What Americans Really Think About Abortion

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Rep. Todd Akin's statements about abortion shed light on the Missouri Republican's view that abortion should be illegal in all cases, including rape or incest. However, it's a position that few in the American public are willing to take.

According to polling data, Americans are split fairly evenly on whether or not they think abortion should be legal, but the opinions hover in a much more gray area than is usually seen in politicians' chatter.

In an interview last November, political scientist Morris Fiorina, a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, explained the public's abortion views.

"Most Americans are troubled," Fiorina told LiveScience. "They think there are too many abortions, but they don't want to make it illegal."

A 2009 poll by the Pew Research Center found that 46 percent of people say abortion should be legal in all or most cases; on the other side, 44 percent say abortion should always or mostly be illegal.

Even among those who'd like to see abortion restrictions tightened, a minority believe, like Akin, that the procedure should be illegal without exception. According to the same Pew poll, only 18 percent of Americans held that viewpoint. The numbers were unchanged from the previous year's survey, Pew reported.

Other polls find similar results. A May 2012 Gallup poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent found that 77 percent of Americans thought abortion should be always legal or sometimes legal. Twenty percent said abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. Notably, this 20 percent was much smaller than the number of people who declared themselves "pro-life" (50 percent), suggesting that people who identify with that label do not always reject abortion in every circumstance.

Attempts to restrict abortion access have become more frequent in recent years. In 2011, states enacted a record 135 reproductive health and rights provisions, 68 percent of which restricted abortion access, according to the reproductive health organization the Guttmacher Institute. In the first three months of 2012 alone, legislators around the country introduced 944 reproductive health-related bills, half of which were designed to restrict abortion access (many of these bills will likely fail to pass as happens with many bills.)

Nevertheless, public opinion about abortion has remained stable since the 1970s. For example, a long-running survey by American National Election Studies found that 11 percent of people said abortion should always be illegal in 1972. As of 2008, that number had budged only 4 points, to 15 percent.

Even so, abortion battles are unlikely to go away, Fiorina told LiveScience.

"As long as there are really vocal minorities out there that regard [abortion] as the most important issue in our lifetime, and some of them do, there will be attempts to get it on the agenda," he said.

http://www.livescience.com/22654-american-public-opinion-abortion.html

[Que Saudade 284]

This is just such a wonderful platform for politicians to further polarize society.

A better question, in my mind, would be to ALL of the people who support the Pro-Life Movement (because it is MURDER of an unborn child), "Why aren't you on the bandwagon to pull our troops home? Every-time a soldier pulls his trigger in the name of freedom and kills an "enemy"... that is MURDER. Murder is murder. How can you disassociate the two? (especially the christain sector.. shame shame shame)

The same politicians who tout pro-life routinely vote to send troops, finance operations etc into harm's way.... Can you say hypocrite.

The Afghan conflict generates barely a whisper on the U.S. presidential campaign trail. It's not a hot topic at the office water cooler or in the halls of Congress — even though more than 80,000 American troops are still fighting here and dying at a rate of one a day.

Even women are split when it comes to Pro-Life versus Active military. The message is clear to me.

It is ok to kill in order to defend "freedom" but not ok to kill a fetus in order to protect a mother.

Todd Akin is a hypocrite with only his success in mind.

He voted for HR 1591 to provide 124 BILLION dollars to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (MURDERER).

HR 2206 to provide 100 BILLION dollars to the wars with no deadlines to withdraw (MURDERER)

S 1927 to give powers to the government to "EAVESDROP" (another word for SPY) on foreign suspects with court order

in the name of "Civil liberties and justice" What about the civil liberties and justice for pregnant women?

But yet he staunchly defends Pro-Life. I guess he wants that young fetus to grow up and join the army so he can ship you off to fight a war in the name of GOD JESUS OIL.. (we hail you almighty Oil)

I pay no credence to the people waving banners protesting abortion because they are hypocrites.

Abortion should be the decision of the pregnant woman. If she wants to "evict" the resident, then by all means do so.

Edited August 25, 2012 by Que Saudade

[rocks 494]

A better question, in my mind, would be to ALL of the people who support the Pro-Life Movement (because it is MURDER of an unborn child), "Why aren't you on the bandwagon to pull our troops home? Every-time a soldier pulls his trigger in the name of freedom and kills an "enemy"... that is MURDER. Murder is murder. How can you disassociate the two? (especially the christain sector.. shame shame shame)

Don't forget the death penalty and gun ownership. Down here all the pro lifers approve of that too, and yes, they are all christian.

[Que Saudade 284]

Don't forget the death penalty and gun ownership. Down here all the pro lifers approve of that too, and yes, they are all christian.

Don't want to take away from Habitual's thread... So I started a tangent thread here

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I don't think about it. If my wife becomes preganant we will have another child to bless our lives. What someone else does is none of my business.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

If people would start using birth control and common sense instead of fuсking like wild animals abortion wouldn't even be an issue. Abortion has replaced birth control for a good chunk of society.

[Que Saudade 284]

If people would start using birth control and common sense instead of fuсking like wild animals abortion wouldn't even be an issue. Abortion has replaced birth control for a good chunk of society.

Sadly, there is truth in your statement!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

If people would start using birth control and common sense instead of fuсking like wild animals abortion wouldn't even be an issue. Abortion has replaced birth control for a good chunk of society.

Can't we do both?

[Que Saudade 284]

Can't we do both?

I like the way you think....

[james&olya 1,121]

If people would start using birth control and common sense instead of fuсking like wild animals abortion wouldn't even be an issue. Abortion has replaced birth control for a good chunk of society.

Many wild animals do it only once a year!

[X Factor 1,112]

Why aren't you on the bandwagon to pull our troops home? Every-time a soldier pulls his trigger in the name of freedom and kills an "enemy"... that is MURDER. Murder is murder. How can you disassociate the two? (especially the christain sector.. shame shame shame)

:thumbs: A very small percentage of Christians view them both as murders and have taught their members that. But the majority or so called Christians are very hypocritical, endorsing the military killing - just saying.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Can't we do both?

Of course, just use birth control. Or be able to feed all of those kids.

Many wild animals do it only once a year!

Perhaps you would have liked it better if I said rabbits? Or minx?

[Que Saudade 284]

Of course, just use birth control. Or be able to feed all of those kids.

I think the both part included the birth control whilst copulating like rabbits

[james&olya 1,121]

I think the both part included the birth control whilst copulating like rabbits

I'm no expert on rabbits but don't they copulate only to reproduce? Aren't humans somewhat unique in copulating primarily for recreation? Of course, if the pope had much to say about it...

[Que Saudade 284]

I'm no expert on rabbits but don't they copulate only to reproduce? Aren't humans somewhat unique in copulating primarily for recreation? Of course, if the pope had much to say about it...

Dolphins copulate for fun...