Q&A Friday #28: Should A Husband’s Permission Be Required To Have An Abortion?

Question: “…Where is the man’s right to choose? (again, other than to have sex, because that isn’t the type of choice accepted by the pro-choice crowd).

Firstly I don’t believe in abortion, I find it disgusting, and just this side of murder (I think most defendents would be able to use the insane defense, because they honestly believe that it is not a person).

This isn’t about that. Accepting every argument “pro-choicers” use to justify and demand abortion for those women who so choose, why can the same argument not be made for men?

There are dead beat dad laws outthere. Men can be forced to support a child that they never wanted that resulted from one night’s bad decision. Women in that situation have many choices; (A) carry the baby to term, raise it, love it, on her own or with what ever voluntary help she can find, (B) carry it term, raise it, love it, and use the law to force help from the father, (C) carry the baby to term and give it up for adoption, and (D) abort the child.

I am curious why there has been no case made for a Man’s right to choose, to duck out of the consequences of his actions. As with case (A) above, he has the ability to choose to take care of the child with love and responsibility (If the mother chooses, she can choose not to let him, so the man still has no right there). The man is a victim of (B) has no say in (C) (aside from married couples, the husband/father has some say in giving the baby up for adoption in that case I believe) and can not choose to abort the fetus.

Combinig many of the arguments of the Pro-Choice crowd with the United States’ idea of equality and gender neutrality, why is there no case being made for a Man’s right to choose? At the very least he should be able to remove himself from responsibilty at any time (because women can put a child up for adoption), and there can be case made for him insisting on an abortion (though I think it far weaker)….” — Chris_RC

Answer: Personally, I think abortion should be illegal except in the case of rape, murder, or danger to the life of the mother.

But, even today when Roe v. Wade is in effect, I don’t think a woman should be able to have an abortion without the permission of the father of the baby.

The woman may be the one responsible for carrying the baby to term, but she didn’t make the baby alone. Furthermore, once the baby is born, society holds the father equally responsible with the mother for the welfare of the child (rightfully so, I might add).

Therefore, it seems to me that the woman shouldn’t be able to snuff out the life of that child without the permission of the husband. They both had a hand in creating that life and so at a minimum, both of them should have to sign off in order to destroy it.

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