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 Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:23 pm
The Pregnant Women Support Act
August 1, 2007
Contact your Representative in support of the Pregnant Women Support Act.
Greetings!
The Pregnant Women Support Act (PWSA) [H.R.3192.IH]
has been re-introduced in the U.S. House by Representative Lincoln
Davis (D-TN). As of now it has 35 bi-partisan co-sponsors and we are
hoping that this number grows as more and more people learn about this
bill. DFLA is asking you to contact your representative to urge them
to co-sponsor and support the PWSA, a bill that provides incentives
for pregnant mothers to carry their unborn babies until term and for
families to adopt children. The PWSA should decrease the number of
abortions in America both in the short term and in the long term.
There are several major components of the PWSA. It:
* Seeks to provide information and resources to pregnant women
about carrying unborn children to term.
* Gathers information about abortions, with the goal of
understanding why women choose abortion and then developing measures
to eliminate those factors.
* Extends eligibility of healthcare through the State Children's
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to pregnant women and unborn children.
* Makes it easier for pregnant women to obtain health insurance
coverage and protects pregnant women from being denied health coverage
due to preexisting conditions.
* Provides accurate scientific information about Downs Syndrome
and birth defects and networks networks of support for mothers whose
unborn children test positive for Downs Syndrome and birth defects.
* Provides services and increased funding for pregnant women who
are subject to violence who want to carry their child to term.
* Develops public awareness campaign to alert pregnant women and
new parents of the resources available to them.
* Creates grants for public colleges and universities to assist
pregnant students who intend to carry their pregnancies to term to
help them continue their studies and graduate.
* Provides support to new parents, including healthcare, nutritional
information, and parental counseling.
Sincerely,
Democrats for Life of America
================================================
Discussion?
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:21 pm
I'm all for decreasing abortion by making it less necessary. I think it's terrible when a woman chooses abortion because they feel it is their only choice, therefore I am for giving pregnant woman the support they would need if carrying to term is what they want.
I'm not really convinced that this is what this bill is all about though.
* Seeks to provide information and resources to pregnant women
about carrying unborn children to term.
Exactly what kind of information are we talking about here? Providing women medically accurate information about pregnancy sounds fine to me, but this is a little vague.
* Gathers information about abortions, with the goal of
understanding why women choose abortion and then developing measures
to eliminate those factors.
Again, what kind of information are we talking about here? If it is medically accurate information about abortion and not guilt trips, emotional language, or propaganda then I think it's fine. Women should make their choice based on what they want, not because of fear caused by propaganda.
* Extends eligibility of healthcare through the State Children's
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to pregnant women and unborn children.
Now this is something I really agree with. This is moving in the right direction. I would hate for any woman to feel that she had to have an abortion because she couldn't afford medical care during her pregnancy.
* Makes it easier for pregnant women to obtain health insurance
coverage and protects pregnant women from being denied health coverage
due to preexisting conditions.
If they mean they will protect women from being denied health coverage purely because they are pregnant, then I'm all for it.
* Provides accurate scientific information about Downs Syndrome
and birth defects and networks networks of support for mothers whose
unborn children test positive for Downs Syndrome and birth defects.
If it's just medically accurate information and not an attempt to guilt women into continuing pregnancy then I think this is alright. I do worry that it might be done in a way that would make women who choose to abort because of downs syndrome out to be monsters. Not everyone is cut out to parent a special needs child, and our adoption system is already flooded with special needs children that no one will take.
* Provides services and increased funding for pregnant women who
are subject to violence who want to carry their child to term.
This is another step in the right direction, although I hope that they are also planning on increasing funding to care for born children who's mothers are being abused and women without children who are being abused. Domestic violence prevention and care needs more funding in general.
* Develops public awareness campaign to alert pregnant women and
new parents of the resources available to them.
I don't see anything wrong with that.
* Creates grants for public colleges and universities to assist
pregnant students who intend to carry their pregnancies to term to
help them continue their studies and graduate.
Another good idea.
* Provides support to new parents, including healthcare, nutritional
information, and parental counseling.
Also a good idea.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:46 pm
Pregnancy needs to stop being treated as a disease. There need to be more laws to HELP pregnant women go through pregnancy, and the stupid social crap about pregnant women being whores or whatever needs to be destroyed.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:18 am
I honostly cant see propaganda being used in any of that. Gatherign information about carrying to term would most likley include possible risks, possible financial problems, as well as information what what to do with a pregnancy. Most women who beocme pregnant seek the advice of a doctor, women who have already had children, and specialists though. This part of the bill would probably just make it mandatory for that information to be given to a pregnant woman.
Again, I dont see propaganda form this bill about gatheirng information for why women abort. Most of us already do know. Most women abort not because they want to, but because they feel their's no other choice. This part of the bill would most likley have research put into what "choices" they are being given, and then form ways to creates paths so they dont have to listen to those choices, and instead have other ways.
Umm, no. I doubt that. Most women who have down syndrome babies are unaware of it untill the later months of pregnancy. In all honostly, down syndrome really cant be detected untill you can get a good read on brain waves, the stronger ones of which do not start untill the later months. This part of the bill would just most likely push for information to be given about downsyndrome, and what a woman needs to prepare for and do should she carrey to term.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:32 pm
Tiger of the Fire I honostly cant see propaganda being used in any of that. Gatherign information about carrying to term would most likley include possible risks, possible financial problems, as well as information what what to do with a pregnancy. Most women who beocme pregnant seek the advice of a doctor, women who have already had children, and specialists though. This part of the bill would probably just make it mandatory for that information to be given to a pregnant woman. Again, I dont see propaganda form this bill about gatheirng information for why women abort. Most of us already do know. Most women abort not because they want to, but because they feel their's no other choice. This part of the bill would most likley have research put into what "choices" they are being given, and then form ways to creates paths so they dont have to listen to those choices, and instead have other ways. Umm, no. I doubt that. Most women who have down syndrome babies are unaware of it untill the later months of pregnancy. In all honostly, down syndrome really cant be detected untill you can get a good read on brain waves, the stronger ones of which do not start untill the later months. This part of the bill would just most likely push for information to be given about downsyndrome, and what a woman needs to prepare for and do should she carrey to term. Maybe I'm just more cynical than you are, but I see a lot of opportunity to manipulate women by presenting information in a specific light. I am particularly worried about women carrying fetuses with downs syndrome being put through a guilt trip for considering abortion. I've seen it happen online in another forum. A woman had been talking about her pregnancy online for some time, and then discovered the fetus had downs syndrome. She considered the people on the forum her friends, so she opened up to them about considering abortion because she felt that she just couldn't handle giving birth to a child with such a disability. She was absolutely ripped apart by people online. They told her that she was a horrible person for even considering abortion and that she obvious hated all disabled people and was in favor of euthanasia for the disabled. The last thing a woman facing that situation needs is a guilt trip from people who have never been in her shoes.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:20 am
But how is a Downs child any less important or alive than a non-Downs child?
It seems like pretty cruel logic to destroy a far-along child simply for a disability. And it is not like having a child, or being a child with a disability would be easy. However, at the same time, it is still a human being.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:22 am
divineseraph But how is a Downs child any less important or alive than a non-Downs child? It seems like pretty cruel logic to destroy a far-along child simply for a disability. And it is not like having a child, or being a child with a disability would be easy. However, at the same time, it is still a human being. That is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about. Thank you for proving my point. While there is nothing wrong with you posing that kind of question here, I think it would be incredibly cruel to say something like that to a woman who is considering abortion because she has found out that her child would be born with downs syndrome. Personally, I love people with downs syndrome. I enjoy being around them. When I was younger I volunteered for a group that raised money for people with downs syndrome and did lots of community activities with them. It was a wonderful experience. A woman considering abortion because of downs syndrome has nothing to do with the worth of people with downs syndrome. Caring for a child with a disability is incredibly difficult, and if you have never experienced it personally you have absolutely no right to judge people facing that reality. Raising a child with a disability puts a huge emotional and financial strain on a family. While I greatly admire the families that do that (especially those who choose to adopt disabled children) I know that not everyone is capable of it. Not everyone is financially or emotionally able to handle that kind of strain. Of course there is the option of giving birth and putting the child up for adoption, but have you taken a look at any of the adoption sites recently? They are packed with disabled children. Very few people are willing to adopt children with disabilities. Disabled children are very likely to end up going from foster to home to foster home and then eventually into an adult care facility. Can you imagine the kind of guilt a family would face knowing that they gave their child up to live out their life in foster care? Can you imagine the cruel things people would say to them if they find out? I just think it's cruel and wrong to put women through a guilt trip when they are facing that kind of terrible situation. Not everyone is able to care for disabled children.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:40 am
No offence Aiko, but it honostly sounds like you're just being paranoid. This is a political bill. With how the government is run right now, the bill will have to be explained more indepth, and if there is some thing that sounds like a guilt trip, it will be either thrown out, or forced to revise before consideration.
As for what Ser said being cruel. I'm sorry, but I honostly fail to see how thats cruel. I see it as more logical. But, then again, our sence of logic operates on two diffrent levels. ALso, and again, no offence. With what I have just said about logic, cruelty, and guilt trips. I do hope you can see the 'guilt tripping' you're trying to put on Ser through your posts.
Now, with this in mind, perhaps there hould be a further amendment to the bill. Woman who find that their children had downs should be able to recieve extra financial and medical help should they decide to carrey.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:38 am
Tiger of the Fire No offence Aiko, but it honostly sounds like you're just being paranoid. This is a political bill. With how the government is run right now, the bill will have to be explained more indepth, and if there is some thing that sounds like a guilt trip, it will be either thrown out, or forced to revise before consideration. As for what Ser said being cruel. I'm sorry, but I honostly fail to see how thats cruel. I see it as more logical. But, then again, our sence of logic operates on two diffrent levels. ALso, and again, no offence. With what I have just said about logic, cruelty, and guilt trips. I do hope you can see the 'guilt tripping' you're trying to put on Ser through your posts. Now, with this in mind, perhaps there hould be a further amendment to the bill. Woman who find that their children had downs should be able to recieve extra financial and medical help should they decide to carrey. I'm not being paranoid. I just haven't seen the specific language of the bill and that makes a whole lot of difference. I would support this bill as long as all the issues I brought up were taken care of. I have no problem with pregnant women were given more support financially and through information resources. In my area women receive a lot of support and resources, but I know that isn't true in all places. So you do not see it as cruel to accuse a woman who is facing the birth of a down syndrome child of not valuing, or even hating disabled people? I see that as pretty cruel and heartless. It shows a real lack of empathy for the woman who is facing such a difficult decision. What would be better is to include information about what kind of support is available for families affected by downs syndrome and reassurance that people with downs syndrome can live rich and happy lives. Hopefully that is what the bill plans to do. I think it would be wonderful to provide financial and medical assistance to women who are pregnant with a fetus with downs syndrome, and to people already living with downs syndrome. Education and care for children with downs syndrome can be very expensive and those families could use a lot of help.
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:46 pm
I must say that I support the bill, assuming that it actually says exactly what it means (that it is used to get factual information about pregnancy, abortion, and Downs Syndrome to pregnant women). I think it would be wonderful if all pregnant women had access to health insurance and that no woman would even be discriminated against for being pregnant.
I would just worry that some information given might not be true. Given what children are learning in abstinence only sex-ed, I just think that maybe such bad information might be given out as well in this case.
Though I really hope that this bill does pass and is used to educate people about the facts.
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:29 pm
Aiko_Kaida Can you imagine the kind of guilt a family would face knowing that they gave their child up to live out their life in foster care? Can you imagine the cruel things people would say to them if they find out? I just think it's cruel and wrong to put women through a guilt trip when they are facing that kind of terrible situation. Er...why would they feel guilty about giving a child up for adoption if they wouldn't feel guilty about aborting it? I'd have no problem with someone who told me she gave her child up for adoption, special needs or not. As for someone who told me she had an abortion, well.....I wouldn't punch her in the mouth, but I certainly wouldn't be her best friend....
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 7:22 pm
La Veuve Zin Er...why would they feel guilty about giving a child up for adoption if they wouldn't feel guilty about aborting it? I'd have no problem with someone who told me she gave her child up for adoption, special needs or not. As for someone who told me she had an abortion, well.....I wouldn't punch her in the mouth, but I certainly wouldn't be her best friend.... I'd like to think that I wouldn't have a problem with either sort of woman. I don't know anyone who has given up a child for adoption, and told me about it though, but I can't imagine feeling negative about them for doing such a thing, and most likely I would feel more possitive about them, but I don't really know for sure. I would assume that women who would feel guilty about abandoning their child into the adoption system (as opposed to doing an Open Adoption) would also feel guilty about getting an abortion. Though, I guess, I would feel pretty horrible about giving a child up into the adoption system (since it really does need a lot of work), but I would go for an Open Adoption if I were ever in a situation to be placing a child up for adoption (that is, if I ever turned out to be six months pregnant - Goddess forbid - and wasn't able to keep the resulting child).
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