Men influence abortion decisions

Men influence abortion decisions, too: Column

Gary Bauer and Daniel Allott 1:12 p.m. EDT June 18, 2013

A woman's reproductive decisions are hers alone. But men can sometimes resort to violence.

• Recent cases highlight violent acts by males against pregnant women.
• Study found that 7% of women who had abortions suffered abuse by child's father.
• Conservatives are accused of waging a 'war on women.' But real culprits are men in their lives.

Forced abortion is not isolated to China and a few other countries where reproduction and state violence go hand in hand. It is widespread in America, too.

Legally, a woman's reproductive decisions are hers alone. But outside the courtroom, men — boyfriends and husbands — hold a lot of influence over those decisions. And that influence often manifests itself violently. Consider cases from this year:

• In Florida, John Andrew Welden was charged with first-degree murder and product tampering when his girlfriend says he tricked her into taking Cytotec, a drug that could result in an abortion, after she refused to end her pregnancy. His ex-girlfriend, Remee Lee, 26, also has filed a lawsuit against him.
• In New York, Christian Ferdinand allegedly killed and set fire to a 14-year-old girl whom he believed he had impregnated. A medical examiner later determined that the young victim wasn't even pregnant.
• In Connecticut, prosecutors say Carlton Bryan hired a hit man to kill his 21-year-old girlfriend because she refused to abort their unborn baby.

the rest is here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/06/17/gary-bauer-and-daniel-allott-on-forced-abortions/2432769/