American Questions: Do You Support Abortion? Even after 20 Weeks? And the Right Not to Be a Father?

Published in Estadão
(Brazil) on 2 Aug 2013
by Guga Chacra (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Derek Sears. Edited by .

Edited by Kyrstie Lane

 

Brazil does not allow abortion. But in the U.S. it has been legalized for decades. Nevertheless, the debate continues. On one side are the “pro-life,” those who are against this practice. On the other side, the “pro-choice,” those who defend the mother’s right to decide if she wants to have the baby.

The limit for abortions in the U.S. is 24 weeks. After this term, the baby theoretically would be able to survive outside of the mother. Members of the Republican Party, who tend to be more pro-life — while the majority of Democrats are pro-choice — have begun to defend a limit of 20 weeks for abortion. Some states have already succeeded. Of the 1.2 million abortions performed every year on U.S. territory, only a small fraction occur after the 20th week. But this change has a strong symbolism.

The larger part of the American population is pro-choice. However, a majority also defends the establishment of a 20-week boundary. In Cuba, the maximum term to abort is only 10 weeks. Around the world a series of nations have already approved abortion, such as Uruguay, very recently, while Tunisia, with an Arab and Muslim majority has [allowed abortion] since the 1960s.

Little by little, in the U.S. a debate has begun to emerge about the right to not be a father. That is to say, the woman can choose to be a mother or not, but the man, on the other hand, cannot abort and at most he can only influence the woman. Electing to not be the father, in this case, would be a distinct action. The child would be born, but the man has the right to abdicate all obligations of paternity: It would be a “male abortion.”

And here there are three questions: 1) Do you defend the right to abortion? 2) If yes, what should be the maximum term? 3) Do you defend the man’s right to abdicate paternity?


O Brasil não permite o aborto. Mas, nos EUA, é legalizado há décadas. Os debates, porém, permanecem. De um lado, estão os “pró-life”, que são contrários a esta prática. De outro, os “pró-choice”, que defendem o direito de a mulher decidir se quer ter o bebê.

O limite para abortar, nos EUA, são 24 semanas. Depois deste prazo, o bebê, teoricamente, teria condições de sobreviver fora da mãe. Membros do Partido Republicano, de tendência mais pró-life, enquanto os democratas seriam majoritariamente pro-choice, passaram a defender um limite de 20 semanas para o aborto. Em alguns Estados, já obtiveram sucesso. Dos 1,2 milhão de abortos realizados todos os anos no território americano, apenas uma pequena fração ocorre depois da vigésima semana. Mas a mudança tem um simbolismo forte.

A maior parte da população americana é pro-choice. Por outro lado, uma maioria também defende o estabelecimento de um limite em 20 semanas. Em Cuba, o prazo máximo para abortar é dez semanas. Ao redor do mundo, uma série de nações já aprovaram o aborto, como o Uruguai, mais recentemente, e a Tunísia, de maioria islâmica e árabe, desde os anos 1960.

Aos poucos, aqui nos EUA, também passou a surgir um debate sobre o direito de não ser pai. Isto é, a mulher pode escolher ser mãe ou não. O homem, por sua vez, não pode abortar e no máximo consegue exercer influência sobre a mulher. Não ser pai, no caso, seria uma ação distinta. A criança nasceria, mas o homem teria o direito de abdicar de todas as obrigações da paternidade. Seria um “aborto masculino”.

E aqui ficam três perguntas – 1) Você defende o direito ao aborto? 2) Se sim, qual deve ser o prazo limite? 3) Você defende o direito de o homem abdicar da paternidade?
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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