Discussion: Abortion

* Shoes-Off Venue * *
This venue requires that you remove your outdoor footwear on arrival.

* * Feel free to bring food or drinks * *
* * Participation is optional - you can join us to speak or to listen * *

Abortion has long been a mainstay of Canadian law, and has generally had wide acceptance among Canadians - a 2001 poll found that 32% of respondents believed it should be permitted in all circumstances, 54% in some circumstances and only 14% believed that abortion should never be permitted. But the increasing popularity of conservative influencers and recent repeal of Roe vs. Wade in the United States show that abortion rights are not to be taken for granted.

Those who oppose abortion say that it is a form of discrimination against unborn people, and that it deprives them of the opportunity to live a full life where they achieve their potential. They argue that we don't know for certain what it feels like to be an unborn child, so we should err on the side of caution and oppose procedures that might cause suffering.

Those in favor of abortion rights say that a woman has the right to choose what she does with her own body and that access to abortion is an important part of our toolkit for reproductive health. They argue that personhood requires more than just having human DNA in your cells; a fetus is not a person because it lacks consciousness, self-awareness and self-motivation, among other things.

These ethical disagreements are further muddied by religious beliefs, politicization, and attempts by both sides to frame the debate with prejudicial labels like "pro-murder" or "anti-choice". The question is complicated by edge cases and boundaries. Do we make exceptions in cases of rape, medical conditions or nonviable pregnancies? Do we draw the line at a certain point in the fetus' development?

Join us for fun, friendly and substantive discussion about the important topics of the day. All opinions are welcome for this friendly, moderated discussion.

How it Works
Everyone will be invited to share their opinion, share relevant facts and reasoning, and respond to the views of others.

Our moderator will ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to speak and that dialogue will be kept respectful. All viewpoints are welcome. After the event, you are invited to stay for friendly, informal discussion if you wish.

Aren't you worried about having an event with 50+ people?!?
No because there will not be 50 people at the event. On Meetup, many attendees cancel at the last minute, and many are no-shows who skip the event without cancelling. I set the RSVP limit to 55 people, I reduce that limit to 45 in the last two days before the event, and then 20-30 people will actually attend.

This allows us to hit our attendance target of 15-30 people, and it ensures that attendees have their spot guaranteed weeks in advance. This makes the guest count inaccurate, but it's the simplest way to provide you a reliable and positive RSVP experience.

Suggested Reading

Any suggestions?

Ideals
Please read the Studio 42 Ideals before attending the event:
http://stu42.co/ideals

Admission
Admission is free. We accept donations to help fund our events.

Latecomers
Latecomers are welcome but we start promptly at 6:05pm so if you arrive late, you will miss out!