Ireland votes to repeal constitutional amendment banning abortion

So at long last, women won't have to travel to the UK for terminations. I'm glad they finally recognized women's reproductive freedom, but I've been disgusted with the 'No' campaign which trotted out all the usual bullshit: that women regret abortions, that abortions are bad for a woman's health, that this will be the end of children with Down's syndrome (sadly it won't be, since some will still have them), and that women wouldn't have abortions if they were properly supported by the state. The last one pisses me off especially, because it shows an incapability of comprehending that some women fundamentally do not want to be mothers.

Now it is up to the government to craft legislation but it sounds as if they will go for up to 12 weeks for any reason, and beyond that in special cases.

Being in the U.S., all you hear about are the extremists. It's reassuring to know the entire world isn't crazy and recognizes it's a basic human right for women to have access to all options in medical care. (Too many of these fetus humpers are anti-birth control.)

Glad to see this. I had already read that the more the Irish economy grew, the less Christian the country became...I'm certain this is a natural progression of that.

Really happy to see this but I completely agree with you about some women fundamentally not wanting to be mothers. Even if we lived in a parallel universe where the state gave me double/triple/quadruple the money I currently earn at my job I wouldn't become a mother.

And frankly we are all more than sick of hearing about how the state should provide housing, maternity leave, etc. It is so easy to state that the government will pay for everything while forgetting people are paying those taxes and they lose money out of their pockets to fund lifestyle choices of others.

Also, throwing money at women who are young and undecided on having kids/career is wrong because it can cause them to make decisions they will regret in the long run. The female brain is still developing up to age 25 so many of them may not have the mental capacity to work out long term consequences.

God that is the worst, that all women need is a welfare check and free sprog care and they will want to birth it. I knew femoonist women in Canada who were big into that, claiming they were pro-choice but would lessen the number of abortions if only the taxpayers would fund more single mooing.

I am really glad to see Ireland going in the right direction. I am happy and I don't even live there. This is a major victory for human rights. Go Ireland!

I am so, so happy to see this! With all the bad news in our own country, it's nice to see something so positive coming out of another one.

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Techie
I am really glad to see Ireland going in the right direction. I am happy and I don't even live there. This is a major victory for human rights. Go Ireland!

What makes me happy was that it was a landslide. People over 60 were the only demographic to vote majority against removing it. And a few years ago there was a similar referendum in Ireland about gay marriage which also passed. It shows that people and societies can progress....or as some put it, progress happens one funeral at a time! I think this has a lot more weight than legislation which is imposed by the government or court cases, because it reveals people's attitudes. It clearly shows the shift of attitude since the early 80s when the amendment was inserted in the first place.

I am an Irish woman who has been living in Ireland for 31 years. I have lived in England for 3 years, but returned home in 2011 and have been wondering if it was the right move ever since.
I have used my vote from the age of 18 and always tried to vote for political parties I felt would change the abortion laws in Ireland. It was a hugely frustrating experience because, for years and years, no politician wanted to touch the issue. I honestly can't believe that A) I've gotten to have my say on this issue and B ) we're going to have access to abortions in future. I'm in shock! We are no longer in the grip of Catholicism. We have grown up and faced up to our responsibilities to Irish women. Finally! I feel like I woke up in a new country this morning. It's a good feeling.

What was cool to see were the videos of Irish women who live abroad returning to Ireland specifically to vote for the repeal.

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"Why children take so long to grow? They eat and drink like pig and give nothing back. Must find way to accelerate process..."
- Dr. Yi Suchong, Bioshock

"Society does not need more children; but it does need more loved children. Quite literally, we cannot afford unloved children - but we pay heavily for them every day. There should not be the slightest communal concern when a woman elects to destroy the life of her thousandth-of-an-ounce embryo. But all society should rise up in alarm when it hears that a baby that is not wanted is about to be born."
- Garrett Hardin

"I feel like there's a message involved here somehow, but then I couldn't stop laughing at all the plotholes, like the part when North Korea has food."
- Youtube commentor referring to a North Korean cartoon.

"Reality is a bitch when it slowly crawls out of your vagina and shits in your lap."
- Reddit comment

"Bitch wants a baby, so we're gonna fuck now. #bareback"
- Cambion

Oh whatever. Abortion doctors are crimestoppers."
- Miss Hannigan

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bell_flower
Being in the U.S., all you hear about are the extremists. It's reassuring to know the entire world isn't crazy and recognizes it's a basic human right for women to have access to all options in medical care. (Too many of these fetus humpers are anti-birth control.)

The reason we hear so much of the extremists is because they are so very vocal. They are like roosters, their voices dominate the entire flock, even if they are but three in a flock of a hundred.

+++++++++++++

Passive Aggressive
Master Of Anti-brat
Excuses!

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danity
Finally! I feel like I woke up in a new country this morning. It's a good feeling.

Congratulations! I didn't know if we had any Irish members on the board but I'm always excited to see this nonsense disappear in Europe. (Poland, Malta, N. Ireland still to go.)

It was amazing indeed to see the hometovoters starting to arrive back. They did the same thing for the gay marriage referendum a few years ago. It's lovely to see such a passionate desire to change the country for the better.
It was fantastic to have our health minister absolutely destroy the pro-life side in debate earlier last week.
Proper roaring at the TV stuff!

Looking back, the pro-life gang were the weaker side all along.

1) They couldn't really use religion because Ireland is not the uber catholic country it was 15/20 years ago and people are reeal sick of their shit.

2)They made the mistake of sending fundie pro-life groups over from America to try and rally up supporters. That backfired massively because Irish people REALLY don't like other countries telling them what to do. I saw them outside my university basically being told to go home.

3)They trotted out the usual pro-liar bullshit we're all blue in the face hearing and were called out time and time again by our minister for health.
Things like claiming they'd provide better supports for women with crisis pregnancies. Why haven't they done that for the last 35 years?
As usual, they're only interested in forced birth and this is not Gilead. Not any more.

4)They thought they could sit back and spout out their usual hypocritical nonsense and bogus claims and they were exposed for the idiots and liars that they are.

On the yes side, women simply told their deeply personal and often heartbreaking stories about how they've been affected by the eighth amendment. That's it.

Harris seems eager to have everything in effect by the end of the year.
The No side are NOT taking the results well and many MANY tantrums are happening on twatter.
Some Pro-life doctors are threatening not to provide abortion services (which they're entitled to refuse) but also refusing to refer a patient on for treatment elsewhere. They may need to get new jobs soon.
Some pro-lifers are claiming they'll refuse to pay any tax to fund abortions. They may need to leave the country.

You're right Yurble, I'd love to see Northern Irish women have change soon. Never did I think the day would come where they would be travelling to the Republic to access services.
What a crazy week it has been!
I'm a very happy Kildare woman!