Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Palin Talks of 'Choice' When She Would Take It Away

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 20, 2009 1:36 PM CDT

(Newser) – Sarah Palin continues to inadvertently make pro-choice arguments as she campaigns for a ban on abortion, Ruth Marcus writes in the Washington Post. After revealing that she twice considered aborting son Trig, Palin said “I do understand what these women, what these girls go through in that thought process.” Of course, “if it were up to Palin,” Marcus writes, “women would have no thought process to go through.”

“The ‘good decision to choose life,’” Marcus continues, “would be no decision at all, because abortion would not be an option.” Palin seems “deliberately obtuse” to this point. Marcus respects her certainty, resolve, and choice, but those are hers alone. As Palin herself has illustrated, abortion is a personal choice. “The government,” Marcus concludes, “has no business taking that difficult decision away from those who must live with the consequences.”

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks during the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner in Evansville, Ind.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks during the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner in Evansville, Ind.   (AP Photo)
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.   (AP Photo)
Sarah Palin holds her infant son, Trig, as she stands on stage with her husband, Todd.
Sarah Palin holds her infant son, Trig, as she stands on stage with her husband, Todd.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

I respect Palin's decision not to 'make it all go away.' She describes her doubts about whether she had the fortitude and patience to cope with a child with Down syndrome. She speaks as someone who is confident that she made the correct choice. For her. -

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 12 comments
Shannonals
May 8, 2009 8:18 AM CDT
What everyone is not mentioning is that the fact that she hid her pregnancy even from her own staff reflects even Govenor Plain wasn't quite sure if she was going to maintain her pregnancy, and it wasn't until she was either past the point of no return and had made the choice to keep her child did she begin making statements.
justme
Apr 21, 2009 12:12 PM CDT
Guys, would any of you care to give me an opinion as to exactly when a fetus becomes a human being with rights? Conception? Second trimester, Third? when the mother d--m well feels like it? We have doctors killing babies immediately upon "partial" birth. Is there a moral standard anywhere or just random choice?
Rob
Apr 21, 2009 11:10 AM CDT
This is a really tough question. Human's are neotonic apes, which means we retain juvenile characteristics throughout life. We also continue to develop outside the womb, if we didn’t then babies' heads would be too large to pass the birth canal. Since no one would argue that a baby that has been born, yet still developing, has rights, the rights must start somewhere inside the womb. Many studies test for brain activity around 28 weeks, although there have been reports of brain activity as early as 6 weeks. I do not know if these dates really mark a threshold to "human" but they might.

More Newser Stories

Sarah Palin: Why Trig Is a Blessing

TV Ads Approved for Abortion Clinics

'Hollywood Bristol' Packs Up, Heads Home

Levi: Bristol Had Baby for Revenge on Sarah

Levi's Sis: Bristol Has Had Tons of Plastic Surgery


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne