CJM, Why did you assume that,s what I wanted to do?
I offered an opinion on discussing the subject saying almost the same things you did, then allowed that this was an open forum however, and finished by stating my position on abortion, as an act of honesty.
I did not discuss abortion in any fashion.
I hope in future you'll pay a little more attention to what others actually say, before you launch any further hobby-horses at them.
You want new subjects? So raise them, post them. Put your fingers where your mouth is.

Dear KMB,

Abortion is a private matter, between people and their
health care professionals. - and should remain
so. It's not a decision that's entered into lightly, nor is
it that easy to obtain. A medical assessment needs to take
place.

It's a health-related issue like so many
others - that affects people's lives. For example,
when to turn off machines that are keeping family
members alive? These sorts of painful, personal,
decisions are for the families concerned to make.

There are many health related issues that are publicly
funded - that's why there are such long waiting lists
for public hospitals.

The right of a woman to have an abortion according to the
law - is also not absolute. No medical professional will
perform an abortion in the final months of pregnancy -
unless there is a health risk involved. In the third trimester,
which is the one you speak of - all abortions are barred, unless
health or life of the mother is in danger.

At the root of this controversy is the basic value judgement
about the human status of the fetus. At the beginning of the
pregnancy and - by medical standards the fetus is considered a mere
collection of cells and tissue and abortion is perceived to be
a morally neutral surgical procedure. For example if a
mother miscarries, the fetus is not given a funeral, but is
simply disposed of like any other tissue.

I believe that the greater majority of the population (according
to opinion polls) supports abortion in cases of rape, incest,
or a threat to the mother's health. But support for a mother's
right to abortion on demand - fluctuates depending on a person's
beliefs - traditional norms.

I would never pass judgement on another's health-related
decision. Would I have an abortion? I honestly don't know.
It depends on the circumstances at the time.

It is for that reason that I said the ultimate decision is a
private matter. We have no right to inflict our views on others,
when we don't know the full facts involved.

*Personally, I'm with Graham on this - we need some new, interesting topics rather than kicking around the same old crap that doesn't alter anybody's perspective.*

Ah CJ, in that case perhaps we could debate if all those so called
warm, fuzzy feelings called "love", are actually based on self
interest!

Yup, abortion has been done to death. What we can show is that
runner, the Catholic Church and others, rave on about the sanctity
of every human life, until it costs them money, so much of it
is empty rhetoric. Their personal creature comforts clearly matter
more, then those starving babies.

As Darwin pointed out, far more of any species will be created, then
can ever survive.

Yabby: << ...perhaps we could debate if all those so called
warm, fuzzy feelings called "love", are actually based on self
interest! >>

Now there's an interesting topic that I'm sure could attract a diverse range of opinions - and I can't recall "love" itself being specifically a subject of debate at OLO.

If you - or anybody else - would care to compose an intelligent post on the subject, I for one would would be happy to participate :)

@ Max: I'm only speaking for myself here ;)

Yabby,

Yes, do please go ahead and post that topic. I think it could lead to some interesting opinions.

From a purely personal POV too, I would be interested in reading the opinions of some of the regular OLO netizens. Especially some of those whose opinions on abortions have been aired ad nauseum.

Perhaps we could start a new thread on possible topics. This one seems to have been well and truly hijacked by people who don't want to talk about abortion!

Which is the way these things often go, so I'm not threatening discipline for things being off-topic, just suggesting it might be polite to convene another thread. I'll do it if no-one else does, but I'll wait a day or so to see what happens.