The term "partial birth abortion" is a political term, not a medical term. The truth is, every abortion can be categorized as a "partial birth". It's no wonder abortion rights advocates are scared shitless of the ‘Partial birth’ abortion ban passing the House and Senate. The bill defines "partial birth" as "the overt act, other than completion of delivery, that kills the partially delivered living fetus".

Both sides of the issue present differing statistics about how many of these dialation-and-extractions, as they are medically called, are performed. If the right-to-lifers are telling the truth, that it's performed all too often when the mother and the child are healthy, then maybe it isn't such a bad idea. Don't get me wrong, I'll argue for a woman's right to choose for my natural born days. If, however, a child can live outside of the mother's body and an abortion involves actually puncturing the child's head to kill it first, well, yuck. I find it hard to believe, however, that any self-respecting doctor would actually perform this sort of procedure unless the child is completely deformed. I'd be totally okay with a bill that makes it illegal to abort a child that is completely viable, as Reps. Hoyer and Greenwood proposed, but that was shot down handily, obviously because it's too specific and can't be expanded in the future to abort abortion protections outright.

The bill does provide an out if the life -- not the health -- of the mother is in danger. Not the health because, as right-to-lifers say, that could be ruled by a doctor as mental health, and as all Bible thumpers know, there is no such thing as mental illness -- there is sinful thought and sinful behavior and only the Lord Jesus Christ can deliver you from those... right? Actually, as a person diagnosed with clinical depression who battles with demons (double entendre intended) every day, I know first hand how debilitating mental illness can be, and to use mental health as the argument for not prohibiting these "partial birth" abortions is an insult to the entire medical profession.

The world needs abortion. If you don't want a child, you shouldn't have it. There are too many people on this planet already, draining its resources. Organizations like Planned Parenthood provide abortions but also council on using contraceptives -- the name is slightly doublespeak, sure, but parenthood should be wanted, if not planned, and if you don't want a child, don't have it because there's no way you're going to take care of it properly. So exercise your right to choose and have an abortion -- just make sure to do it before the doctor has to puncture its skull in order to do it because that's just gross. Wait to have a baby until you're good and ready -- you'll do yourself and the world a huge favor.

And if a Republican gives you shit for having an abortion, tell him that it's one less deadbeat, unwanted kid the government will have to pay for. You're doing him a favor.