Reducing the abortion rate

An essay submitted by Angie Pratt,
a visitor to this web site

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Let's stop Abortions by getting at what causes them. Let's get real and admit that abstinence is not a valid, workable solution by itself. It can't be the only weapon used.

Let's put aside our differences on choice and focus on what we do agree on. We all agree that the "need" for abortions needs to be reduced.

No one is pro-abortion. No one has an abortion for fun.

You want to stop 1 million abortions from happening? Stop 1 million unwanted pregnancies.

The real moral question is whether or not you are willing to spend the money that is going to be needed to get rid of the root causes of unwanted pregnancies.

First off, lets make sure that birth control is available to everybody for free. Access to birth control has to be pervasive. Every man, woman, and child in this country needs to know what are the various forms of birth control and the positives and negatives of each. There must be no barrier preventing access to birth control � not financially or availability or social condemnation.

One of the primary reasons given for abortions is the cost associated with having a baby. Free, no questions asked, prenatal care has to be readily available for everybody.

A pregnant woman has to have a guarantee of at least 3 months off from work at full pay. And after that, affordable, full day care has to be available to her.

Paternity has to be established and child support from the father has to be mandatory. It takes two to tango, it takes two to support a child financially.

All children have to have access to free medical care. Again, no questions asked.

We are all against abortions. The question is are you willing to spend money to stop the root causes of unwanted pregnancies? You can't be against abortions and against stopping the causes of abortions. It's a package deal.

A culture of life starts with stopping the root causes for abortions. By not changing this environment you are, in fact, fostering abortions. You are a contributor whether you like it or not.

Be part of the solution ... for a change.

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Notes:

	Ms. Pratt has asked that people run this essay as a Letter to the Editor, guest editorial or Political Posts column.
	We realize that this article is controversial and does not discuss alternative approaches to reducing the numbers of abortions. If you disagree with this article, we urge you to submit one of your own for possible inclusion among our visitor essays.
	"NorthStar" submitted a response to Ms. Pratt's essay.
	We received a brief Email about this essay:

"I agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Pratt's essay titled- 'How to Reduce the Number of Abortions,' but I do think she left out the issue of a rigorous and mandatory program of sex-education for all young people. I believe that a child of 13 should fully understand all aspects of human sexuality and reproduction -- including STDs, contraceptives and all. ... Our US - Federal authorities insist upon stressing abstinence and omit a discussion of contraceptives. No wonder there are so many abortions by teenage mothers!"

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