Until it was overturned, Roe V Wade, in simplest terms, allowed abortions in the first trimester and then left the laws beyond that for each state to decide. Now, each state makes its own laws without the first trimester rule.
Generally, Democrats claim that restrictions of any kind are wrong and abortion should begin and end as a private decision between the woman (do they still recognize there are women?) and the doctor.
Generally, Republicans claim that other than rape, incest and a threat to the life of/significant health issues for the mother, abortion should either be prohibited altogether or restricted somewhere before the late term – almost always in the 6 to 24 week range, with most seemingly around 12 – 15 weeks.
So which side is extreme? One? Neither? Both?
For guidance, I looked at how other countries view abortion – via Wikipedia, which has posted the United Nations compilation of abortion laws by country (as of 2019).
The findings?
-Most countries allow abortion if the pregnancy has resulted from risk to life, risk to health or rape (presumably this includes incest) – though a good many of them have a cutoff point at some number of weeks.
-About half the countries allow abortion in cases of fetal impairment (though I would assume the definition of fetal impairment varies from one to the next). Here, too, many of them have a cutoff point after which it would be illegal.
-Most countries disallow abortion for economic or social reasons. And almost all that do allow it have a cutoff point – typically in the 12 – 24 week range..
-As for the “on request” designation – i.e. because the woman simply decides she doesn’t want a baby? Most countries (it looks like somewhere in the neighborhood of 2/3 to 3/4) disallow this at any time during the pregnancy. A total of four allow it nationwide with no restrictions.
Now, knowing the above, are Republicans more extreme than Democrats? Democrats more extreme than Republicans?
Not that easy to answer, is it?
So how come, in our media, Democrats almost always get the high ground on this issue? That, folks, by contrast, is very easy to answer.
