Family Planning/Abortion
Develop a policy that addresses the status of the unborn. Should the government fund national healthcare programs that subsidize abortions for the poor on Medicaid? Should the government restrict access to abortions? Should the government restrict late term abortions and/or the Child Custody Act? Should the FDA restrict the access of the "morning after pill" to minors? Should the government pass laws requiring parental consent for minors receiving family planning services? Should the government's Vaccines for Children program cover the vaccine against cervical cancer? Should the government fund the United Nations family planning organization?
Radical: Ashwin
The United States is a land of opportunity and justice. Without those two core values, the constitution has no substance at all, and the essence of what makes the United States a good nation is defeated. Rights should not only be guaranteed to citizens, but actions should be taken to maximize the reality of those rights as well. Therefore, stem cell research should not be restricted in our government. Stem cell research has the potential to cure individuals with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, hundreds of rare immune system disorders, and many other genetic disorders. Over 100 million Americans suffer from diseases that eventually may be treated more effectively or even cured with embryonic stem cell therapy. Most scientists regard this as the greatest potential for the alleviation of human suffering since the advent of antibiotics. The bottom line is that saving human lives is more important than any other value that researching embryonic stem cells might defy. With further analysis of the constitution, the only conclusion that can be made about abortion is that women should reserve the right to do what they want with their own bodies. The government doesn’t control the bodies of its citizens in any other way, so there should be no reason to isolate the issue of pregnancy. Furthermore, adversely affected citizens on Medicaid need to be subsidized for abortions because people on Medicaid need abortions the most. Without health insurance, they probably won’t have the means to properly raise a child. We must help the underprivileged; if we don’t subsidize them for abortions, we are just entrenching the very circumstances that make it impossible for them to escape poverty. In the Child Custody Act, women are restricted from moving to another state to escape abortion laws. This act should be repealed because, once again, the government constitutionally should not have power over the bodies of its constituents. In terms of the “morning after pill,” if a minor is forced to ask for parental consent, many minors will just not ask for help. That way, everyone who needs help will be able to get it easily from free clinics without having to deal with their parents, in which case, many more young pregnant women will be able to plan their lives better. Additionally, cervical cancer is very widespread. Just because the government doesn’t provide this vaccine children will not be deterred from having sexual relations. In addition to the fact that we need to protect our children from this disease, cervical cancer vaccines are very inexpensive and can be distributed widely. Lastly, the government should help fund the United Nations family planning organization. This association travels to nations in Africa and around the world to help with family planning. They hand out condoms and educate people about the consequences of their sexual actions. Knowledge is power. With the aid of our government, other nations can fight their own problems of overpopulation and disease.
Liberal: Sid
No one is pro-abortion. No one wants the incidence of abortion to increase.
No woman plans on getting an abortion, but the stark fact is that women do
indeed get abortions. The liberal platform believes that a woman should have
control over her own body; the government has no right to interfere in such
private spheres of an individual’s life.
According to a new World Health Organization study conducted from 1995 to 2003,
there is absolutely no difference in the rates of abortion where abortion is outlawed
as compared to where it is legal. Thus, the morality of abortion is a non-issue.
The government should not place restrictions on abortion that could possibly place
a woman’s life in danger.
The World Health Organization survey also showed a decrease in the number of abortions
around the world, which it attributes to the availability of contraceptives. Thus, as a
liberal who would like to see the number of abortions in America go down, I believe all
forms of birth-control should be readily to everyone. The government should be working
towards providing vaccinations for diseases such as cervical cancer as well.
The US federal government should fund stem cell research. Stem cell research has
great potential and the United States has always been a center for technological
and medical advances. Fifty years ago, Jonas Salk developed the Polio vaccine,
and today I call on America, with the help of the government, to push stem cell
research to the next level.
The US government has a compact with the people- a compact to serve the interests
of the people of the United States of America, and through my policies, I am confident
the government can meet this standard.
Conservative: Viraj
Abortion is not an option and that individuals ought to be held accountable
for their actions. Those who engage in sexual activity are fully aware of the risks
they take, and as such should be afforded no less than the complete consequences of
their choices. Abortion violates a fundamental tenant of the American value system by
infringing on the most basic of rights - the Conservative Platform believes that the
right to life is the paramount to all others and that fetuses, upon conception, have
a stake in the world and ought to be treated as such. A proactive approach to the issue
would include an emphasis on publicly funded family planning and sex education programs.
Individuals ultimately have the right to make the choice to have sex and are entitled to
the resources that they need to protect themselves. The state can further facilitate
this process by setting up easier and more public access safe-sex materials through
vending machines or other sales methods in order to ensure easy access for everyone.
Women who are victims of rape are put in a very unfortunate situation;
while the circumstances surrounding such situations are tragic, they cannot justify
intentionally ending the life of a child. For these instances, and for cases where
conception occurs despite prevention methods, the state should provide for and promote
a more extensive and organized adoption system that actively attempts to seek out homes
where children would be cared for.
Ultra-Con: Petie
The ultraconservative stance on abortion is strictly pro-life. As soon
as fertilization occurs, there is life. To kill that life is to commit murder, and
Peter Scobel denounces all forms of murder. Therefore, abortions should not be made
available to anyone, rich or poor, young or old, married or unmarried. Also, the
“morning after” pill should be outlawed. The Child Custody Act, which would make it
a crime to assist an underage girl in crossing state lines to get an abortion, is
justified but would not be necessary in Peter Scobel’s America, where there would be
no abortions. In addition, he is opposed to all research using living stem cells.
Peter Scobel also believes that the Vaccines for Children program should
not cover the vaccine against cervical cancer; it is unnecessary spending of government
money; such is also the case for the United Nations family planning organization.