The American Abortion War

The American Abortion War

7.81
12345678910
Ratings: 7.81/10 from 42 users.

The Abortion WarIt has become one of the most vicious, important and divisive battlegrounds in the 2012 US presidential election. Since it was legalised in 1973, the issue of abortion has polarized the US, but now the battle has been taken to a new level.

Last year, an unprecedented number of laws have been passed across the US, all aimed at restricting abortion or reproductive rights.

But the fight goes far beyond the medical procedure, with Republican politicians even attacking the Obama administration for making contraception more readily available.

The US has seen more anti-abortion violence than any other country in the world. Since 1993, at least eight abortion providers, including four doctors have been killed. And there have been over 200 arsons and bombings against reproductive healthcare clinics since 1977.

Fault Lines investigates the forces behind the so-called war on women in the US. Why is a medical procedure being reframed as a deeply divisive moral issue in the US?

More great documentaries

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

717 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Unindoctrinated
Unindoctrinated
4 years ago

"God is Pro-life"? Wow! Whoever wrote that has clearly never read their Bible.

Let's see what the Bible says on the subject...

A pregnant woman who is injured and aborts the fetus warrants financial compensation only (to her husband), suggesting that the fetus is property, not a person (Exodus 21:22-25).

God enumerated his punishments for disobedience, including "cursed shall be the fruit of your womb" and "you will eat the fruit of your womb," directly contradicting sanctity-of-life claims (Deuteronomy 28:18,53).

For worshipping idols, God declared that not one of his people would live, not a man, woman or child (not even babies in arms), again confuting assertions about the sanctity of life (Jeremiah 44:7-8).

God will punish the Israelites by destroying their unborn children, who will die at birth, or perish in the womb, or never even be conceived (Hosea 9:10-16).

For rebelling against God, Samaria's people will be killed, their babies will be dashed to death against the ground, and their pregnant women will be ripped open with a sword (Hosea 13:16).

Jesus did not express any special concern for unborn children during the anticipated end times: "Woe to pregnant women and those who are nursing" (Matthew 24:19).

Non-Catholic Christianity didn't give a damn about abortion until American evangelists decided they wanted to influence politics so they decided on using abortion as a polarising issue and their followers swallowed their propaganda hook, line and sinker.

1LTLos
1LTLos
4 years ago

Now Robertallen1 I take it you are male by that moniker. The Judge and Jurist Blackstone one ups your sick calculation.
“A poorly written law is no law at all.”
“ If a law is wrong for one man it is wrong for all.”

1LT Los
1LT Los
4 years ago

I am a visual artist and specialize in painting the human figure. In University an entry prerequisite was “Anatomy for Artists” During the term art students would meet in the same forum as did pre- med students and the human cadaver would be discussed described, progressively dissected and we would draw sketch and memorized muscle bones and sinews. Aborting a fetus is the dissection of a living human. So dont skirt the issue- you are knocked up due to whatever circumstance but the life in your gut is your responsibility to protect. Funny the term responsibility, this generation doesn't want any of that. Dont try to tell me 100% of pregnancies ofcur in some crisis situation? BS!!

liz
liz
4 years ago

who the f*ck are these people to compare the systematic killing of adult and children human being to a developing fetus in a womb? My god they are delusional to a insane degree. this isnt funny anymore.

Zan
Zan
6 years ago

Extremely biased "documentary". Cherry-picked one religious group and then gave tons of time to one person claiming every crisis pregnancy centre gave wrong or biased info. Ignored all the bad stuff from abortion clinics including the "language is everything". They do not say they are killing an unborn child, but use language like remove the pregnancy, etc. Would be nice to see both sides represented without any bias.

Samantha
Samantha
10 years ago

I cannot believe how closed minded people are. If a woman wishes to keep her uterus empty then she will. It's her decision! It's her body! and if those christians think that abortion is the most terrible thing to do and women should not have one - tell that to victims of trauma, rape or incest who choose not to bring a baby into this world.
As for the men in this documentary who comment that they hate abortion so much and that they want all the clinics to shut down. THAT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT! No uterus, No opinion. You cannot judge a woman for wanting an abortion when you do not even know what she is doing.. what if she is sexually/physically abused by her partner? what if her contraception failed? What if she makes $100 a week and cant afford to support herself let alone a child? What if she finds out that her child will be severely disabled and will suffer everyday of its life? THATS a womans right and its her choice.
These decisions need to be made by women - not by arrogant pricks. And as for the women who hate abortion my advice is simple - spend your time doing more useful things like going to uni and getting a decent job and if you hate abortion that much then dont have one, nobody is forcing you to. Just leave the women who made that decision alone

mikeysbro
mikeysbro
10 years ago

Nothing like legalised murder, up next euthanasia, then the poor and homeless. The dehumanization and final solution agenda hard at work.

Laurie Bertram Roberts
Laurie Bertram Roberts
10 years ago

I love that the girl in the beginning is naive enough to think abortion will end. That's nice.

Brandi Witman
Brandi Witman
10 years ago

Planned Parenthood never mentioned sex with animals. Propaganda much?

belgianchic
belgianchic
10 years ago

I didn't know planned parenthood supported bestiality! you learn something new every day ;)

robertallen1
robertallen1
10 years ago

Three more cheers for Judge William M. Conley of Wisconsin for his recent ruling!!! Perhaps a link should be posted to "Abortion Provider Hospital--Access Law Halted in Wisconsin.

robertallen1
robertallen1
10 years ago

Three cheers for Judge Wickham Corwin of North Dakota for his recent ruling!!! Perhaps a link should be posted to "Abortion Rule on Hospital Access Blocked in North Dakota."

robertallen1
robertallen1
10 years ago

Over_the_Edge and anyone else:
It might be worth your while to check out RH Reality Check and perhaps post a link to it.

Samuel Morrissey
Samuel Morrissey
10 years ago

If anyone is opposed to abortion, my advice is; not to have an abortion.

Abortion without a medical reason should be discouraged. But it is absolutely necessary that it be allowed, if only because wherever it is disallowed the practice is forced underground greatly increasing the risks to the pregnant woman.

Until the first breath, the mother's life and health are exclusively paramount. An actual life should always trump a potential. If she decides for whatever reason that she does not want to go through childbirth which in itself carries significant risks, then she should have access to professional medical care to terminate safely. She is the one who has to live with the potential moral complications after the fact, no one else has any right to interfere, in my view especially men who will never face that decision nor the psychological harm it can do.

Women are not baby machines, whether before or after conception. Until the baby is born, her body is her body, and the baby is merely an extension of that.

Annabelle
Annabelle
10 years ago

I think the way they were trying to compare the victims of abortion to the victims of the holocaust was through both of the instances having been done silently and without consideration of the victims human rights. With the utmost respect to the victims of the holocaust, indeed one of my ancestors, there has been an approximate of 50 million lives lost to abortion, more than the number of those during that awful period. May those whose lives were deemed worthless by some now rest in peace in the arms of God.

Amanda Patnaude
Amanda Patnaude
10 years ago

How the hell are these people comparing abortions to the holocaust?! The Jews that died in the holocaust were starved for hours and incinerated, and gassed! They had memories, they had their first breath! Disgusting, this is not the fifties! Besides I'm sure that these people would not take care of these would be aborted kids- financially or emotionally after they were born.

Hux Leary McShulgin
Hux Leary McShulgin
10 years ago

So sick of people trying to police the human body. If I want to dump drugs into my body, sell it on the corner, get an abortion and end my life with a shot of cyanide, I will do so. You can't legislate morality. Prisons are for violent criminals, not people whose lifestyle we disagree with.

Hux Leary McShulgin
Hux Leary McShulgin
10 years ago

Glad to see some reasonable comments on this film (unlike so many others here). Extremism comes in many forms; violent anti-abortionists are terrorists, plain and simple.

Take your perceived piety elsewhere, psychos.

SP676
SP676
10 years ago

Wow, that film wasn't biased at all...

Ivan Raylyan
Ivan Raylyan
10 years ago

Less homo-animalis will be much better for our planet. For Nature, it is better less but of higher quality

Spitfire Sabel
Spitfire Sabel
11 years ago

WE ARE NOT A THEOCRACY-isn't it funny that most-if not all-pro-lifers are male,white,rich,and CHRISTIAN?!Well,I am a Yid,and pro-choice.and how DARE they conpare abortion to the Holocast?!!!I like to call the religious WRONG "the American Taliban"

Sally Horwill
Sally Horwill
11 years ago

Plus I'm sure a lot of the pro-life states also still have the death penalty.

Sally Horwill
Sally Horwill
11 years ago

In my head it all stems from this: Kids are really expensive to raise.
And a child born to a family/woman who cannot cope is more likely to have an awful upbringing and become a dysfunctional adult. (Of course there are exceptions to that statement.)
But the proof is in history.
Abortion used to be illegal and women still felt like it was their only option. Uncountable women have died through back-street abortions, and people wanna cause that again?!
It's madness!
Pro-life is so short sighted to me. Do they want orphanages filled to the brim, work houses, homeless children roaming the streets?
Every person is in an individual position, with an individual history and individual circumstances. Personally I'm against REPEAT abortions. I'm talking 3-5 times just because at the time they couldn't be bothered to take precautions.
But society has never been kind to women; now we are expected to be educated, have a career and run a functional family and social life, talk about pressure!
We as women are at war with our own bodies to fit into society. We are ridiculed for our natural cycles, told we must be feminine but not because it will make males uncomfortable. We even get blamed for being a distraction if we are too attractive in the work place (this actually happened and a woman lost her job).

I've never had an abortion but I've had plenty of pregnancy scares, the first being when I was 17 and it's awful. To know that the option is there is something that has crossed my mind but is not a choice that I have ever thought about lightly.

I'm definitely pro-choice but along the guidelines that it should NEVER be treated as a mundane thing.

Amanda R
Amanda R
11 years ago

Who are these men to say a woman cannot terminate a pregnancy? They are horrible people. The man rarely has much to do with an unwanted pregnancy anyway so what the eff do they know?

P.s God does not exist. There is no deity. Stop using that as an excuse you cowards.

Sy2502
Sy2502
11 years ago

In this country there are many laws about what use can be done of a person's body. We can't strap people down against their will and take their blood, even to save someone who's bleeding to death, even if the other person caused the injury. We can't harvest organs from people against their will, not even to save a life. In fact, we can't even harvest organs from a dead body to save lives, unless previous consent, or consent of the family is given. In fact, we can't even take money from somebody without their consent even to feed a starving child. But apparently some people think it is perfectly admissible to force a woman to supply her body for a pregnancy even if she doesn't want to do so. In other words, they want women to have less rights to their bodies than a cadaver. Think about it folks, then you'll understand why it's called "war on women".

lyle
lyle
11 years ago

I should have my right to do whatever I like with my body, including killing myself with a gun in public. The law should not intervene. My body comes not from my parents, nor from the law makers. It has existed independently and I alone has the right over it. As a matter of fact, I know how to have sex without any memory or knowledge of sexual intercourse. No food products or TV programme has ever given any input of knowledge of sex. I NATURALLY am addicted to sex and when I am pregnant, the 'no sex' promotion alone is definitely a con because I continue to live in a perfect world and sex addiction is a NATURAL thing.
When I decide that some graphical images are not of my taste, though I can tolerate those that stimulate my NATURAL sexual and individualistic urge, I demand that they should be rated as inappropriate and they should be banned.

jayde342000
jayde342000
11 years ago

This is a personal decision. The law makers of the land have no concern once the child is born, over the well being of the child, are they going to support the child? menatally physically spiritually? do 12 year old girls really need to be mommies? They're too many children in the united states today that parents just don't give a damn, they don't raise productive members of society, they raise leeches, they leech off welfare, then in turn their children leech.. many are severly abused with no mental help, monetary, or spiritually. If you don't want the child why be forced to keep it? Everyone makes mistakes. The child should not be punished for this...The don't have sex thing in schools is not working...in the paper the other day a 11 year old girl whom had sex with a 28 year old man parents forced her to have the baby. Really? that''s the answer???!!! I think not..

Chloe Abagi
Chloe Abagi
11 years ago

It's not a religious right its a human right to protect life....the right ends ( no matter who you are) when you are choosing whether to kill or not. If you saw someone seriously hurting a child on the street would you not help, or would you put your head down and keep walking?

The sad thing is a lot of these people are talking about THEIR rights, how it is going to affect THEIR lifestyle, how it is going to get in the way of THEIR schooling or THEIR work...every person has a right to live including the child they are referring too.I wish they would be willing to put themselves in the position of the child.

And the idea that women are dying from "back alley abortions" so the "logical" conclusion is to provide more clinics?? So people are dying trying to get their hands on drugs, is the logical conclusion to make drugs more available?

Erin Edlow
Erin Edlow
11 years ago

anti-abortion legislation is aimed at punishing women for being sexually active. Women aren't supposed to enjoy sex and should want to have sex when they want to have children...only men are allowed to to have recreational sex. Economics plays a huge role in our daily lives so a woman's economic health should be as good enough reason to terminate her pregnancy

prakash-mumbai
prakash-mumbai
11 years ago

The European variety of Catholicism has been historically cruel and heartless having no regard for human life of which they tom tom so much. It is anti women as can be seen from the number of women burnt on haystacks. Since they can no longer consign women to fire, they use denial of abortion as a weapon to hit back at women. And who decides about abortion? The celibate male priests-not nuns who have no say in the running and controlling of church affairs. The inquisition in the Middle Age sent several thousands of human beings to dungeons and death simply because they refused to accept the arbitrary interpretation of Bible’s teachings by Pop and the Catholic Church who had only material motives to do so. The cruel treatment of natives of South America is another such testimony to the "kindness"? of European Catholics. In India, the cruelty with which Catholic Vasco de Gama dealt with King Zamorin and people of today's Kerala could compare with the atrocities committed by Genziskhan. We Indians are sheathing with anger because of the murder of one of India's daughter-Savita. My appeal to all Indians is to boycott Ireland in every respect. EU should throw out Ireland from its community. No wonder The English could not civilize this barbaric nation during their long rule over it. Allowing a woman in prime of her life to be killed can not be sovereign prerogative of any nation. Theirs is a crime against humanity n therefore to be tried by international community.

GiannaFox
GiannaFox
11 years ago

It's funny how the Catholics go up in arms about abortions and moral-related issues when their church is widely known for the most cruel and cold-hearted of mass murders and slaughters. Starting with the crucades and to this day. Morals? They have NONE, so, they should be the first ones to shut the fck up.

zsuzsanna.szigeti
zsuzsanna.szigeti
11 years ago

What do you need more people for? The world is already overcrowded. Don't keep the ones that are not contributing to society and you won't need abortions. The Spartans knew how to do it.

Emma Chaplen
Emma Chaplen
11 years ago

In the hierachy of sin, I wonder whether having an abortion is worse than mudering a doctor....

Jaleesa
Jaleesa
11 years ago

people need to mind their business...its that simple...every circumstance is different ..you cant force anyone to do anything..I believe in Christ, & wish other Christians would see that...Christ never forced anyone into anything. they think rallying around and being anti abortion will change people..NO...it repels people because you dont know how it is to walk in their shoes...what a sad world we live in.

robertallen1
robertallen1
11 years ago

Dewflirt and Lorna Kennedy

I learned that an abortion clinic will be opening in Belfast. While it is more limited that I would like, I believe this is a step in the right direction.

Your thoughts?

prakash-mumbai
prakash-mumbai
11 years ago

I have qualified use of word morality. According to me, the question of morality comes only in case of any abortion following a pregnancy as an outcome of an extra marital affair. Why expect the state-society to pay for someone's indulgence? I am sure that people to a greater degree will exercise sense of responsibility when there is no more free lunch. To make my position clear I am not against abortion per se.

prakash-mumbai
prakash-mumbai
11 years ago

One way to reinstate morality (where applicable n how one looks at) n reinstill sense of responsibly is to stop state funding of abortion. any thing free leads to abuse.

yahoo user
yahoo user
11 years ago

when a guy doesnt like paying support he is told.. thats the consequence of you actions.. what is the womans consequesne of spreading her legs... she gets pregnant.. does she have to face her consequences...NO she can get an abortion... kinda wierd how a woman can avoid the consequences of her actions but a man is supposed to suffer for his..
if you have sex the consequence is pregnancy

yahoo user
yahoo user
11 years ago

i think guys should have an option if the woman is pregnant that if he does not want the child and she will not have an abortion then he should not be obligated for 18 years to pay... what if the guy wants the kid and the woman wants an abortion.

Allan Young
Allan Young
11 years ago

It's shyte like this that makes me glad I live in Canada.

dewflirt
dewflirt
11 years ago

I've noticed that most pro choicers feel the need to justify or apologise for their views. Nothing wrong with explaining our reasons but should we pander to the feelings of the pro lifers, as if women should be very sorry for their mistake and humbly ask forgiveness and understanding for their choice to terminate a pregnancy. That behaviour promotes the idea that the lifers somehow have the moral high ground when all they actually have is a high horse. Probably a gray named sanctimony! Nobody is any better or worse than anyone else and nobody is perfect. It's also pretty insulting to women that undergo the procedure, it assumes that they have done something naughty, or are too stupid to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. It is a difficult decision, and one often made in unhappy circumstances. That does not mean that they are unhappy with their choice, nor does not mean that they will wallow in self pity and it absolutely does not give anyone the right to judge or pity them.

Fewer than 1300 abortions in the UK (2011) were carried out on girls 16 and under, most were women over 21. Grown ups. Adults making informed and practical decisions, they know what they're doing and why they're doing it.

lakhotason
lakhotason
11 years ago

You know, I'm a guy. Think I'll step out of this discussion.

GoldenLady
GoldenLady
11 years ago

I appreciate this. I realize that the course I follow is against the grain. But I am by far not the only one. Nor is what I'm stating regarding my feelings wrong b/c it is different. We are still talking about CHOICE.

GoldenLady
GoldenLady
11 years ago

No. I did not always stay away from sex, nor do I now. I'm just very careful.

GoldenLady
GoldenLady
11 years ago

It's not. You won't die w/o it. You will w/o food, water, air, or shelter.

GoldenLady
GoldenLady
11 years ago

Control over your body begins with NOT becoming pregnant in the first place, if you do not wish to have children. I'm disgusted by the number of women who act as if they have no control over getting pregnant. Pregnancy is a result of sex. I abstained for 22 years b/c I did not want to become pregnant. After I became sexually active, I would at times use two methods of contraceptives b/c I AM in control of my body, as every woman is. Before choosing an abortion, you've already made a choice-to become pregnant (excluding the obvious i.e. rape).

Common_J
Common_J
11 years ago

robert? you never did explain to me how you thought i claimed woman were criminals for having an abortion

Papilo_Ulysses_Ulysses
Papilo_Ulysses_Ulysses
11 years ago

Well call me criminal lol because Ive had 3 abortions but I've also had 3 children. I was never promiscuious, I was on the pill and I was married to the father of all of my pregnancies but we both decided that we could not have those 3 foetuses who came along accidentally. I had gotten pregnant because the pill messed my hormones up and did alsorts of awful things to my body, I had the IUD put in and ended up with a savage infection. I even tried the deproverra needle, which, in the end made me bleed for 6 months solid and is the cause of my poly cystic ovaries today.

After my 3rd abortion and seeing 3 psychologists the doc FINALLY agreed to clip my tubes. I did not want and could not deal with having more children. I was suffering as it was with severe post natal depression in its worst form, I was also not healthy. I was not able to work because I was looking after 3 children who were all under 5 at one stage and so if we continued those 3 pregnancies we would of been raising them on the 1 measly wage that my husband was earning, with no financial help from any of any anti abortion people. I was actually working for a time but it was meager pay and by the time I finished paying day care for looking after the kids I had a whole $50.00 left. It defeated the purpose of me going to work and I was tired and run down and could not cope with the kids when they came home and they were running amok. Imagine 6 of the little beggers!

If I went through with those pregnancies I would have 6 kids and I would still be messed up from postnatal depression (it takes years for womens bodies to recover fully after just 1 child birth), the 3 children I do have would have been neglected materialistically and financially not to mention missing out on vital attention from myself and their father which would produce more of those kids who may have turn to drugs and crime to get what every other kid has etc etc. Lets not forget that I knew I was not going to be able to handle a growing football team, I am not that kind of person!! I like kids but not that much!

Who would of been suffering the most if I went through with those pregancies? We all would of suffered in more ways than most poeple would like to consider. I am now back at work, I have 3 stable healthy grown up children, I have my mental health back and Im still with my husband and we actually have a life that does not revolve around children and are looking forward to our first grandchild. Not to mention Im still young enough to enjoy the rest of my life and enjoy the grandies.

I dont care what anyone says, not one "pro lifer" was going to dig deep and help me financially nor were they going to help me by giving me free child care because I needed a break from the kids because I wasnt coping and couldnt afford to pay for someone to look after them!

We have never regretted OUR CHOICE and have never looked back. I think "pro lifers" need to get their sentimental heads out of their butts and get a reality check, maybe walk a day in someone elses shoes, someone with 6 kids preferably!!!!! Most every one has the ablity to have a child but some of us are not very maternal or some people are very bad parents.

Common_J
Common_J
11 years ago

Pro-choice! everyone is arguing male involvement? When the issues is government and if they should eliminate the choice to have an abortion.
some one who thinks that men shouldn't talk about this issue, is pretty much saying " hey husband im pregnant but you shouldn't tell me how you feel or even talk about it" or brother or dad etc

Dean Edgington
Dean Edgington
11 years ago

The state has no right to force woman into having children. Conservatives are always complaining that the state is too big and too invasive in the private lives of individuals except when it comes to the issue of abortion. They can’t have it both ways.