Being 18, i feel i have a very different view on abortion than i did one year ago. I am a legal adult who could have a spouse and kids. If i got a girl pregnant, i know for my sake as well as the kids sake i could not afford to support the child. It would greatly be a burden to me if abortion was illegal because that would put me in a seemingly impossible situation.
When looking at both sides of the issue i have a large problem with those who identify themselves as "pro-life." First of all the name is misleading, that tells me that if you are not "pro-life" then you must be pro-death. Who would want to be in favor of death? Next i do not like the religion backing of the "pro-life" movement. It does not have any merit to me when someone says that something is wrong because god says so. While i think its great to have faith in something i do not see how an individuals faith could say something is right or wrong. My example of religion is like the "Livestrong" wrist band that many wear. You cannot wear the band touch a blind person's eye and suddenly they can see. The band is just a reminder to be a better person and to live each day to its fullest. That is what religion is, it is a group of people who believe the same ways that one should be a better person. No religion clearly says that a cause is just, that is for an individual to decide for themselves.
Another thing i do not like is the tactics some "pro-life" people use. These people have decided to use the government system as a ploy to make abortions almost impossible to get. It seems to me like people sit at desks all day and dream up bills to test the current laws in place to make it more difficult. Also, some people have used very violent tactics on the doctors who perform this procedure. These include murder, death threats, arson, stalking, harassment, and even bomb threats. This is not the way to get a point across.
I think that parents should have to consent to the procedure, at a certain age. An abortion shouldn't be held in a special light simply because it is controversial. Lets call it what it is, a procedure. Parents need to consent to procedures until a certain age. There should not be any special rules on this procedure. At the same time, i do believe there should be a clause open for individual cases to be reviewed by a judge. Such as if a woman is put in immediate danger by her parent knowing about her procedure.
When it comes to Illinois law, i am not sure what to think. While i think the woman still has a right to choose, she cannot get an abortion after 12 weeks. This seems like a fair common ground to me but i know that both sides will not rest until the law is in one of the extremes.
