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pat_k

(12,574 posts)
31. I fear I may have responded in a knee jerk way because...
Tue Nov 25, 2025, 10:40 PM
Nov 25

...to date the people I have encountered who assert that abortion is used as a primary method of birth control have been anti-abortion males promoting the notion that legal and safe abortions would create some sort of sodom and gomorrah.

I apologize for my McCarthyesque query. I am ashamed of that sort of response. I've been on DU for over 20 years because discussion here is generally better than that.

You are of course correct to point out that abortion is in fact a form of birth control in that it terminates a pregnancy. But I stand by my assertion that access to information and access to effective methods of birth control for all girls and women would make abortion a more rare method of last resort. And that is how I have always interpreted Hillary Clinton's quote

I believe abortion should be safe, legal and rare, and when I say 'rare,' I mean rare!


And I also stand by my personal experience with women who have had abortions. For everyone I've talked to about it (including my own experience) it was a difficult decision. In some cases, a very difficult decision that it took many years to fully come to terms with. Life would have been far easier if birth control had been available to them without restriction, in an easily accessible clinic, and without cost.

Recommendations

5 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

ding x 1000000000! AllaN01Bear Nov 25 #1
Excellent 👍👍💙💙 TommieMommy Nov 25 #2
Brava! sheshe2 Nov 25 #3
Hmmmm.....do men have lack of standing in court? Karadeniz Nov 25 #4
What do you think, do they? bluesbassman Nov 25 #6
That's an excellent question. If a man is just the vehicle for the distribution of zillions of sperm erronis Nov 25 #8
THIS!!! calimary Nov 25 #5
I couldn't agree more. 👍 Dave Bowman Nov 25 #7
She is 100% correct. GoodRaisin Nov 25 #9
The provider of the egg and the nurture should be the only one to have authority, under law and justice. erronis Nov 25 #10
Excellent! 2naSalit Nov 25 #11
Some men have uteruses and plenty of women think abortion should be illegal. WhiskeyGrinder Nov 25 #12
Noted. ZDU Nov 25 #15
Supportive of? WhiskeyGrinder Nov 25 #18
Bill Clinton suggested that abortion should be safe, legal and rare.. Permanut Nov 25 #13
When abortion is safe and legal, there's no reason for it to be rare. WhiskeyGrinder Nov 25 #17
Roger that.. Permanut Nov 25 #19
Safety as in...? WhiskeyGrinder Nov 25 #20
I'm not a health care provider.. Permanut Nov 25 #22
Depends on the method of prevention. WhiskeyGrinder Nov 25 #25
Safety as in abortion is a lower health risk than dental work, and giving birth is a higher health risk than dental work ancianita Nov 25 #27
Right. Mife is safer than Tylenol. WhiskeyGrinder Nov 25 #28
As a 65 year old woman... pat_k Nov 25 #24
"I do not know ANY FEMALE person who would "choose" abortion as a method of birth control" WhiskeyGrinder Nov 25 #26
Just curious. Are you now, or have your ever been a person who could become pregnant? pat_k Nov 25 #29
What about my response prompts this McCarthyist question? WhiskeyGrinder Nov 25 #30
I fear I may have responded in a knee jerk way because... pat_k Nov 25 #31
Thank you for your apology. Please don't beat yourself up about it. WhiskeyGrinder Nov 26 #36
Abortion can be safe, legal, rare, free, on demand and without apology all at once biophile Nov 26 #41
You have a point that "rare" as a policy goal can attach a stigma to it. pat_k Nov 26 #42
Hear, hear! ZDU Nov 25 #14
Don't forget the "It's not my fault. She was askin' for it." part. Ping Tung Nov 25 #16
It is bad enough that women still must defend their right to make life altering choices about continuing a pregnancy.. pat_k Nov 25 #21
Not one of you live in fear of having a miscarriage and being hauled off to jail Clouds Passing Nov 25 #23
Interesting to see this, right after learning that robert dear, the Planned niyad Nov 25 #32
Just learned this too pat_k Nov 25 #33
K&R spanone Nov 25 #34
Wow. Just, wow. And Amen. Joinfortmill Nov 26 #35
I'm glad to get on the rec list. Better late than never. NNadir Nov 26 #37
I and my husband have always felt those true words. chouchou Nov 26 #38
But, the Bible says ... JustABozoOnThisBus Nov 26 #39
100% true! Martin68 Nov 26 #40
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