Do men have reproductive rights?

[GT40FIED]

I was thinking about this the other day while reading about a pending court case. Roe vs. Wade assures a woman's reproductive rights under the law. She can chose to end her pregnancy legally. But what if you're a guy? The case I was reading about was a case involving a man who's girlfriend told him because of a medical condition she could not conceive. He made it clear he did not want children with her. Yet, lo and behold, she became pregnant and was asking for child support in the amount of something like $500/month.

This raises an interesting debate. If a woman and ONLY a woman can legally terminate her parental rights through either abortion or adoption, doesn't this violate the equal protection clause? A man cannot force a woman to abort a pregnancy or give the baby up for adoption no matter what his understanding of her fertility is. I'm not trying to say that every man who wants to leave his child's mother should be allowed to, but in some cases men get the shaft...for 18 years. To make matters worse there's nothing they can do about it. If she wants the kid, she's got you by the balls for the next 18 years. If you don't pay because you never wanted the kid in the first place, tough shit, you're a criminal.

I'm not saying it's morally right, but if a woman can choose to give up her baby whenever she feels like it, why doesn't a man have equal standing? A pregnancy is a 50/50 proposition...it doesn't exist without both party's contribution. In that "partnership" should come an expectation of an agreement that, if a child is conceived, it falls upon both parents to provide care for it. However these days most of the burden (at least financially) falls upon the men. It doesn't matter how much the mother makes...she can take a set percentage of the father's earnings regardless of his status (or lack thereof) as a parent.

So basically I ask you this...should men have to pay through the nose if a woman is deceitful and they in turn create a child? I have yet to see a single instance where a mother pays child support to a father so I can only assume this obligation is targeted at men exclusively.

Thoughts?

[Racing Rice]

I've heard of mothers paying child support to fathers. I believe that child support is based on who gets full/majority custody. Most of the time the mother gets custody, but in rare cases the are not granted custody.

I don't particularly care for the whole idea of abortion, when there are so many good people out there that WANT to be parents but can't have kids for one reason or another. However, that is for another discussion.

Should the man pay, even if he didn't want a child? Just think of it like this.. You aren't paying for the child, you're paying for the sex. Regardless of what the reason for not using protection, you still new the risks associate with not using. I think we, as a society, needs to step up and accept responsibilities for our actions. Maybe next time they will think twice about reproducing.

[KwikR6]

See I think there are certian cases that men should be allowed to make the decision also. Consider this. Man and woman meet. Man says that he doesn't want to have kids. Woman says she doesn't want to have kids. Woman also says she can't have kids. Woman secretly lies to man and goes off birth control because she thinks that the man is a good guy and see's a future with him and some cash. Woman ends up pregnant and tells the man that "I guess we should get married for the sake of the kid, and that either we do that or I take you for everything"

Don't think it happens? It does. And it did to my Uncle.

So yes. I think that men should also have the right to choose if they want to keep their baby or not.

[AkimboStylee]

Man this is a really tough subject for me, (read the callout thread, and you will see) ut if the case is she left and didn't tell me, and then i find out shes not coming back, (i don't think we will ever be together after this, because she thinks i am this horrible person for some reason) than i think i shouldn't have to pay a dime. but the thing is, is that she does have me by the balls for the next 18 yrs. because i want to make damn sure that my Daugter(found out today when she actually called me to tell me that) is going to grow up without a worry in the world, even if i don't have to pay child support, i will put money aside every week and save it for when either my daughter is 18, or when we decide to work things out (i mean her whole family likes me minus her dad who is some big-shot lawyer in new jersey who is related to the kennedy's and has alot of money).

im sorry but i have to stop writing (is it ok for a guy to cry, because if it is not than fuck you, cause this is a painfull time right now, and im out)

[pdiggitydogg]

The world is not 50/50
Lets face it, its always bias toward one or the other; and frankly, I seem to see it as favoring more toward females, than males. Perhaps in the regular day-to-day its more for guys (ie. jobs) but as soon as a case goes to court or gets into the public eye, its a complete scale tip in favor of women (because, they claim "unfair rights") Its such feminist bs. Now, I am all for EQUAL rights, but that shit doesnt exist...ever.

Im on board with you guys saying men should have a say. I dont see having a child as being 100% equally shared in the long run, because of the woman actually holding it for a good while...but yes, initially it is shared 50/50 down to the genetic, chemical, biological level. So why the hell dont we ever have a say??


(And yes, man...guys can cry)

[KwikR6]

Originally Posted by pdiggitydogg

(And yes, man...guys can cry)

Agree 100 billion trillion ka-zillion percent.

[Racing Rice]

Originally Posted by KwikR6

Don't think it happens? It does. And it did to my Uncle.

Hell yes it happens! That is why I say you should be 150% responsible for that you do. Come on, when was the last time you believed a woman and some thing didn't get screwed up in the long run? Even if she isn't lying when she says she can't have kids, doesn't mean shit. Most docters have a better chance at winning the lottery then being able to correctly diagnose human life. My parents were not suppose to be able to have kids either (so the docter says.) For some reason, my brother and I think he was wrong.

[Racing Rice]

BTW, crying is a better option then beating the crap out of someone.

[Gone]

Agreed 100% with GT. The United States judicial system isn't held as an equal. They give more power to those in higher paying/status careers just because of that and giving them an advantage which may not be very moral but hey they get away with it. It's the same with gender and racial biased opinions as well and has been.