Supreme Court will not hear Arizona abortion law appeal

[danarhea]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear Arizona's appeal of a lower-court ruling that declared unconstitutional a state law banning abortions beginning at 20 weeks of fetal gestation, meaning the restrictive measure is struck down.

The Arizona law, signed by Republican Governor Jan Brewer in 2012, had been considered one of the toughest in the United States in imposing limits on abortion.

I am pro choice in that I don't believe it's the government's business to regulate a woman's body. However, I am kind of torn on this one. I believe that 20 weeks gives a woman plenty enough time to decide if she wants to carrry the fetus to term or abort it. After 20 weeks, I believe abortion should only be an option if it affects the health or the life of the mother, or if the baby has some extraordinary condition, such as anencephaly (no brain). Considering the makeup of the SCOTUS, this decision somewhat surprises me. In addition, since most Liberals typically want abortion on demand, irregardless of the length of gestation, and most Conservatives want abortion completely outlawed, I thought that the 20 week rule might be a good compromise between both sides of the issue.

Discussion?

Article is here.

 

[Samhain]

My wife and I were discussing this(abortion limits at 20-24 weeks) a couple of months ago when she was at 20 weeks, and she was appalled at the concept of an abortion "that late", in her words. She and I both thought that a limit around 6-10 weeks was appropriate. Prior to getting pregnant, her opinion on the subject was "whenever you want".

 

[Summerwind]

I am pro choice in that I don't believe it's the government's business to regulate a woman's body. However, I am kind of torn on this one. I believe that 20 weeks gives a woman plenty enough time to decide if she wants to carrry the fetus to term or abort it. After 20 weeks, I believe abortion should only be an option if it affects the health or the life of the mother, or if the baby has some extraordinary condition, such as anencephaly (no brain). Considering the makeup of the SCOTUS, this decision somewhat surprises me. In addition, since most Liberals typically want abortion on demand, irregardless of the length of gestation, and most Conservatives want abortion completely outlawed, I thought that the 20 week rule might be a good compromise between both sides of the issue.

Discussion?

Article is here.

My understanding is that some serious birth defects as well as issues that put the mother's life in danger are not able to be determined til the 24th week. As pointed out in the dupe thread on this, very few "I just don't want to have a baby yet" abortions happen after 12-16 weeks. Most after that are for medical issues.

 

[danarhea]

My understanding is that some serious birth defects as well as issues that put the mother's life in danger are not able to be determined til the 24th week. As pointed out in the dupe thread on this, very few "I just don't want to have a baby yet" abortions happen after 12-16 weeks. Most after that are for medical issues.

Which is why I made exceptions for those circumstances.

 

[Summerwind]

Which is why I made exceptions for those circumstances.

Since it doesn't seem to really be an issue, women after 20 weeks having "optional" as opposed to "medically necessary" abortions, why cause the extra hassle for the women or doctors, why have the extra legality? And upon passing such a law, anyone after 20 weeks, what hoops would they and their doctors have to jump through to prove it was for the health of the mother or the unviability of the fetus? Seems for folks wanting less government, this is just the opposite.

 

[Chocolate]

I am pro choice in that I don't believe it's the government's business to regulate a woman's body. However, I am kind of torn on this one. I believe that 20 weeks gives a woman plenty enough time to decide if she wants to carrry the fetus to term or abort it. After 20 weeks, I believe abortion should only be an option if it affects the health or the life of the mother, or if the baby has some extraordinary condition, such as anencephaly (no brain). Considering the makeup of the SCOTUS, this decision somewhat surprises me. In addition, since most Liberals typically want abortion on demand, irregardless of the length of gestation, and most Conservatives want abortion completely outlawed, I thought that the 20 week rule might be a good compromise between both sides of the issue.

Discussion?

Article is here.

I am not a woman so I can't really say whether it's right or wrong to get an abortion... but are abortions really that common in the USA for this to be a massive issue? though I'd like to think a woman who wants an abortion because she cannot handle having a kid would not wait for it to be 20weeks+

 

[Summerwind]

I am not a woman so I can't really say whether it's right or wrong to get an abortion... but are abortions really that common in the USA for this to be a massive issue? though I'd like to think a woman who wants an abortion because she cannot handle having a kid would not wait for it to be 20weeks+

Statistics prove you right, it's not an issue past 20 weeks except for very few or those that have medical reasons behind them. Doing this is along the same lines as having photo id needed for voting when there are less than 1% voter fraud at the polls. Or like requiring drug tests for welfare when Florida has proven it to be more costly than it's savings and that the drug use among welfare recipients is dramatically less than among the public at large. Just more costly REPUBLICAN interference in our lives.

 

[Chocolate]

Statistics prove you right, it's not an issue past 20 weeks except for very few or those that have medical reasons behind them. Doing this is along the same lines as having photo id needed for voting when there are less than 1% voter fraud at the polls. Or like requiring drug tests for welfare when Florida has proven it to be more costly than it's savings and that the drug use among welfare recipients is dramatically less than among the public at large. Just more costly REPUBLICAN interference in our lives.

then if statistics prove me right I can tell why the supreme court would not care about an issue that effects hardly anyone

By the way I love your dog sooo cute :2razz:

 

[donsutherland1]

I am pro choice in that I don't believe it's the government's business to regulate a woman's body. However, I am kind of torn on this one. I believe that 20 weeks gives a woman plenty enough time to decide if she wants to carrry the fetus to term or abort it. After 20 weeks, I believe abortion should only be an option if it affects the health or the life of the mother, or if the baby has some extraordinary condition, such as anencephaly (no brain). Considering the makeup of the SCOTUS, this decision somewhat surprises me. In addition, since most Liberals typically want abortion on demand, irregardless of the length of gestation, and most Conservatives want abortion completely outlawed, I thought that the 20 week rule might be a good compromise between both sides of the issue.

Discussion?

Article is here.

I don't believe this is a big surprise, as the Supreme Court responded from a strictly legal sense. Roe v. Wade is settled law. The Supreme Court is under no obligation to take cases that deal with settled law. If new consitutional angles or issues arise, then the Supreme Court should take such cases. But that was not the situation with the Arizona law and surrounding legal issues.

 

[joG]

I am pro choice in that I don't believe it's the government's business to regulate a woman's body. However, I am kind of torn on this one. I believe that 20 weeks gives a woman plenty enough time to decide if she wants to carrry the fetus to term or abort it. After 20 weeks, I believe abortion should only be an option if it affects the health or the life of the mother, or if the baby has some extraordinary condition, such as anencephaly (no brain). Considering the makeup of the SCOTUS, this decision somewhat surprises me. In addition, since most Liberals typically want abortion on demand, irregardless of the length of gestation, and most Conservatives want abortion completely outlawed, I thought that the 20 week rule might be a good compromise between both sides of the issue.

Discussion?

Article is here.

Interesting. Why are you upset about 20 weeks? I don't really see much reason to worry about the kid being a few weeks older or younger, when it's vacuumed away. There doesn't seem any rational difference to doing it 30 or 50 weeks. it is a little offensive to make people that conscientiously object pay for the killing, though.

 

[AGENT J]

I am pro choice in that I don't believe it's the government's business to regulate a woman's body. However, I am kind of torn on this one. I believe that 20 weeks gives a woman plenty enough time to decide if she wants to carrry the fetus to term or abort it. After 20 weeks, I believe abortion should only be an option if it affects the health or the life of the mother, or if the baby has some extraordinary condition, such as anencephaly (no brain). Considering the makeup of the SCOTUS, this decision somewhat surprises me. In addition, since most Liberals typically want abortion on demand, irregardless of the length of gestation, and most Conservatives want abortion completely outlawed, I thought that the 20 week rule might be a good compromise between both sides of the issue.

Discussion?

Article is here.

while i agree with you the issues is very simple.

I PERSONALLY would be ok with 20-21 weeks but thats meaningless in this case

the state just cant put its on limit on it, thats just a violations on rights and they ruled properly for this case.

back to our personal opinions the 20-21 week is a GREAT compromise and logically makes the both sense for anybody that TRULY wants rights, legal/human/equal, protected.
Rights will ALWAYS be violated in the abortion decision and many people simply dont accept these facts though. So IMO trying to make it as equal as possible is the best solution.