Abortion Compromise

I have no hope of this catching on, but I thought I’d throw it out there just in case.

On the one hand it’s hard to imagine how anyone can justify killing babies, but in some cases the health of the mother might be at stake, and this can include psychological health. In cases of rape, where it is understood to be a form of psychological torture, the law can sometimes forgive it if the rapist is injured or killed. Continuing to carry and bear the child of a rapist can conceivably be perceived as a continuation of the original rape to someone so distressed she isn’t thinking clearly. In these rare cases, killing the child can be construed as a form of self-defense.

However, just because abortion can be construed as self-defense does not mean the mother has the absolute right to kill her unborn children on a whim. Often in cases of killing in self-defense, the killer is put on trial and an investigation occurs. If George Zimmerman had to be put on trial because some people didn’t believe his side of the story, then there can be nothing wrong with trying aborters. To suggest that we don’t want to further traumatize those who might not be fit to stand trial is to suggest that George Zimmerman shouldn’t have been tried either and we should have just taken him at his word. When a murderer must be executed, it is the state that does it. One does not go to a company that profits off execution with no questions asked. If an abortion is deemed necessary, it must be the state that performs the operation and Planned Parenthood should not even exist.

Here is my compromise: Allow women to get abortions by having a physician, a psychiatrist, and a judge all sign off on it. The mother will retain the option to back out at any time. The procedure should be provided free or at least close to it. If he can be found, the father must be notified and be given the option to testify, though he cannot be part of the decision-making process. It is his right to know what really happened to his kids. I suppose the court records could be hidden from the general public. There are some risks that come with secrecy, but I think the benefits outweigh them. However, the public should at least be allowed to know how many total abortions the state performs per year and how much it costs the taxpayers. Should a woman fail to get permission ahead of time and the abortion has already occurred, she can still be held innocent provided she can find a physician, a psychiatrist, and a judge to agree. Otherwise, it becomes a murder charge.

This is a compromise I can support.