Thursday, June 15, 2006

What’s needed in abortion law: a bimester framework

Honest people from both and left with a knowledge of medical science know that the trimester framework underlying abortion law in America is, no pun intended on this subject, unviable.

What is viable?

A bimester, or semester, framework. Reasonable odds of fetal survivability of an early birth only pick up at around 20 weeks. And, reasonable social conservatives who know the basics of medical technology, especially in neonatology, will honestly admit that this is one area where we won’t see any major advances at any time soon.

So, if I were president, whether through the move of an amicus brief in an abortion case, even if it led to a new round of law by judicial fiat, or through Congressional legislation, I would move us to a bimester system.

In the first bimester, I would ban 24-hour waiting periods between doctor’s visits, require Medicaid funding be made available to poor women, and allow only parental notification, not parental consent. States would be given very little leeway to further constrict abortion rights, which would largely be nationalized.

In the second bimester, things would be far different. Other than requiring states to allow abortion when maternal life or health were at stake, or incest was the cause of pregnancy (with reporting of the perpetrator, of course), states could restrict abortion, or even ban it outright, with the exceptions just listed, of course.

No, I would not have a second bimester exception for rape required. Yes, women may wait a while to report a rape, but waiting weeks is one thing and waiting five months would be another.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Mission statement

The platform of this party, in all issues subject to scientific research and hypotheses, shall be guided by the latest in scientific empirical findings and logically deduced theories.

While this includes the obvious matters such as the teaching of evolution in public schools, energy policy and climate change, it is not limited to that.

For instance, various aspects of social policy shall be informed by the latest in evidentiary findings solidly supported theorizing in fields such as cognitive science and evolutionary psychology.

For more information on the proper use of evolutionary psychology, and some thoughts on the latest research in cognitive science, search this blog.

It’s the Internet! Why can’t I start a political party?

Democrats right now are largely too conservative, and Greens, while right on Iraq, and a stronger stance on environmental issues than Democrats, get too New Agey, in general, on things like alternative medicine and irrational in their fear of nuclear power.

So, why not my own party? No, it won’t be officially incorporated, but I will post “platform planks” from time to time, and response statements to, above all, Republicans and Democrats, but proactive ones too.