I was watching a discussion with economist Stephen Leavitt on C-Span about his new book Freakonomics. In one part of the book and on the show, he postulated that legalizing abortion in the early 1970's was the major factor contributing to the drop in crime rates during the 1990's. I found this excerpt on the net:
So how did Roe v. Wade help trigger, a generation later, the greatest crime drop in recorded history?
As far as crime is concerned, it turns out that not all children are born equal. Not even close. Decades of studies have shown that a child born into an adverse family environment is far more likely than other children to become a criminal. And the millions of women most likely to have an abortion in the wake of Roe v. Wade -- poor, unmarried, and teenage mothers for whom illegal abortions had been too risky and too expensive -- were often models of adversity. They were the very women whose children, if born, would have been much more likely than average to become criminals. But because of Roe v. Wade, these children weren't being born. This powerful cause would have a drastic, distant effect: years later, just as these unborn children would have entered their criminal primes, the rate of crime began to plummet.
http://www.bookbrowse.com/excerpts/index.cfm?book_number=1571&page_number=3
He supplements this argument with state by state data which show that the states which had high rates of abortions in the late 1970's had a 30% greater decrease in crime rates in the 1990's then those states which had low rates of abortion (he stated this on the show and it is presumably in the book).
Is legalized abortion the greatest crime fighting technique the US ever produced?
coincidently I have been reading up on considered choices, genetics and prenatal testing tonight and was surprised to discover that The British Medical Journal reported that while screening costs up to £38,000 to ‘avoid the birth of a Down’s syndrome child’, this could be balanced against the estimated costs of £120,000. 90% of parents choose to abort..I'm wondering whether parents to be are making informed choices or if there are hidden motives in encouraging one to have an abortion.(such as the economy) I know in the case of disability many of the health professionals give information which is based on myth and assumption....
Originally posted by no1marauderI heard this guy on The Daily Show and also on The O'Reilly Factor. Harsher sentencing guidelines also played a role, but he factored that in his statistics and still abortion came out as the leading cause of the drop in crime.
I was watching a discussion with economist Stephen Leavitt on C-Span about his new book Freakonomics. In one part of the book and on the show, he postulated that legalizing abortion in the early 1970's was the major factor contributing to the drop in crime rates during the 1990's. I found this excerpt on the net:
So how did Roe v. Wade help ...[text shortened]... ).
Is legalized abortion the greatest crime fighting technique the US ever produced?
Originally posted by kirksey957There has been about a 5 fold increase in people in jail and prison since the 1970's and I always assumed that that factor accounted for most of the 1990's drop. But his argument makes a lot of intuitive sense and he says he has stats to back it up. While my position on abortion is based on fundamental rights and this data has no effect on my position, it's would be an interesting side benefit (he also stated that rates of infanticide have declined dramatically as well, another logical result).
I heard this guy on The Daily Show and also on The O'Reilly Factor. Harsher sentencing guidelines also played a role, but he factored that in his statistics and still abortion came out as the leading cause of the drop in crime.
Originally posted by no1marauderWhat would be your feelings and thoughts about requiring teenagers (throughout highschool) to be on birthcontrol. I am well aware of libertarian issues, but we also require (for the most part) children to be immunized before they enter school.
There has been about a 5 fold increase in people in jail and prison since the 1970's and I always assumed that that factor accounted for most of the 1990's drop. But his argument makes a lot of intuitive sense and he says he has stats to back it up. While my position on abortion is based on fundamental rights and this data has no effect on my po ...[text shortened]... so stated that rates of infanticide have declined dramatically as well, another logical result).
Originally posted by no1marauderYeah, Leavitt is a ridiculously smart dude. I don't know about the connection between RvW and reduced crime, but maybe. That guy is a whiz with econometrics so who knows?
I was watching a discussion with economist Stephen Leavitt on C-Span about his new book Freakonomics. In one part of the book and on the show, he postulated that legalizing abortion in the early 1970's was the major factor contributing to the drop in crime rates during the 1990's. I found this excerpt on the net:
So how did Roe v. Wade help ...[text shortened]... ).
Is legalized abortion the greatest crime fighting technique the US ever produced?
Originally posted by kirksey957I would be against this.
What would be your feelings and thoughts about requiring teenagers (throughout highschool) to be on birthcontrol. I am well aware of libertarian issues, but we also require (for the most part) children to be immunized before they enter school.
Originally posted by no1marauderKilling is more and more looked upon as a way of solving our (social) problems.
I was watching a discussion with economist Stephen Leavitt on C-Span about his new book Freakonomics. In one part of the book and on the show, he postulated that legalizing abortion in the early 1970's was the major factor contributing ...[text shortened]... ortion the greatest crime fighting technique the US ever produced?
People forget that killing in itself is a crime. They even rationalise, justify and defend killing.
Modern eugenics supported by the liberals is lurking around the corner again.
We must not forget that the Planned Parenthood organisation emerged from the American Eugenics movement.
Originally posted by no1marauder
I was watching a discussion with economist Stephen Leavitt on C-Span about his new book Freakonomics. In one part of the book and on the show, he postulated that legalizing abortion in the early 1970's was the major factor contributing to the drop in crime rates during the 1990's. I found this excerpt on the net:
So how did Roe v. Wade help ...[text shortened]... ).
Is legalized abortion the greatest crime fighting technique the US ever produced?
It is of course a very "liberating" idea to perform a abortion on a potential criminal, member of a certain non-priviliged group or class, instead of waiting for him to grow up, commit a crime and perform the death penalty. That is so republican and old fashioned. Killing unborn children as a preemptive strike against crime is the answer to social problems. No education, no schooling, no housing, no development for these people ..... Wonderful new policies from the left !
Originally posted by ivanhoeAbortion ain't a crime anymore, Ivanhoe. And the reduction of crime rates seem to have been an unintended (favorable) result, not a "way of solving" the problem of crime. You're sooooooooo hysterical sometimes, buddy; that broken record you play is almost as annoying as blindfaith101 (at least you don't put every other word in CAPS).
Killing is more and more looked upon as a way of solving our (social) problems.
People forget that killing in itself is a crime. They even rationalise, justify and defend killing.
Modern eugenics supported by the liberals is lurking around the corner again.
We must not forget that the Planned Parenthood organisation emerged from the American Eugenics movement.
Kirk, I'd certainly be in favor of making contraceptives available to all teenagers free, but I don't believe people should be forced by the State to do anything in regards to such an intensely personal area as reproductive choice. Vaccination is done to prevent the spread of infectitious diseases; you have no "right" to spread infectitious diseases as that impedes on other's lives in a direct manner, but that is not so with child bearing (at least directly).
Originally posted by no1marauderNo1: "Abortion ain't a crime anymore, Ivanhoe."
Abortion ain't a crime anymore, Ivanhoe. And the reduction of crime rates seem to have been an unintended (favorable) result, not a "way of solving" the problem of crime. You're sooooooooo hysterical sometimes, buddy; that ...[text shortened]... manner, but that is not so with child bearing (at least directly).
Not in my book. If you would add the number of abortions to the number of crimes you would probably see a rise in crime rates.
Originally posted by no1marauder
Abortion ain't a crime anymore, Ivanhoe. And the reduction of crime rates seem to have been an unintended (favorable) result, not a "way of solving" the problem of crime. You're sooooooooo hysterical sometimes, buddy; that ...[text shortened]... manner, but that is not so with child bearing (at least directly).
"Is legalized abortion the greatest crime fighting technique the US ever produced?"
That is the question you asked, moron. I reacted to your question, ET.
Originally posted by ivanhoeAre you playing Coletti today and making up your own definitions for words?
Abortion ain't a crime anymore, Ivanhoe.
Not in my book. If you would add the number of abortions to the number of crimes you would probably see a rise in crime rates.
BTW, I have no idea what Steven Levitt's political views are; I had never heard of him until about 3 hours ago. He is an economist at the Univ. of Chicago which was (is?) a bastion of conservative economic "thought" (Milty Friedman, buddy of Pinochet, was the star of the Eco Dept. there for many years). He made an observation based on data as he does for other things in his book. That OK with you, Ivanhoe?