Male activists want 'say' in unplanned pregnancy

[SpursWoman]

For years women have used regnancy to trap, guess the free ride's over.

And btw ... a woman can't trap a man who protects himself, regardless of whatever method she says she does or doesn't use.

[Spurminator]

Not an easy topic. I don't think the father has any more right to prevent a woman from aborting an unwanted child than the government does, but that's another discussion.

That said, I think there is a legitimate case to be made regarding a man's requirement to pay child support for an unwanted child. While it's true that in life you should accept the consequences for your actions, the degree of those consequences (in this case) is determined by the mother because it is her choice whether she'll keep the child or not.

Either system is ripe for abuse. If you allow men to exempt themselves from responsibility, many will choose to do so and leave the woman forced to choose between abortion, adoption or raising a child she may not be able to afford on her own. Also, the man has less reason to practice safe sex. So this definitely puts a lot more responsibility on women, but maybe that comes along with the right of Choice.

[Peter]

I think if you allow men the option of disowning the kid in order to end a child support liability that the abortion rate will increase...

[SpursWoman]

I think if you allow men the option of disowning the kid in order to end a child support liability that the abortion rate will increase...

I'm inclined to agree....and regardless of their stance, I don't think that's what anyone would like to see.

[Spurminator]

Most definitely.

[easjer]

SW - Well, what you said about protecting himself is partially true. I know of women (via the knot and the nest) who had 'oops' pregnancies because they deliberately tampered with the condoms that their 'mean' husbands insisted on using because said husbands were not ready for kids. I know of this for certain with one woman in Texas, whose story makes me too angry and irate to relate it.

But it's not entirely the same situation, so . . .

Anyhow, I do think the states are more likely to carry a heavier burden if this law were to pass, unless you were to mandate adoptions in the cases of mothers who couldn't support a child on their own. I know for myself that an unplanned pregnancy, married or not (and married men are not exempt from this argument), I could not bring myself to go through a pregnancy and delivery and give away my child. An abortion is not an option for me. If my situation were dire enough, the state would have to step in.

Which is why I do not think a law will ever pass to allow this to help, and in terms of lawsuits, it will continually be thrown out over legal interpretations and technicalities until a law is passed.

Again, men can always choose to sever their parental rights. . .

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

There are too many deadbeat fathers out there already for something like this to get passed into law. Let's go ahead and quadruple the burden on welfare.

[Phenomanul]

In the many, many abortion threads that have come and gone, those that oppose always come out with the inevitable "don't around if you can't accept the consequences."

So this should only apply to women?


What this basically says that a man can around just like he always does, only now if a child results that he doesn't want, he can just walk away. Nice.

No, it does apply to men.... it goes both ways.

[Extra Stout]

This is BS. Men, keep your in your pants. Nobody has the right to consequence-free sex. The moment you penetrate, you're accepting the responsibilities of fatherhood.

[MannyIsGod]

This is BS. Men, keep your in your pants. Nobody has the right to consequence-free sex. The moment you penetrate, you're accepting the responsibilities of fatherhood.

See, this is bull .

Honestly, if you guys want to debate morality you can sit here and go back and forth and never come to a consensus.

But what I want is legal objectivity and equality. Right now the system is entirely in a woman's favor. You see, a woman does have the right to consequence free sex. The man should have that very same right.

[pache100]

What about the male that doesn't get a say when the woman wants an abortion, is that fair?

No one ever said life was "fair". Anyone who thinks that is naive. When a man is able to conceive a child (under any cir stances, even the most adverse as well as the most pleasant or "fun"), carry that child to term (under whatever cir stances prevail, financial, emotional, physical, etc.) and deliver that child (by whatever medical means necessary), THEN AND ONLY THEN, will they have a right to say what should or should not happen to the body that carries the child. Until then...no. And I don't give a damn if it's fair or not.

[pache100]

And btw ... a woman can't trap a man who protects himself, regardless of whatever method she says she does or doesn't use.

[MannyIsGod]

No one ever said life was "fair". Anyone who thinks that is naive. When a man is able to conceive a child (under any cir stances, even the most adverse as well as the most pleasant or "fun"), carry that child to term (under whatever cir stances prevail, financial, emotional, physical, etc.) and deliver that child (by whatever medical means necessary), THEN AND ONLY THEN, will they have a right to say what should or should not happen to the body that carries the child. Until then...no. And I don't give a damn if it's fair or not.

I hope next time Women want equal pay and equal rights where men have the edge you're there to give them a speach about how life isn't fair.

Life may not be fair, "unfortunetly" our legal system is supposed to be.

[pache100]

I hope next time Women want equal pay and equal rights where men have the edge you're there to give them a speach about how life isn't fair.

Life may not be fair, "unfortunetly" our legal system is supposed to be.

Missing the point once again. There is NO WAY a man can conceive, carry to term, and give birth to a child. Women produce equal work to men all the time. I do it every day, and so do millions of other women. That was my point.

Come back when you (or any other man) can have a baby and we'll talk again.

[Triumph]

it should be both or neither.

[ObiwanGinobili]

See, this is bull .

Honestly, if you guys want to debate morality you can sit here and go back and forth and never come to a consensus.

But what I want is legal objectivity and equality. Right now the system is entirely in a woman's favor. You see, a woman does have the right to consequence free sex. The man should have that very same right.

I tend to think of abortion as a consequence of sex. It;s not a walk in the park.

[pache100]

I tend to think of abortion as a consequence of sex. It;s not a walk in the park.

No, it isn't. And I don't know ANYONE who has ever done it because they wanted to. It's a decision NO ONE in their right mind takes lightly. But, it is a moral decision about a medical procedure. And no one has a right to do that but the woman with the medical problem.

I think people have the wrong idea about pro-choice people in general. We are not "pro-abortion" and we are not "anti-life". I wish there never had to be another abortion. But I believe that the woman has the right to choose. Period.

[SpursWoman]

The fact that only women can have children in and of itself makes the entire situation unequal and not fair to begin with.

In the work place, other than being able to piss standing up at a urinal ... what "edge" or specific knowledge can a man have that a woman can't?

[2Blonde]

First off, I don't think a parent can voluntarily sever his/her parental rights on a whim just to get out of child support, although I could be wrong. I believe the custodial parent has to agree to it. Otherwise, every deadbeat parent out there would just sever their rights in order to get out of paying child support.

Also I see see this issue a little differently. The choice I see is not between abortion, adoption & keeping the child. The way I see it is the when you find out you are pregnant you make a choice on whether to end the pregnancy or continue to term. Two options only. Abortion & Birth. If you choose birth then after that child is born it is going to be raised by either 1 or more biological parents, adoptive parents or the state. The choices of how the baby is to be raised should be made out of love for what is in the best interest for your child. Realistically I don't think these fathers will ever get to walk away with out paying their fair share for the child that is walking around with half of their genetic material, as someone put it.

[SpursWoman]

I tend to think of abortion as a consequence of sex. It;s not a walk in the park.

Give a man an unwanted pregnancy and he gets his legal easy-out and walks away otherwise unscathed.



Give a woman an unwanted pregnancy and she has 3 choices: keep it, abort it, or give it up for adoption. That's it. "Walks away otherwise unscathed" is not an option. That's not fair.

Not a single one of *her* options includes anything that does not physically and emotionally alter or cause significant change to her body. That doesn't sound like "consequence-free" to me.

[2Blonde]

Not a single one of *her* options includes anything that does not physically and emotionally alter or cause significant change to her body. That doesn't sound like "consequence-free" to me.

Well men & women are so different anyway. Men seem so simple and straight forward while we women are are so complicated. Even our bodies are that way. Men have their sexual organs on the outside for the world to see ( kind of a "hey look at me !!!"), while women's are more hidden, discreet and much more complex.

[ObiwanGinobili]

Give a man an unwanted pregnancy and he gets his legal easy-out and walks away otherwise unscathed.



Give a woman an unwanted pregnancy and she has 3 choices: keep it, abort it, or give it up for adoption. That's it. "Walks away otherwise unscathed" is not an option. That's not fair.

Not a single one of *her* options includes anything that does not physically and emotionally alter or cause significant change to her body. That doesn't sound like "consequence-free" to me.

thank you.
you said it much better than me.

[midgetonadonkey]

To avoid all the bull , I'm getting a vasectomy.

[2Blonde]

To avoid all the bull , I'm getting a vasectomy.

You're a smart man.

[SpursWoman]

To avoid all the bull , I'm getting a vasectomy.

Seriously ... men do have the same & equal rights as women. They have the right to keep their in their pants just as a woman has a right to keep her legs closed. Proceed at your own risk.