McCain Makes Light of "Health of the Mother"

Starry, it sounds like you're one of the few who calls themselves "pro-life" who really IS in the true sense of the word. Most anti-choicers ARE really only concerned about the fetus but care nothing about the mother or the BABY after it's born. Annie

mcat, you are absolutely entitled to your opinion regardless of what it is. I do think you have a little bit of a skewed view of what PRO-LIFE people think. I don't believe that the fetus is more important than the woman, and I don't think that the woman is more important than the fetus. I just have a big problem with deciding to murder a human because it is inconvenient. I feel the same way about murdering adults :)

OMG, Taskr, what happened to your star? You weren't purple before, were you? I'm truly sorry and disagree with whoever did that to you even though we're on opposite sides of the aisle in the political interest. Now, to the topic at hand - to me it's not a question of understanding his point it was his very cold and casual way of making it. I respect his op;inion as I do anyone else's but, I'm sorry, he's a man and I don't think he should be able to tell any woman she must risk her life OR health because of what HE thinks. However, what really annoyed me and from what I'm seeing on TV at least a few others, including some male commentators was his lack of sensitivity and belittling manner towards women. Annie

Thank you Taskr, you said exactly what I was trying to say, only much more eloquently!

wow, anniepa I totally didn't get the belittling women vibe from him at all. It is so interesting to hear how many different interpretations can be taken away from one particular debate. This is one of the very best things about Mylot, all the different opinions!

That is stupid. The health of the mother that is referred to is if the mother feels that she might die, if the mother is depressed, then it is perfectly all right to have an abortion. Ectopic pregnancies are most often terminated because the mother would die if the tube split. The only other good reason would be cancer or if she is too small inside and then they can give her a caeserion but in many cases, the baby would not survie. So what other reasons are you talking about? Of course McCain would allow abortion if the mother was truly going to die if the baby would kill her, but those three above are the only reasons for an abortion, and they are allowed for medical reasons. In fact if a mother has cancer, the doctors do all they can to persuade her to have an abortion.

suspensful, the issue isn't with early term abortions, which is when an extopic pregnancy would be terminated for the very reasons that you stated. "The health of the mother that is referred to is if the mother feels that she might die, if the mother is depressed, then it is perfectly all right to have an abortion." This is the Pro-Life rhetoric. There are several medical issues that can arise that can affect the health of the mother. My niece, for example, had gestational diabetes and ocular hypertension and there was a point where she wasn't doing well at all. Ocular hypertenson can lead to permanent blindess. This was my niece's third child. I don't know what she and her husband would have decided to do had her condition not finally improved but I would have to say that losing your eyesight if you carry a pregnancy to term qualifies as a condition that speaks to the health of the mother. If I knew more about the permanent ramifications to her body by the diabetes I would comment on that but I'm not that imformed in that area. "Of course McCain would allow abortion if the mother was truly going to die if the baby would kill her," I'm not trying to be flip with you but do you believe that doctors would be calling the President of the United States for permission and that he would A)be avvailable to take the call, B)be able to approve an abortion that is now illegal? The president cannot circumvent the law and that is why the wording in the bill is so important. The health issue should be up to the woman and her doctor and, for the record, an OB who has been treating a pregnant woman for several months is not the same as a doctor who specializes in abortion so I would imagine that the decision to end a pregnancy for health of the mother reasons would be a difficult and well thought out one for the doctor as well.

Thanks for responding. As I said, I totally respect your point of view on this issue and although I'm strongly pro-choice I don't think I could ever have an abortion myself. However, since I no longer have to worry about ever getting pregnant and since I've never been raped or the victim of incest nor have I ever had a high-risk pregnancy where my health or that of my unborn baby were in danger I don't feel I have the right to judge any other woman who is in a situation I've never faced myself. I really don't think the government has or should have the right to tell a woman she has to risk her own life or health. I respect McCain's opinion as well but I really don't think he made any "friends" with his insensitive attitude tonight. He literally acted as though a pregnant woman's health was of no importance at all. Annie

I liked hearing your story. My best friend would have been the victim of a partial birth abortion if the doctor had had his way. His mother wasn't doing too well when going into labor but refused to abort him. At one point his father went to talk to the doctor away from his mother. He walked in on the doctor having a conversation with another doctor saying "10 bucks says they both die if she doesn't get rid of it". His father punched the doctor in the face and demanded someone else be sent to perform the delivery. Fortunately the doctor brought in to replace him did an excellent job with the delivery and my friend was born healthy and his mother came out of it just fine as well.

Taskr, you didn't say, but was your friend born prematurely?

So, then you are saying that women will only vote for him if he refrains from criticising attitudes present in some women, that are odious? all the best urban

Look what I mean is their are some women that will play upon the ill health caveat, pretending they are suffering emotionally or mentally, in order to qualify under medical grounds. I know this from testimony of such women. Now it is this behaviour that his words seem aimed at, which to me is valid criticism, don't you agree? all the best urban

You, my criticism of him here doesn't seek to silence valid criticism at all. If he really wants to get more women to vote for him he'll have to show a lot more empathy for women and not indicate with his words and gestures that our health issues aren't worthy of his concern. Annie

As always, Hatley, your response it much appreciated. I sure respect your opinion, you can count on that, and anyone who doesn't respect it isn't worth the time of day - and THAT'S my opinion! Actually, I think you were pretty easy on McCain...lol...he's "not a very sensitive man" for sure! Annie