ABORTION: Common sense solutions

Abortion, like many other hot-button issues is, but not in today’s polarized political environment, a subject in which compromise is possible. I personally advocate a compromise:

1. Legalize abortions in the first trimester.

2. Abortions in the second trimester only if a doctor determines that the mother’s life would otherwise be endangered.

3. Abortions in the third trimester would be illegal, regardless of the circumstances. (Why? Because in the third trimester, the fetus would be viable if allowed to go to term; in that case, I would argue that killing the fetus, who is viable, amounts to murder.)

Unfortunately, in Congress, Democrats and Republicans are so polarized that no such compromise is likely. They can’t agree on anything, so in the last few years Congress can’t do anything.

A permanent fix? No.

A temporary fix? No.

That is why outsiders like the three top Republican outsider presidential candidates are doing so well in the polls. The system is broken.

BOB RIDOUT

Hayden