Sonia Sotomayor's Mixed Record on Abortion Rights

Dear John

I find it ironic that a man who will never actually carry a child will stand up for a woman's right to terminate the beating heart of her unborn.

I was pro-choice before my first pregnancy. Then I felt the baby move, very much alive, in my womb. It is a strange and wonderful feeling to be inhabited by another human being. I might suggest after your first pregnancy, you may change your mind as well. :)

Judge Sotomayor's nomination

In addition to Bonnie Erb's warning re: the Sotomayor "stealth" nomination to the US Supreme Court & whether she will uphold "stare decisis" on Roe v. Wade, we must remain mindful of her "stealth" nomination to counteract the most important right in a democracy -- strict separation of religion from governance, as the First Amendment's establishment clause mandates. President Obama already has ignored the wisdom of Madison, Jefferson & a majority of the other Founding Fathers, & of JFK in his brilliant portrayal of freedom of conscience before the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, September 12, 1960. What else is Obama's "faith-forced" initiative if not contempt for the separation of church & state, equalling if not exceeding that of George W. Bush? Having a Catholicism-endowed Supreme Court majority may be taboo to critical analysis but needs to be confronted directly, especially when our right to freedom of conscience & women's right to Roe v. Wade protections, continue to be threatened by religious fanatics, including Pope Benedict, with his unreason & distortions. When religion ruled the world, it was "the Dark Ages" of world-wide, autocratic Catholicism.

Christine dear...

Even though you are pro-life, does not mean everyone thinks the way you do. It goes both ways sweetheart.

Maybe you are right and it would be better for the government to take control over women's bodies and force them to give birth in the event of an accidental, unplanned or unwanted pregnancies including pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. That way, when we get a war-mongering president like Bush, we can simply ship them off to fight over some oil as young adults and terminate their lives then as he did.

It assuring to know we finally have a president who is working hard to restore the good of humanity in this world, correcting some of the chaos, destruction and corruption that the Bush administration caused.

Bonnie dear...

Even though you are pro-choice, it does not mean everyone, not even the majority, thinks the way you do.

I am a woman born of an unplanned pregnancy in 1972. Months later in 1973 abortion became legal. It is not lost on me that I, or my three daughters, would not be here if the court ruling had come sooner. I in fact have a very "progressive" father who disagrees with many of my political positions. I am quite sure, if given the correct circumstances, he would have forced my mother to abort me.

Recently a poll indicated that 52% of Americans now call themselves pro-life. With technology being what it is today, a 10 week old fetus showing movement, heartbeat, arms, legs, face, and fingers in a 3D ultrasound, it does not surprise me. It's hard to deny when you look in the face of an unborn child. That is why pro-choicers don't want women to see the ultrasound. Even they can see the truth.

In 1973 routine ultrasounds were unheard of. We simply didn't know, the womb remained a mystery. If you read the wording of the Roe v Wade ruling you'll find the justices could not determine when life began, and were therefore forced to choose based on current medical knowledge.

Today we know differently. At as young as 6 weeks gestation there is a perceivable heartbeat. At as young as 9 weeks there is perceivable movement which would require brain activity. How do we define life outside the womb? A beating heart and brain activity, if you have both, even if you are on a respirator, you are considered a human life protected by the constitution.

Still these feminists cling to this gruesome "right" ignoring the rights of the son or daughter they are carrying.

As for Sotomayer, let her be confirmed. We could use a few Obama appointees that don't have tax fraud records and campaign funding scandals.

Richard and Kali

Your logic underwhelms me. Abortion is a "strictly private decision" and killing the unborn is the same as contraception and having sex. Boy! And, I'm told our society is healthy and "progressive" - I think "sick" is a better description.

Let's be pro-active

I don't think the author supports any government forcing abortion or sterilization...the point is that Sotomayer apparently thinks that the men, at least the alleged potential father, have a standing in the outcome of a pregnancy...it looks to me that Sotomayer will be the fifth Justice needed to overturn Roe. v. Wade...I think it is time to consider what next: for legality purposes I think abortion should be viewed as on the same "side" as the right to try to get pregnant, to continue the pregnancy (no matter what the health, social, or monetary consequences), as well as the right to use or not use contraception.

I also think a network to provide sage illegal abortions must be set up soon.

Also-there is no "pro-abortion" position...there is no group of people promoting abortion as a means of birth control, or as a means to surpress another group of people-as with the latter in the case illegal abortion proponents.

Kali

Private decisions

As former Republican Presidental canidate Barry Goldwater said, abortion is strictly a private decision, keep BIG GOVERNMENT OUT OF IT !

I would easily imagine that anti-abortion protestors, and those that vote that way, could have done much more good by adopting, helping others adopt, helping teen's not have babies, etc., BUT that would be harder than ranting and raving. It would respect other people who did not agree with them, which apparently is asking a lot from the typical right winger.

This is why I left the Republican Pary many years ago, there are just too many extemists and hate-monger's like Rush Limberger, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly or Ann Ugly.

INTJ

I don't see anything in these rulings that indicate she is not pro-choice. The gag rule, from a judicial standpoint, is about speech and federal funds, not abortion. Her dissent on the Chinese immigrants only shows that she believes a woman being forced to have an abortion amounts to persecution (not an unreasonable stance for someone who believes in a "woman's right to choose"). And the question of the appropriate use of police force against protesters is only tangentially tied to the abortion issue, at best. These are straw men to make pro-life supporters think she is not as far left as she seems from her other words and deeds.

Big error, first sentence

Reagan did not appoint Souter. Fact check, please.

bob.bob, I believe you mean "It doesn't matter if the government forces the abortion on a woman or **force(s continuation of) ** the pregnancy on a wom(a)n."

The woman is pregnant before an abortion. The government is regulating the ending of the pregnancy, an intentional intervention utilizing technology and licensed professionals.

We'll just assume here

that Obama did not privately ask Judge Sotomayor where she is on this and get an answer congruent with his own position.

Go buy the Brooklyn Bridge. It's always for sale by someone, you know.