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Posted on 1/21/2003, 3:32:55 PM by areafiftyone
(AP) A majority of Americans support abortion rights, but that support is highest when a woman's life or health is in danger or there is evidence the baby will be physically or mentally impaired, recent polls suggest.
Public support for abortion rights wanes in later stages of the pregnancy and when abortion is chosen because the woman or family cannot afford to raise the child.
More than six in 10 in a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press said they oppose the Supreme Court completely overturning the high court's decision 30 years ago allowing legal abortions. That number has been essentially unchanged for more than a decade.
But public support for abortion rights varies considerably, depending on the circumstances.
Nearly six in 10 in a Gallup poll, 57 percent, said abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances. A quarter said abortions should be legal in any circumstances.
Here are some examples of public support for abortion rights in different circumstances, according to the Gallup poll:
85 percent support abortion rights when the woman's life is endangered.
77 percent support abortion rights when the woman's health is endangered.
76 percent support abortion rights when the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest.
55 percent support abortion rights when there is evidence the baby's physical or mental health may be impaired.
35 percent support abortion rights when the woman or family cannot afford to raise the child.
The Pew poll of 1,218 adults was taken Jan. 8-12 and the Gallup poll of 1,002 adults was taken Jan. 10-12. Both have error margins of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Therefore, most Americans approve of less than one-half of one percent of the abortions committed in this country.
77 percent support abortion rights when the woman's health is endangered.
76 percent support abortion rights when the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest.
55 percent support abortion rights when there is evidence the baby's physical or mental health may be impaired.
Note that there is no mention how many Americans support abortion on demand with no underlying reason such as rape or incest. I wonder why. Certainly there is nothing in the data here to justify the sweeping, generalized headline of "Most Americans Favor Abortion" that CBS placed atop this story...
My headline, "Majority of Americans support abortion restrictions".
This result listed towards the end is the most significant, and offers a hint in the direction the pro-life movement needs go. It shows that a vast majority of Americans do not want abortion simply because it is convenient.
This is sick; it's essentially the same position the Nazis held.
That is phrased very poorly (the agenda of the author is clear). It should read 'Most Americans Are Not Categorically Opposed to Abortion". The way it's written now makes it sound as if most Americans think it's a jolly good idea, and that when in doubt, abort.
Sorry, but poorly written headlines really annoy me, especially when the phrasing is done not out of sloppiness, but out of bias.
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