Abortion in El Salvador (punishment, Earth, doom, soul, hell)

[Mercy Not Sacrifice]

http://pandagon.net/2006/04/06/thats...ats-my-vagina/

In the nation of El Salvador, if a woman is suspected of having an abortion, her body becomes a crime scene. In other words, the authorities can have her handcuffed to a strecher, and against her will, they can disrobe her and inspect her genitals, collecting evidence from this area of her body that can be used to put her in prison for decades. I am not making this part up; a radio report on this story a few days ago ran through that exact scenario.

I am reminded of Pah's thread from a few days ago asking what we are prepared to do with a woman who has an abortion, assuming it is illegal. We commonly debate whether abortion is a great evil or a necessary evil, but all too often, the punishment for the woman is not mentioned or is brushed aside. I start this thread to discuss that very issue and to learn whether anti-abortionists condemn these acts of legal rape.

[Sunstone]

IMO, the national debate over abortion is much more focused on whether the fetus is a person or not than it is on what the practical consequences of outlawing abortion might be. This focus might lull people into thinking there will be no more consequences to outlawing abortion than there are consequences to outlawing murder. In another thread some time ago, Robtex raised the question of just how society would manage to handle the million plus unwanted children that would be born each year if abortion were made illegal. As I recall, the question seemed to take many people by surprise: They hadn't thought much about that issue before.

[chillmode1]

abortion is more good than bad

[GeneCosta]

This raises an interesting question. If our laws do equate abortion to murder, we're forced to do the very same thing to suspected women over here. There will also be the problem of when do we classify it as miscarriage and when don't we, and how far do we go? Making it illegal doesn't draw a clear line in the sand. It just smudges out the one we already have.

[Flappycat]

I say we'll eventually come to the most common sense solution to the whole thing. It'll just take time. I don't know entirely for sure what future generations will decide this to be, but it'll probably come as a shocker to people from our day, going by history. Your parents and grandparents won't be the last to talk about how the world is going to Hell in a handbasket and we're all doomed, and neither will you.

[Pah]

Originally Posted by GeneCosta

This raises an interesting question. If our laws do equate abortion to murder, we're forced to do the very same thing to suspected women over here. There will also be the problem of when do we classify it as miscarriage and when don't we, and how far do we go? Making it illegal doesn't draw a clear line in the sand. It just smudges out the one we already have.

The right to not incriminate one's self would preclude that "rape" by police. But then again,if one right can be changed (a woman's reproductive right) the others can be as well.

[michel]

Originally Posted by Mercy Not Sacrifice

http://pandagon.net/2006/04/06/thats...ats-my-vagina/

In the nation of El Salvador, if a woman is suspected of having an abortion, her body becomes a crime scene. In other words, the authorities can have her handcuffed to a strecher, and against her will, they can disrobe her and inspect her genitals, collecting evidence from this area of her body that can be used to put her in prison for decades. I am not making this part up; a radio report on this story a few days ago ran through that exact scenario.

I am reminded of Pah's thread from a few days ago asking what we are prepared to do with a woman who has an abortion, assuming it is illegal. We commonly debate whether abortion is a great evil or a necessary evil, but all too often, the punishment for the woman is not mentioned or is brushed aside. I start this thread to discuss that very issue and to learn whether anti-abortionists condemn these acts of legal rape.

Ah! an HRC friend, I see!

Dreadful story you unearthed there.

I must admit I am pro-life, but I do not believe in any clear cut rules. I believe each one should be decided upon it's own merits. I personally believe a fetus has a soul from the moment of conception, so all abortions are, in effect, killing a life. BUT, and there has to be a big "But" I can see a lot of cases where abortion can be justified.

Besides, as far as the fetus is concerned, mauybe that is it's destiny.

My wife lost a child (a girl) at a very early stage of pregnancy; I know my daughter, and love her as I would if she was alive. I look forward to seeing her when I die.

She wanted me to give up alcohol, and I am sure helped me.