Taking responsibility.

Editor,

A common argument anti-abortion nutcases proffer to bolster their intrusion into women's healthcare decisions is that women who become pregnant must "take responsibility" for the behavior that resulted in their pregnancy and "suffer the consequences."

Leaving all of the insane baggage that is tied up in this aside, if we applied this same logic uniformly across human experience, no ambulances would be sent and in fact injured drivers would be left to die on the roadway in the event of a wreck because "responsible" drivers must be "aware of the risks" when they get behind the wheel.

All people, by the logic of the American Taliban, should be forced to "suffer the consequences" of any unwanted result of any behavior that entails risk: hiking, camping, playing a sport. We should, actually, do away with the medical profession altogether. Why help anyone, as everyone should know better when they get in medical trouble?

Oh, yes. The fetus is a human being.

No. The fetus is a fetus.

Your religion says it's what you think it is. Why should anyone who doesn't believe in your superstitions be forced to conform to them? Do you want Muslim law forced down your throat? Judaism? Hinduism?

I am writing this from Canada. I am an American expatriate.

Abortion is legal in Canada, and even the arch conservative Prime Minister here, Stephen Harper, refuses to bow to religious crazies and reopen debate on the question of abortion, which has been settled in Canada since the 1970's.

Re: "A World of Harm for Women" (10/20/2012)