A SHORT HISTORY OF ABORTION

Throughout the Middle Ages Christian theologians debated about the soul of the fœtus. That is, the date of its supposed “animation” (meaning, archaically, the “state of being alive”).  It was first fixed at 40 days for the boys and 80 for the girls in the 13th century. In 1532 it was fixed at the mid-point of the pregnancy, that is, when the mother first perceived its movements.

Nonetheless, in 1558, the Pope in Rome forbade all abortions regardless of their date.

However, during the period of the Renaissance, abortion for medical reasons (including internal hemorrhaging) was not permitted but neither condoned by the church. In the 1800s, in France, it was again relegated as a forbidden regardless of the woman’s circumstance. In 1920, abortions became illegal under French civil law.

Finally, about a century-and-a-half later, in 1971, was published in the press a list of 343 names of women, well-known who admitted to having aborted. Abortion at the time was forbidden, but contraception was first making its inroads.

In 1972, a lower-court judge decided that abortion was no longer a criminal offense. Matters regarding abortion then accelerated to fix the legal void that this decision produced.

In 1975, finally, a law was passed (submitted by a female Minister of Health) that permitted abortions by the French National Health System (NHS), but they were reimbursed by the NHS.  Until 1982, when the French NHS finally acknowledged reimbursement for the surgical intervention of abortion.

NINE MEN-ON-A-BENCH

In the United States Supreme Court decision (Roe v. Wade) was made on January 22, 1973). Prior to “Roe”, there were exceptions to the abortion ban in at least 10 states. “Roe” established that a woman has a right to self-determination (often referred to as a “right to privacy”) covering the decision whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term, but that this right must be balanced against a state’s interest in preserving fetal life.

The current legal situation is not limpidly clear and can be accessed here

That is, to this day, 30 years later, American women cannot benefit from the same absolute protection of the law universally throughout their country as do French women. Largely because Nine Men-on-a-Bench (called the Supreme Court) have decided otherwise.

POST SCRIPTUM: Rhetorical Question

Were males obliged to carry a child in their belly and bring it to term after nine-months, would the nine men-on-a-bench have consistently refused to approve unhindered abortion?

Similarly, would a PotUS not have thought very, very carefully before send his “boys ‘n girls” off to the killing fields?

small thinkers produce small results

Queenie and Big B: The threat to ban birth control-all forms- for women was planned long ago. After they finally get abortion illegal again, the next step is to ban birth control. I follow NARAL and other women’s groups to keep up on some of the latest attacks on women and their rights of choice.

Tonight of the news a Georgia Congressman Bobby Franklin had proposed a bill to make miscarriage punishable by death. Of course he is a Republican-Repukelican-HB 1,a 10 page bill, would criminalize miscarriage and make abortion in Georgia completely illegal. Both miscarriage and abortions would be potentially punishable by death.A miscarriage would be a felony and carry a penalty of life in prison or death. Doctors still do not know what causes a miscarriage and about 25% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage and is actually much higher as many of these occur before a woman knows she is pregnant.Most miscarriages occur due to abnormal development of the fetus.

Aren’t these the same repukes that claim they want smaller government and are constantly cutting services for women, infants and children. The only thing they counts to them is a fetus. And it can’t even vote for them. And who is going to pay for this?

I saw this congress critter actually say this on the news. So much for all those Repugs and T.P.er’s wasting their time trying to ban Mosques and Sharia Law. It is already here alive and well in Georgie and it is brought to you by the Christian side of the Triad of organized religions.

I am amazed that dimmos in the last 30 years have not figured out that abortion is only the tip of the right wings’ iceberg when it comes to the conservative culture war. Abortion is only the first step. If they are successful there, next will be birth control.

The left needs to wake up to what is really going on, and that is the wacko rights wet dream of the re-subservience of women. They genuinly think that the US will be a better place with women removed from all aspects of public life, and from all positions of authority.

This is a war on women. They couldn’t give a shit about life, born or unborn. The record speaks for itself.

The far-right,( Republicans AND Democrats) doped up with “religion” want ALL rights for women outlawed. No vote, no voice, no choices. None.

And half of them are so sexually frustrated by their own homo-erotic fantasies that reveal their inborn hatred of all women.

What next, you fuckers? Stoning in the public square?

oh brother..when is ruth going to realize dems and repubs are the same
‘cake’..they just spout different icing. Both parties coerce us to do things we
would rather not do. That is a ‘light’ example of tyranny. As a libertarian I am
pro-choice on basically everything(not just abortion). However as a spiritual
person personally I think an abortion is a repugnant act. It is hypocritical for a
woman to speak of ‘Gaia’ or ‘goddess’ talk..and then to promote abortions. If
life moves a woman to choose to have an abortion then I am ok with that.
However I live in Santa Cruz a very left wing place. I have seen women for years
talk endlessly about..goddess talk..and the earthmother..and so on..and then
be ok with abortions. If we do live in a spiritual field of consciousness..then
how can one look at removing a baby from a womb as anything but a low
evolutionary event? I wont judge a woman for having an abortion..I will slam
the hypocrisy about it though.
Back to R’s and D’s being the same…remember all the anti-war protests against
Bush? Well how many innocent children have been bombed under this
administration? I hear crickets—yes the silence is deafening.
We need to grow up..look in the mirror at ourselves..and quit this obsolete
practice of calling ourselves Rebublicans or Democrats.