Is abortion a matter of race?

Why or why not? The quote in this video from Planned Parenthood's founder was quite arresting:



A more detailed discussion can be found here regarding a billboard that sparked a race debate: CNN discussion

[edit on 28-2-2010 by saint4God]

No, its probably a social issue. Even though they get abortions at 3x the times of whites their population is still growing. www.blackdemographics.com...

If I see them pointing a gun at their heads to get an abortion I'll call it a race issue. They put these clinics in poor neighborhoods, because it may help them keep the cost down of trying to raise a family while they are already in poverty.

This is about money, not eugenics.

yeah this is a no brainer people. try to grow up a little and see the worl the way it really is.

you might feel a little better.

Many places more children doesn't equal more money and birth control is way too difficult for many people to remember. Racist no look up my zip code 49022

reply to post by oppaperclip


Agreed.

I dont see how anyone could consider those statistics evidence of racism.

There could be lots of contributing factors besides money. Black girls reach puberty slightly earlier on average than white girls do.

pediatrics.aappublications.org...

Physical maturity does not mean mental maturity, and so they for a longer period of time in their adolescence would be vulnerable to being exploited by older males who wanted to take advantage of their lack of good judgment. And the younger the girl is, the less likely she is to have good knowledge of how to prevent pregnancy.

Consider the fertility rates of very young black women vs very young white women.

www.allcountries.org...

In 2000 only .8% of white girls aged 10-14 had babies, but 3.4% of black girls did. Its a very interesting chart, but blacks have a higher fertility rate in every age bracket until you reach the 30's. Then white women begin to have more babies on average.

Anyway, biology and poverty are two obvious reasons the abortion rate would be higher among black women. Since as was already mentioned they still have more children on average than whites and their percentage of the population is growing, not shrinking, it is highly unlikely anyone is trying to reduce their population for racist reasons via abortion.

I think it is much more likely that young women who have gotten pregnant too young, or older women who cannot afford more children are making choices that may make their lives and their childrens lives better in the future.

And to those who feel abortion is wrong and evil, the Bible says judgment is too. Let God worry about it, I am sure God can handle it without you. If you really want something to do, maybe take in some foster children in the meanwhile and be part of a positive solution instead of just worrying about what other people are doing.

reply to post by saint4God

Is abortion a matter of race?

At its most basic, abortion is about when life begins, without regard to race. If it begins at conception, then abortion is a form of murder. If not, then there must be some point when human life is human life and from that point thereafter, it is killing an innocent child.

I'm sorry, I really have no interest in tagging another issue with race. Life is life, black, white or otherwise. If society plays a game of race with abortion, then even once you remove the skin color, the result is the same.

It is up to the individual, no matter what race, to make decisions... including those that include the transfer of bodily fluids that contain semen and sperm without protection. Race is not an issue. We can all wear a rubber or take a pill.

No race, no politics. Just common sense and please... can we have a little more of it?

Originally posted by redoubt
We can all wear a rubber or take a pill.

Is this true in the case of rape? Where does rape occur, in the country or urban areas?

Originally posted by redoubt
No race, no politics. Just common sense and please... can we have a little more of it?

Did the founder of Planned Parenthood make the statement or did she not? Does the statistic support her statement?

I don't think this case is as shut as we'd like our eyes to be. Consider changing a paradigm for just a moment: You're woman in the city, you meet a nice guy, turns out he's on drugs but you find out about a moment too late where he forces you into the bedroom (rape does not have to be from a stranger). My question is, what would you do? Before making assumptions that everyone lives in suburban America with a house, a job and a loving spouse, think about it for a moment.

[edit on 1-3-2010 by saint4God]

Originally posted by oppaperclip
They put these clinics in poor neighborhoods, because it may help them keep the cost down of trying to raise a family while they are already in poverty.

This is about money, not eugenics.

So you're saying there's no social/economic pressure on this group of people at all? If the gun is on the table saying "it's here if you need it", when in despair, does that gun look tempting?

Originally posted by saint4God

Originally posted by oppaperclip


So you're saying there's no social/economic pressure on this group of people at all? If the gun is on the table saying "it's here if you need it", when in despair, does that gun look tempting?

Hmmm? Pressure is NOT a lack of options.

Your analogy of the gun is NOT valid. Using a gun to kill yourself because of despair is not the same as killing/ending something else.

Originally posted by oppaperclip
Your analogy of the gun is NOT valid. Using a gun to kill yourself because of despair is not the same as killing/ending something else.

The phrase is 'mercy kill' and although I do not believe abortion is a mercy kill, I find it no great stretch of the imagination that another person would.

"an act of killing somebody out of compassion...in order to end his or her pain or distress"

To the point of the topic, I've heard many say, "I wouldn't dare bring a child into this world to suffer." And you blame them for feeling this way? See rape example previously mentioned.

[edit on 1-3-2010 by saint4God]

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
Black girls reach puberty slightly earlier on average than white girls do.

Physical maturity does not mean mental maturity, and so they for a longer period of time in their adolescence would be vulnerable to being exploited by older males who wanted to take advantage of their lack of good judgment. And the younger the girl is, the less likely she is to have good knowledge of how to prevent pregnancy.

Statistically we're not talking about the difference between "Black girls experienced menarche, on average, 3 months earlier than did white girls (12.3 vs 12.6 years)" according to your reference unless truly you believe that three months makes all the difference. Rather when discussion abortion:

"Average age at time of abortion: 21.2 yrs" - www.abortionfacts.com...

Let's talk between 15-24 to be fair, that is where 75% of abortions occur according to my cited reference. When discussing "fertility rates" are we talking about "able to have babies" or "are having babies"? This is an important key point requiring definition. Since it is the Census, it appears to me it would be counting "are having babies" which brings no progress to the situation. Your implication that young african american women do not know about birth control is rather interesting, candidly.

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
In 2000 only .8% of white girls aged 10-14 had babies,

15-24, to be fair.

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
Since as was already mentioned they still have more children on average than whites and their percentage of the population is growing, not shrinking, it is highly unlikely anyone is trying to reduce their population for racist reasons via abortion.

Let's get back to the core question then, did the founder of Planned Parenthood make the quoted statement? Is there a process in place to help achieve this objective?

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
And to those who feel abortion is wrong and evil, the Bible says judgment is too.

The same book says, "You shall not murder." - Exodus 20:13, this was not mankind's judgement at all, but I digress, this isn't a Bible discussion is it?

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
If you really want something to do, maybe take in some foster children

You're assuming I haven't? Why is this? No need to answer, it's off topic.

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
in the meanwhile and be part of a positive solution instead of just worrying about what other people are doing.

What other people are doing are putting the lives of the voiceless to an end, but again, takes us off-topic. Our discussion today is about abortion as it relates to race.

[edit on 1-3-2010 by saint4God]

Apparently not a 'one off' issue in more places than Georgia:

"I believe it's deliberate," she said, citing Oregon as one example where most abortion clinics are located in black neighborhoods despite an overwhelming white population in the state.

Ross agrees that abortion is having a disproportionate impact on the black community.

Davis, who is black, said she just wants to see an end to what she called a racially motivated practice.

"If they will stop targeting my people, I will fade softly into the background," she said." - www.foxnews.com...

Originally posted by saint4God
Apparently not a 'one off' issue in more places than Georgia:

"I believe it's deliberate," she said, citing Oregon as one example where most abortion clinics are located in black neighborhoods despite an overwhelming white population in the state.

Ross agrees that abortion is having a disproportionate impact on the black community.

Davis, who is black, said she just wants to see an end to what she called a racially motivated practice.

"If they will stop targeting my people, I will fade softly into the background," she said." - www.foxnews.com...

I don't know. If statistics show blacks who are impoverished are more likely to produce a higher number of offspring it sounds like a way to give the family a step up. As wrong or horrible as my reasoning may sound they cannot afford this child, you cannot make purchases with money you do not have. And im not sure if this is still in effect but i recall those on social welfare being paid by the amount of children the have. Its not a problem of racism, racism is merely being used as an excuse to ignore the real they were put there in the first place.

[edit on 16-3-2010 by ItsAgentScully]