51
Political Opinions / Opening a Can of Worms
« on: January 19, 2006, 03:39:39 PM »
WARNING: This topic is about abortion. I realize this is a sensitive topic that inflames passions on all sides of the issue. However, I want no name calling or rudeness in this thread. If you can't objectively stick to the topic, don't post here.
Bear with me, some of this might seem sort of "stream of consciousness".
With all of the SCOTUS stuff in the news recently, I've been doing a bit of reading on abortion. Yes, I know there are hundreds of other issues that are of equal or greater importance, but I wanted to be more familiar with the nuances of Roe. So, the long and short of it is, if Roe is overturned, abortion reverts to a states rights issue. As things sit right now, there are a few states where it would automatically be outlawed, a few states where it would automatically be guaranteed, and the rest are "up for grabs". So, my first question to you all is, do you think that abortion should be protected/outlawed at the national level, or at the state level?
Next, I went back and re-read the Bill of Rights. Sure enough, privacy is not mentioned. But, I did find the re-reading of the 10th amendment to be very interesting. In summary, it says that any right/power not explicitly granted to the federal government belongs to the people and/or the states. My next question is, since medical treatment of any kind is a private matter between you and your doctor, and the right to privacy is (by the reading of the 10th amendment) given to the state and/or people, isn't abortion (as a private medical issue) automatically protected at the federal constitutional level?
After that, the next question relates to enforcement and the slippery slope. Let's say that abortion is outlawed in my state. Concordantly, abortion clinics close their doors. But, let's say my regular doctor decides that he will provide abortions to his patients who ask for them. He's not opening a clinic, he's simply providing his patients a range of medical services. How would the government go about finding out, in order to put both of us in jail, whether he provided one to me? What would be the probable cause that would justify a warrant and subsequent intrusion into my medical records? Here's where the slippery slope comes in. Once any goverment is able to look at your medical records to determine if you're an offender of some sort, what's to stop them from looking into any other private part of your life (e.g. what books you read, what medicines you take, who you talk to, how you vote, etc.)?
Next is a political question. I realize this is not the case any longer, but historically Republicans have been pro states rights, pro limited government, pro bill of rights, anti big government, anti government involvement in peoples' lives, anti social programs, etc. Now, this is the same group of people (as a whole) who would like abortion to be outlawed altogether. How can this particular group of people justify the intrusion of the federal government into the private lives of American citizens? How can they justify the additional costs to the welfare system if they get thier way and have abortion completely outlawed everywhere?
Okay, I'm done for the moment...these are just some of the things that have popped into my head as I've been reading up on the issue.
Bear with me, some of this might seem sort of "stream of consciousness".
With all of the SCOTUS stuff in the news recently, I've been doing a bit of reading on abortion. Yes, I know there are hundreds of other issues that are of equal or greater importance, but I wanted to be more familiar with the nuances of Roe. So, the long and short of it is, if Roe is overturned, abortion reverts to a states rights issue. As things sit right now, there are a few states where it would automatically be outlawed, a few states where it would automatically be guaranteed, and the rest are "up for grabs". So, my first question to you all is, do you think that abortion should be protected/outlawed at the national level, or at the state level?
Next, I went back and re-read the Bill of Rights. Sure enough, privacy is not mentioned. But, I did find the re-reading of the 10th amendment to be very interesting. In summary, it says that any right/power not explicitly granted to the federal government belongs to the people and/or the states. My next question is, since medical treatment of any kind is a private matter between you and your doctor, and the right to privacy is (by the reading of the 10th amendment) given to the state and/or people, isn't abortion (as a private medical issue) automatically protected at the federal constitutional level?
After that, the next question relates to enforcement and the slippery slope. Let's say that abortion is outlawed in my state. Concordantly, abortion clinics close their doors. But, let's say my regular doctor decides that he will provide abortions to his patients who ask for them. He's not opening a clinic, he's simply providing his patients a range of medical services. How would the government go about finding out, in order to put both of us in jail, whether he provided one to me? What would be the probable cause that would justify a warrant and subsequent intrusion into my medical records? Here's where the slippery slope comes in. Once any goverment is able to look at your medical records to determine if you're an offender of some sort, what's to stop them from looking into any other private part of your life (e.g. what books you read, what medicines you take, who you talk to, how you vote, etc.)?
Next is a political question. I realize this is not the case any longer, but historically Republicans have been pro states rights, pro limited government, pro bill of rights, anti big government, anti government involvement in peoples' lives, anti social programs, etc. Now, this is the same group of people (as a whole) who would like abortion to be outlawed altogether. How can this particular group of people justify the intrusion of the federal government into the private lives of American citizens? How can they justify the additional costs to the welfare system if they get thier way and have abortion completely outlawed everywhere?
Okay, I'm done for the moment...these are just some of the things that have popped into my head as I've been reading up on the issue.