Intelligent and Sensitive Abortion Discussion On The Daily Show

I happened to see it even though I live in Britain, and I thought it was quite an awkward exchange - a kind of transparently 'forced' sense of respect for each other's position that neither really felt. The problem with the abortion issue is that neither side really engages with the premise on which the other side bases its case, and until that happens there can never be a meaningful dialogue. For instance, Stewart never really engaged with the point about at what stage life commences.

I think that you are absolutely right that no one "likes" abortion, but I am not sure it is possible to find a "middle ground". My personal belief is that abortion is the same as murder, so I cannot think of a single "compromise" that would let me feel comfortable to look the other way while people are murdering children. I think that anyone who compromised on such strong beliefs would not be a very good person. That being said, I do not thin it is fair to say "no abortion, ever." I have said this before and I will say it again: there is a thing in medicine called triage. Triage means that in a situation where more than one person's life is at stake, it is a doctor's duty to save the one with the greatest chance of survival, and in the case of a pregnant mother and unborn child, it is almost always the pregnant mother. When people use their stories of having to abort children because they would have killed the mother or the child's twin, it really breaks my heart because I cannot imagine how hard that would be. However, I do not think that is abortion! It is just a really hard choice that must be made. In those situations, you have to think of it from a perspective of realizing that, even though a life is being lost, a life is also being saved. That is a hard thing to deal with, but sometimes it must be done. So, in light of that, I think abortion should never be legal, but I do not think that triage procedures are abortion. Basically, killing an unborn child for any reason other than to save the life of the mother is murder. Even if it's a case of rape. Even if the child is going to be disabled. It is wrong to kill disabled children or poor children AFTER they are born, and it is still wrong if we kill them before they are born. On this, I cannot ever compromise in good conscience. That being said, abstinence only education is just about the stupidest thing EVER, and those who preach it should be ashamed of themselves for only adding to the problem of unplanned pregnancy, teenage pregnancy, and abortion. Abstinence only education does not prevent these things. Only common sense and good parenting can do that.

I do not watch the Daily Show, and of course, I am pro not killing the unborn. As for respect, I suppose you take it to mean that someone will agree that there is a time when the unborn should be killed and what they really mean is an ectopic pregnancy, but what can be interpreted by a pro-abortion person to mean when the woman will give birth to a severely handicapped child or the child if allowed to live will make it extremely difficult for her. I think the abstinence is the best idea, but there are cases such as rape and even though it is rare, the girl could become pregnant. Then I think that adoption is the best solution because if the baby was aborted, the rapist will figure he can rape other girls and get away with it, or the baby will resemble the rapist phyically and the woman would maybe grow to hate the baby, the exception being that either she did not see him or she was of strong character. As for s*x education, it cannot be done without a good moral education as to responsibility not only of the girl, but of the boy who got her in the family way in the first place. So if both sides talk about adoption, or going after the 'boy' who decided to show his manhood by impregnating every female he could, or if they are taught that it is best to wait until marriage, that common ground I will agree on.

I like Jon Stewart's show. And, it IS real news = it's just not a real news show. He takes perfectly legitimate news and presents it while looking through a cockeyed lens. We get to see things with a slight twist that often accentuates either the key point to the news story or brings another point to our attention that we hadn't noticed the first time. He does have the odd character on once in a while who does fake news spots, but Jon himself uses REAL news and REAL people and, way more often than not, he respects every person who sits across from him, regardless of their political perspective. I have a lot of respect for him because of how he treats his guests. I agree on the abortion issue. There is no TRUE middle ground except that both sides try to understand why each other feels like they do. I personally detest using abortion as a method of birth control. There is no way you can look at an ultrasound and say that little body there with hands, feet, ears, hair and mouth is NOT human. Yet, because of medical issues of my own, I understand that there could be, and are, legitimate medical reasons why an abortion might be necessary. But, in no way am I comfortable with it being a "choice" of birth control. Had other methods been used, there would be no "need".

I don't believe the bs opinion that's already been posted that "millions" of women simply refuse to use birth control so there are some instances where finding a middle ground is not going to be possible. I strongly believe that education and access to services will reduce the number of unintended pregnancies but we have areas of this country that would rather promote abstinence only education then face the realities of life and take steps to protect their young people. Along with unplanned pregnancies I'm also concerned about the spread of STDs. I don't *like* abortion...I'm not a *fan* of abortion but if any middle ground leads to even one young woman using a metal coat hanger for anything other than hanging her clothes in the closet, I can't support it.

i get all my news from the onion... anyway agreee with most of you here, abortion has to be legal but it should be a last resort

Well I must say kudos to Huckabee for saying that he doesn't believe that people that are pro-choice are pro-abortion. I also must agree with Stewart when he compared the whole rape instead of murder. He made a very good point about women giving up the right to control their body, which we all know that conservatives want less government as long as it doesn't infringe on their personal beliefs and if it does than there should be bigger government. I honestly do not believe that there will ever be a common ground because pro-life and pro-choice people believe fully in their cause.

Where abortion is concerned, what is the common goal?