers are another story :doh:

Why should a child have to pay for someone else not using a clear head, nerves are developed partially dont think that those babies didnt feel it. If you limbs are ripped off or burnt dont think it wouldn't hurt.

It also surprises me that many people want to see a double murder case for a pregnant woman ( I agree with that) but yet they dont see it as a murder if the mom does it herself by choice.

 

[IrishMist]

Yes and some guy can tell you to have this child even though this would be a high risk pregnancy putting both your life and the life of this baby in danger. :silenced:

You know what? I might, MAYBE, give this issue a little more credence if I saw it being an issue in every day life. What I'm saying is, I know a lot of women that have had abortions. I've also known plenty that have contemplated it.

I do not know one woman who had the abortion knowing full well that the father wanted to keep the child. Knowing full well that the father has pledged full support, emotionally, physically, financially... not ONE.

I do know women that were abandoned by their man upon announcing pregnancy. Ones that were given the money to pay for the abortion. Ones that have had to had paternity tests done to PROVE to the courts that the said father was, indeed, the real father; and as such, should pay child support. (whether they actually RECEIVE support is a whole 'nother thread)

But not one single woman who got the abortion knowing that the father wanted otherwise and would stand up to the plate for his responsibilities.

When I start seeing that once in awhile. Just once in a while! I will give some kind of consideration to this type of law.

Otherwise, I will continue to see it as a power and control issue, and as a way to circumvent our constitutional right to choose.

 

[Autumn2004]

I do not know one woman who had the abortion knowing full well that the father wanted to keep the child. Knowing full well that the father has pledged full support, emotionally, physically, financially... not ONE.

..

I do my cousin, he wanted the baby even though they had broken up. She got mad at him over something small at school and had an abortion. It tore him up so badly over it that he committed suicide.

I definitely know one thing my daughter is going to know, if she gets pregnant and doesnt want to raise it, I would gladly adopt the child if she wanted me too. I dont want her to feel she would have to abort it .

 

[IrishMist]

The sad thing about this is if you know the person your having sex with enough to know how they are you would rarely need to make this decision. People hop in bed too quickly with others before they know them, You need to look at the person and decide what would happen if you made a child with them instead of getting directed just by lust. As adults we should have enough personal control to do that. Teenagers are another story :doh:

Why should a child have to pay for someone else not using a clear head, nerves are developed partially dont think that those babies didnt feel it. If you limbs are ripped off or burnt dont think it wouldn't hurt.

It also surprises me that many people want to see a double murder case for a pregnant woman ( I agree with that) but yet they dont see it as a murder if the mom does it herself by choice.

The VAST majority of abortions are done in the first semester. Nerves haven't formed and developed to the point of the embryo being able to feel pain.

Once it is viable, I don't see abortion as an option, unless to save the mother's life. The pro-choicers that I know feel the same way, though I know there are those that feel differently.

 

[csds703]

You know what? I might, MAYBE, give this issue a little more credence if I saw it being an issue in every day life. What I'm saying is, I know a lot of women that have had abortions. I've also known plenty that have contemplated it.

I do not know one woman who had the abortion knowing full well that the father wanted to keep the child. Knowing full well that the father has pledged full support, emotionally, physically, financially... not ONE.

I do know women that were abandoned by their man upon announcing pregnancy. Ones that were given the money to pay for the abortion. Ones that have had to had paternity tests done to PROVE to the courts that the said father was, indeed, the real father; and as such, should pay child support. (whether they actually RECEIVE support is a whole 'nother thread)

But not one single woman who got the abortion knowing that the father wanted otherwise and would stand up to the plate for his responsibilities.

When I start seeing that once in awhile. Just once in a while! I will give some kind of consideration to this type of law.

Otherwise, I will continue to see it as a power and control issue, and as a way to circumvent our constitutional right to choose.

I agree with every word you said, but especially the bolded part.

I am not a male basher,believe me, I know alot of good fathers, but the fact remains that child rearing mostly falls on the mother's shoulders.
As a single mom, that includes everything from emotional to financial to every other kind of support.

 

[southcitymom]

You know what? I might, MAYBE, give this issue a little more credence if I saw it being an issue in every day life. What I'm saying is, I know a lot of women that have had abortions. I've also known plenty that have contemplated it.

I do not know one woman who had the abortion knowing full well that the father wanted to keep the child. Knowing full well that the father has pledged full support, emotionally, physically, financially... not ONE.

I do know women that were abandoned by their man upon announcing pregnancy. Ones that were given the money to pay for the abortion. Ones that have had to had paternity tests done to PROVE to the courts that the said father was, indeed, the real father; and as such, should pay child support. (whether they actually RECEIVE support is a whole 'nother thread)

But not one single woman who got the abortion knowing that the father wanted otherwise and would stand up to the plate for his responsibilities.

When I start seeing that once in awhile. Just once in a while! I will give some kind of consideration to this type of law.

Otherwise, I will continue to see it as a power and control issue, and as a way to circumvent our constitutional right to choose.

Excellent post, Irish - excellent points that echo my own personal experiences with women who have had and/or considered abortions. I think it is super rare that a woman considers this type of difficult choice when her partner is there 100% raring to go and commit to the end result of the pregnancy.

The one exception I have encountered - a couple whose fetus was grotesquely deformed. Together, they made their hard decision.

 

[Autumn2004]

Bull, I dont buy it. Your spinal column is so developed by the time you know your pregnant and that is why folic acid is more important before you even know your pregnant because spina bifida has already happened if its going to. Please dont send me literature for it from pro choice websites because I wont buy it if I read it anyways.

 

[IrishMist]

I do my cousin, he wanted the baby even though they had broken up. She got mad at him over something small at school and had an abortion. It tore him up so badly over it that he committed suicide.

I definitely know one thing my daughter is going to know, if she gets pregnant and doesnt want to raise it, I would gladly adopt the child if she wanted me too. I dont want her to feel she would have to abort it .

Sorry about your cousin, Autumn.


While I can't speak directly to their situation, I can say that I've never personally known any woman to make the abortion decision that lightly. Doesn't mean that there aren't exceptions to every rule, but everything I've read on this issue supports that the majority of woman take this decision seriously.

I always taught my children that getting pregnant as teens gave them three life-altering choices. And that not one of those choices was easy, and that all had their own unique consequences.

I also told them how to get birth control if they didn't want to come to me.

 

[csds703]

Bull, I dont buy it. Your spinal column is so developed by the time you know your pregnant and that is why folic acid is more important before you even know your pregnant because spina bifida has already happened if its going to. Please dont send me literature for it from pro choice websites because I wont buy it if I read it anyways.

How would you feel if the bill actually went both ways.
Let's say the dad didn't want the child and you were forced to have an abortion. How would you feel then?

 

[sherri79]

my sister in-law has had 3. she has 3 kids and she dont want more. her husband wants more. he hopes she will change her mind and she hopes he will give up. they are still together and it has been 6 months since the last 1. we have offered to pay for her to tie her tubes but she dont feel right having us pay for her bills she says. i really doubt she is that rare.

 

[IrishMist]

Bull, I dont buy it. Your spinal column is so developed by the time you know your pregnant and that is why folic acid is more important before you even know your pregnant because spina bifida has already happened if its going to. Please dont send me literature for it from pro choice websites because I wont buy it if I read it anyways.

I'm not here to change your mind, Autumn. Nor would I ever force you to get an abortion.

That's the beauty of living in this country. We get to live as we believe. (less and less everyday, but still... )