January 8, 2001 - Most Say Abortion Is Manslaughter
UTICA, N.Y. (Reuters/Zogby) - In a Zogby ``American Values'' poll respondents were asked to choose between the two statements, ``abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter,'' or ``abortion does not destroy a life and is not manslaughter.''The nationwide poll of 1,005 likely voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.2% showed that 51% believed that that abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter while another 35% said that abortion does not destroy a life and is not manslaughter. Eight percent agreed with neither statement while 6% said they weren't sure.
By party affiliation, 37% of Democrats said abortion was manslaughter while 47% disagreed. Another 67% of Republicans said that abortion was manslaughter while 23% disagreed. Fifty-one percent of independents felt that abortion was manslaughter while 32% said it was not.By gender, men and women's feeling were statistically the same - 51% of both men and women agreed that abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter while 37% of men and 33% of women said that abortion neither destroys a life nor is manslaughter. While 7% of men and 9% of women agreed with neither statement, 5% of men and 7% of women were not sure.
What we asked:
``Please choose the statement that most closely resembles your own opinion.
On abortion.
Statement A. abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter.
Statement B. abortion does not destroy a life and is not manslaughter.''
August 1999
A Zogby International "American Values" poll, released on August 26, 1999, showed the majority of Americans believe abortion is manslaughter, are opposed to tax-funded partial birth abortions, and that parents should be notified if their minor child seeks an abortion.
Abortion: An overwhelming majority of respondents (77.7%) said physicians should notify parents if an underage girl is seeking and abortion. Another majority, (52%) said they personally believe that abortion destroys a human life and is manslaughter while 36.1% did not believe abortion destroys a human life.
On the issue of partial birth abortions, 56.4% oppose partial birth abortions because it is murder except if the mother's life is in danger; 31.5% say it's up to the mother to determine.
Respondents overwhelmingly oppose (71% to 22.8%) the use of federal funds for partial birth abortions.
Zogby International Web Site, August 26, 1999
July 1999
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll revealed that over 70 percent of Americans think access to abortion should be limited to some circumstances.
The poll was based on phone interviews with 1,014 adults April 30-May 2. Responses indicated that:
16 percent of Americans think abortion should be illegal in all cases.
55 percent said abortions should be allowed only in cases of incest or to save the life of the mother.
27 percent said abortion should be allowed in all cases.
The poll also showed that the number of people who consider themselves "pro-choice" dropped from 56 percent three yrs ago to 48 percent today.
Those who considered themselves "pro-life" increased from 36 percent three yrs ago to 42 percent today."
Source: St. Anthony Messenger Magazine, July 1999
January, 1999
According to the Annual Survey of College Freshmen, only 51 per cent of freshmen believe that abortion should be legal, a decline of 14 percentage points since the beginning of the decade.
Abortion should be legal.
Total 50.9%
Men 52.5%
Women 49.5%
While this is a slight majority for the pro-choice side, college-aged people are typically more pro-choice than any other age group.
The survey, now in its 33rd year, is conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute, at the University of California at Los Angeles. It is intended to provide a look at how the attitudes and aspirations of college freshmen have changed over time. This year's report is based on the responses of 275,811 students at 469 two- and four-year institutions.
Copies of the report, The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 1998, are available for $22 each, plus $4.79 for shipping, from the Higher Education Research Institute, 3005 Moore Hall, U.C.L.A. Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, Box 951521, Los Angeles 90095-1521.
A Campaign for Working Families exit poll, conducted 3/10, surveyed 411 "actual voters"; margin of error +/- 5% (release, 3/11/98).Ques: "Which of the following statements most closely reflects your position on the issue of abortion?"
Pro-life - 50%
- Should Be Prohibited In All Cases 16%
- Should Be Legal Only To Save Mother's Life 12%
- Should Be Legal In Cases Of Rape, Incest Or To Save Mother's Life 22%Pro-choice - 41%
- Should Be Allowed At Any Time During Pregnancy 18%
- Should Be Legal For Any Reason, But Not After First Tri-mester 17%
- Should Be Legal For Any Reason, But Not After Second Tri-mester 6%
- Don't Know - 9%Currently, abortion is allowed at any time during pregnancy, thus, only 18% of those surveyed agree with the current law.
Questions and responses in the New Jersey abortion opinion poll conducted by Quinnipiac College of Hamden, Conn and release 3/5/98: Do you favor or oppose a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion before the abortion could take place?
Favor: 67%
Oppose: 27%Do you favor or oppose requiring parental consent before a girl under 18 years of age could have an abortion?
Favor: 71%
Oppose: 24%(On partial birth abortion) Do you think these late-term abortion procedures should be legal or do you think they should be illegal except when necessary to save the life of the mother? Legal: 14%
Illegal: 82%Note: Percentages do not add up to 100 because ``don't know'' and ``no opinion'' responses are not listed. Poll questioned 1,184 residents between Feb. 24 and March 2. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
From USA Weekend, February 13-15, 1998
51, 537 readers participated in USA WEEKEND'S First National Forum ("Abortion: New Common Ground?" Jan 9-11) by calling a toll-free line or voting online at their web site at www.usaweekend.com. Readers were asked to choose one of the four proposed solutions to reducing abortions.
The exact question was: What's the best way to reduce the abortion rate?
The choices were as follows:The results were as follows:
- Pass Laws requiring insurance companies to extend 100% coverage for all contraceptive methods
- Require counseling and a "cooling off" period before an abortion is performed.
- Provide contraception and sex education programs starting in preteen years
- Outlaw abortion; people will change their habits.
- 60% Outlaw abortion; people will change their habits.
- 25% Provide contraception and sex education programs starting in preteen years
- 8% Pass Laws requiring insurance companies to extend 100% coverage for all contraceptive methods
- 7% Require counseling and a "cooling off" period before an abortion is performed.
1994-1996
A Wirthlin post-election poll showed 51 percent of voters identified themselves as "pro-life", while only 43 percent considered themselves "pro-choice." In 1996, Wirthlin's post-election poll corroborated the 1995 data, reporting that 60 percent of votes favored prohibiting elective abortion in most cases.53% believe abortion should be prohibited in all circumstances, or only to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest. This 53% is broken down as follows:
(9%) in all circumstances
(11%) legal only to save the mother's life
(33%) legal only in the cases of rape, incest or to save the mother's lifeThe following statistics show how abortion supporters' views are broken down:
27% believe abortion should be legal for any reason, but not after the first three months of pregnancy
5% believe it should be legal, but not after the first six months of pregnancy
Only 9% believe abortion should be legal at any time during pregnancy for any reason.
Wirthlin, November 1994.*Note...only 9% of the people believe in what is now LAW, that abortion be legal during any time of pregnancy for any reason.
Question asked: "Should a married woman be allowed to get an abortion because she doesn't want any more children?"
51% of the respondents said no.Question asked: "Should abortion be legal if the woman is unwed and doesn't want to marry the father?"
53% said no.
The National Opinion Research Center, 1996
1992
62% would support a legal right for a father to prevent the abortion of his unborn child.
Clements Research/Parade Magazine, May 199276% favor requiring a woman to notify her husband before she has an abortion.
Clements Research/Parade Magazine, May 199273% favor requiring that minors obtain the consent of one parent before having an abortion (23% oppose) Times Mirror, May 8, 1992
81% favor requiring doctors to counsel on alternatives to abortion.(16% oppose)
USA Today/CNN, Gallup, June 30, 1992
*Despite poll results such as these, because fewer doctors are willing to do or even be trained to do abortions, the abortion industry is moving toward having doctors even less involved in a woman's abortion decision than they are now. In early 1994, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists endorsed training non-physicians to perform abortions.
1989
92% believe abortion should be illegal "if a family decides they don't want another child."
Washington Post, October 7, 198980% oppose abortion used as a form of birth control. (13% in favor)
Los Angeles Times, March 19, 198985% believe abortion should be illegal "if the woman could not afford to care for the baby."
Washington Post, October 7, 1989
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