Ireland to hold referendum on legalising abortion May 25

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Frace 24

Latest update : 2018-03-28

The Republic of Ireland will hold a referendum on May 25 on whether to alter its constitution to legalise abortion, Health Minister Simon Harris said on Wednesday.

The move follows the Irish Senate voting in favour of holding the poll by a wide margin Tuesday night.

"Referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment will take place on Friday, 25th May. The people will have their say," Harris tweeted.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar last year won leadership of the governing centre-right Fine Gael party after campaigning on same-sex marriage and liberalising abortion laws in the overwhelmingly Catholic country.





Read more: http://www.france24.com/en/20180328-ireland-hold-may-25-referendum-legalising-abortion

[Judi Lynn]

1. Irelands Abortion Fight Has A Ton Of Americans Getting Involved (On Both Sides)

By MADHURI SATHISH
8 hours ago

In May, Ireland will vote on a referendum to determine whether or not to legalize abortion. The country currently has a near-total ban on abortion, with the only exception being when a pregnant person's life is at risk, but the referendum could repeal this ban if enough people vote in favor of it. But as the vote approaches, anti-abortion protesters have taken to the streets in Dublin — and not all of them are Irish. In fact, there are some Americans protesting abortion in Ireland, sparking concerns of foreign influence on the upcoming referendum.

Ireland's prime minister, Leo Varadkar, has called for reforms to the country's current abortion laws. He recently pointed out that the near-total ban has resulted in abortions that are "unsafe, unregulated and illegal." However, that hasn't stopped a small but highly visible anti-abortion group called the Irish Center for Bio-Ethical Reform from protesting outside Parliament, as well in front of media buildings, universities, human rights groups' offices, and airports.

According to The New York Times, only three of the group's members are Irish; the rest are primarily American.

“We try to be as multinational as the abortion industry, and they make no apologies for sending in their international affiliates to pontificate to the Irish people,” group leader Jean Engela told The New York Times.

More:
https://www.bustle.com/p/irelands-abortion-fight-has-a-ton-of-americans-getting-involved-on-both-sides-8626052

[BigmanPigman]

2. Not surprised at all!

American religious nuts want to tell EVERYONE what to do, think, feel, think, act, vote, etc. all over the world. Nothing ever changes them and their self righteous attitude. Mind your own fucking business! That pissed me off! It is bad enough in this country, yet they are still dictating to other countries. They are always right and everyone else is wrong. I hate that shit! Barefoot and pregnant is their "progressive" motto.

[Granny M]

4. We aren't short of religious nuts here

so no need to send any, thanks.

It's going to be a divisive and nasty battle leading up to the referendum. I am firmly in the "yes" column, and most of my friends are, as well. There have been too many maternal deaths from this poorly written law.

[OnDoutside]

10. Completely agree. It'll make 83 look tame in comparison.

[SunSeeker]

3. Sickening that any country makes abortion illegal.

[CountAllVotes]

5. Birth control was illegal for a very long time

Birth control was not legal in Ireland until until February 20, 1985.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ireland-allows-sale-of-contraceptives

If legalized abortion passes, I for one will be shocked!

[SunSeeker]

6. What a perversion of Jesus' teachings to make it be about stopping birth control and abortion.

Jesus is not quoted in the Bible as condemning either of those things. Jesus was all about serving the poor. Banning birth control and abortion only hurts the poor. It is insanity.

[CountAllVotes]

7. I visited Ireland in 1983

what an eyeopener it was for me!

It was not uncommon to see a young woman with a flock of little ones behind her pushing a stroller with twins in it and pregnant to boot!

Many looked as though they were very poor and absolutely exhausted!

I have a friend from Ireland that comes from a family of 19, yes 19!

Enough is enough IMO!

[OnDoutside]

9. You should revisit ! Things have changed a lot since then ;)

[CountAllVotes]

11. I have been back twice

and yes, things have changed I agree!

[OnDoutside]

8. What makes you think Jesus comes into it ? This is about ideology. I'll be voting for repealing the

8th on May 25th so I'm going to try and avoid much of the debate between now and then. It's been going on unofficially for months, and is going to be a completely dirty fight. This is the last stand for the pro life crowd.

[SunSeeker]

13. Of course. But the Christian "pro life" (forced birth) crowd claim it's about religion/morality.

Yet the Bible does not support their position.

[OnDoutside]

14. I haven't heard it like that here tbh. They've been hitting the denial of a life

To live angle....they had some American woman and her daughter over pushing that she was nearly aborted but grew up to adulthood etc. They'll try anything though.

[SunSeeker]

15. Yes, but when "life begins" is determined by their Church.

Sperm are alive. Each is a unique potential human baby, like a fetus is a potential human baby. Yet the Catholic Church does not teach that depositing ejaculate into a Kleenex is a "denial of life."

[Bayard]

12. Interesting, and horrifying

I just read a book by Michael Crichton, published in the 60's, "A Case Of Need". Abortions are performed regularly by doctors, but if they're caught, they go to jail. Plenty of women are going the back-alley route. The plot is that a rich girl has one of those, and dies horribly. An innocent doctor is arrested, and the rest of the book is about our hero, another doctor, trying to track down who actually performed the abortion.

Another interesting sideline is that all of the characters are constantly lighting up cigarettes, including the doctors.

I've never understood why the fundies want to kick women back to those tactics. Or take rights away from people who have already won them in this country.