Two things you should know about this edition. First, without boring you too much with inside baseball-type stuff, there was a fairly interesting back-and-forth on the Florida Progressive list-serve recently on the issue of the Stupak Amendment and whether or not an elective abortion represented “healing.” (Yes, it was pointed out that those two things are almost wholly unrelated to one another.) Reading some of the very good responses — and reading back on my own — reinforced what many of us already know: that preserving the right of a woman’s reproductive choice is as sacred to Democrats and progressives as it is a divisive issue in this nation. It further reinforced for me that when it comes to this most important issue, I barely know what I’m talking about.
The other thing is this: I don’t want to write this post. It’s not that I’m pro-life (I’m not), or pro-choice (I am). That’s not it at all.
My wife is 28 weeks pregnant. Perhaps you’d heard. I recognize that the emminent arrival of my daughter has nothing at all to do with the difficult choice made all the time by women to end their own pregnancies. Still, something in my gut goes sour when I think about it. I recognize this as a selfish, self-centered response to a gravely important issue of public health and public policy.
I don’t want to write this post. Yet I feel a dual responsibility as a humble contributor to the FPC blog, and as a very lucky father-to-be to do the research and provide you with your Free Political Talking Points for People Who Need More Facts on Reproductive Health Policy.
– Total abortions in America in 2005: 820,151
– Total abortions in Florida in 2005: 92,513
– For 2005, the highest percentages of reported abortions were for women who were known to be unmarried (81%), white (53%), and under 25 years old (50%).
– Percent of teens ages 15-19 who have ever had sexual intercourse: Females 47%, Males 46%.
– The rate for teenagers 15-17 who got pregnant dropped steeply, by 46% — 77.1 per 1,000 in 1990 to 41.5 in 2004.
– Nationally teen childbearing costs taxpayers at least $9.1 billion a year.
– “Abstinence only” programs have received more than $ 1.5 billion in federal funds since 1982.
– The costs of childbearing are greatest for younger teens. In Florida, the average annual cost associated with a child born to a mother 17 and younger is $3,652.
– Of the total 2004 teen childbearing costs in Florida, 52% were federal costs and 48% were state and local costs.
– Florida is a state that has expanded eligibility for coverage of family planning services under Medicaid, as of November 6, 2009. Expiration date for coverage: November 30, 2009.
– Opponents of choice have directed more than 5,800 reported acts of violence against abortion providers since 1977, including bombings, arsons, death threats, kidnappings, and assaults, as well as more than 143,000 reported acts of disruption, including bomb threats and harassing calls.
– Attitudes about abortion are closely divided. Thus, politics will always play a role in this volatile national issue.
Cross-posted at the Spencerian.
