The Democrats for Life have an idea called the 95/10 Inintiative.
A plan they believe can reduce the number of abortions in this country by 95% within 10 years.
Democrats For Life
95/10 Initiative
Some of the hilights include:



Questions for debate

Would you support the ideas given in the initiative? why/Why not?

Can the two sides of the abortion debate give up their guaranteed votegetter to try and make a positive solution to the abortion problem possible?

Would these ideas indeed bring about the goals of the 95/10 program?

If you are a Republican and support it will you actually contact your representative and voice that support?

1. I have mixed feelings. (As I do about the very difficult issue of abortion itself.) My personal goal is not just to minimize the total number of abortions, but to minimize the percentage of late-term abortions and to maximize the percentage of early-term abortions. (This is why I support both the medically supervised use of RU-286 and making the "morning after" pill over-the-counter.) Let's look at what the Democrats for Life suggest:



I have nothing against encouraging adoption, but I worry about federal funding for pro-life organizations that do not offer accurate information about the possibility of safe and legal abortion. (It is also a plain fact that the vast majority of pro-life organizations are openly faith-based, which raises the ominous possibility of federal funding for religious organizations. I oppose this utterly.)

How about federal funding for a national organization which provides accurate information for both abortion and adoption, without a pro-life or pro-choice agenda?



Fine with me. Accurate information is always good.



I strongly support this, as long as it isn't the abstinence-only nonsense.



Sounds OK, as long as the counseling isn't only pro-life, and as long as it isn't faith-based.



Accurate information is always good.



This is an excellent idea, even if it did nothing to reduce abortion. Adoption is a public good, and should be rewarded.



OK by me.



Not a bad idea, but only if we require pro-life/religious pregnancy centers to provide accurate information on the availability of abortion; and this isn't going to happen.



Fine. Abortion is a very serious procedure, and accurate information is always good.



Fine. These have little or nothing to do with abortion, however.



OK.



I get some danger signals here. I can see that there should be some restrictions on abortion in very young women, but this requirement seems a little too strict. It's a sad fact that some pregnant young women are the victims of sexual abuse by a father or guardian, and this has to be addressed in some way.



Fine.

I guess I would say I support this proposal lukewarmly.

2. It's possible. The problem is that there are some people, generally persons of faith, for whom any abortion, anywhere, is exactly equal to murder. These persons are unlikely to compromise.

3. Hard to say. I doubt it would really bring about a 95% reduction in the abortion rate, but it would probably reduce it to some extent.

4. N/A.

I think the best outcome hoped for in a situation like this is that the proposals will drain away enough support from the hardliners of each side and gain the support of Moderates on each side of the spectrum. This deflates the use of the Abortion issue itself as a votegetter come election time.
As it happens we have a circus just about to begin with the open justice seat AND the upcoming elections-- Really why they bother with the charade I don't even know--both sides are going to start the filibuster garbage again. Sort of the Perfect Storm political story the media thrives--and profits happily from.

The way i see the 95/10 initiative is that it will get howls of anger from the hardliners who will feel their grasp of their voting base cash cow slipping away. It offers ideas and the promise of more to come. it offers a rational and sensible way to go about fixing a problem in our society that is not only a painful one--but even worse one that is abused and whored out for political gain.

I am definitely Agnostic/Aetheist at best--but i would count on and fully want Christian help in this. I am not so worried about the hardline wackos because I still believe the majority of America's Christians are decent people and that they have had no alternatives with this issue being monopolized by the 2 parties.
I think that this idea would and could be used to help redefine how we go about adoption and even how we look at the whole abortion issue. Offer good solid and caring choices to women--i especially like the idea of offering continued education for pregnant women-- and abortion will indeed drop in numbers as planned.
With the issue off the table as a divider maybe we can then address the issues that lead to unplanned pregnancy.

I wouldn't allow control of it to faith based groups, but i wouldn't hinder their ability to offer the aid that will be needed and i also cannot think of anyone else more suited to the process of helping unborn children find good homes. With the numbers of unplanned pregnancies so high there will be plenty of room for both Faith based and Secular alternatives for care.

and once again--remove the issue as a lightening rod and you will tear control from the fanatics on both sides--leaving it in the hands of compassionate people.

I would support every option, why?-mostly due to the fact that a lot of the proposed solution are pro-active in nature. Comprehensive sex education programs in my opinion, would go a long in ways helping to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. I also like keeping statistics regarding why women obtain abortions. It's a knee-jerk reaction by many to just draw up a reason on an issue out of their heart, but fail to put themselves in others shoes and use their head. I see these options and compared to past proposed solutions to this and other social problems, the alleged solutions are not as well-thought out or as encompassing as the DFLs plans are.




Politics does make for some interestin bedfellows. I believe that if you got right wing groups with left wing groups, such as certain Quaker or Mennonite organizations, you could more than make quite an impact, quite a dent in the number of people who obtrain an abortion. I think this would certainly do more than the current tactic of both sides shouting at one another and standing outside of a clinic, which really doesnt' accomplish much.

On a side note, I believe that the number one potential criticism of this project is the role of the federal government. Victoria Silverwolf pointed out the potential problem of using taxpayer money to perhaps fund religious groups that have their own agenda regarding this thing, but conservatives would object to the fact that this would take funds. To me, you have to invest to combat social problems. Obviously, there are groups already out there trying to bring about a positive resolution to this problem, just imagine if they were fully funded and had the feds behind them!.

Federal Funding for Toll-Free Number/National Public Awareness Program



I believe in choices, and I would prefer an advertising campaign that will direct women to organizations that provide support services for pregnant women who want to carry their children to term, direction to adoption centers, and information on where to obtain a legal and safe abortion.



I don't like this at all. First of all, I believe that these organizations should also be non-faith based in addition to being non-profit, but I'm also against the idea of denying information regarding the options that are available.


Federal Funding for Pregnancy Prevention Education



Pregnancy prevention education is fantastic as long as it includes the full spectrum of information, including data about the different forms of contraception and how to use them. There are many pregnancies that could be prevented if only people were given more information.


Women's Right to Know



As long as the information is scientifically accurate, I have no problem with this. Women should know the dangers and side effects of any medical procedure, but this should be presented in a neutral fashion. My fear is that this would become propaganda with intent of inspiring guilt, and that's not acceptable.


Parental Notification



I don't support parental notification. As Victoria already pointed out, there are cases of abuse to be concerned with, and in addition to this, I feel that abortion is a decision that belongs only to the woman having the abortion.

Would you support the ideas given in the initiative? why/Why not?

The aformentioned items are the only ones that I have concerns about.

Would these ideas indeed bring about the goals of the 95/10 program?

Some of them may reduce abortion, but not in the numbers that they are stating.