UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 28, 2024

Child support, abortion not synonymous

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This morning as I was making breakfast, my fiancé was reading me a forum discussion that was playing out on a popular discussion website, 4Chan.

Even though much of 4Chan’s content is explicit, grotesque and straight-up creepy, there’s usually something worthwhile to read if you look in the right place. 

This particular thread argued that if women can choose abortion, then men should be able to choose whether or not they pay child support. 

I was genuinely surprised by the novelty of this argument. Not only is almost every high school persuasion paper written on this topic, but the amount of articles and content about abortion is also overwhelming, and it’s turned into a cliché.

The responses varied widely and the contributors to the online discussion had a lot to say, however the arguments are invalid because there is no logic behind comparing abortion with child support.

First of all, forcing men to pay child support is simply a way to keep tabs on the situation at hand. If it wasn’t enforced, how many would actually pay it? Even if the situation were reversed, and women were in the men’s shoes; I still don’t believe there is a better way to monitor the situation.

Secondly, this argument is a classic example of a false analogy between two unrelated topics. The statement argues if women are allowed to escape the responsibility for the result of sex, then men should be able to escape the responsibility too. To put the two together seems to imply that women solely get abortions to escape responsibility, which is not always the case. Therefore, the argument is invalid.

I’m not sexist, and I’m not trying to bash on men because I know it takes two to “tango.” However, if you’re an adult capable of making the decision to engage in sexual activity, you are capable of getting a job and supporting your child. The same goes for the mother.

If men took away women’s right to have an abortion, they would just have to pay more child support. If the mother decides to abort her child, the father wouldn’t have to pay every month. What’s so wrong with that? Would you rather have it the other way and let as many babies roam free as that woman pleases and have thousands of children out there going without their basic needs?

Some women are so desperate to have a baby and a child support hyphen paying “baby daddy” that she will do whatever it takes to reap those benefits. Some strategies these women use are poking holes in condoms and lying about being on the pill. 

It’s a no-brainer: not all women are psycho, and not all men refuse to pay child support.

Abortion is a sensitive topic, and if I said I’m pro-choice in all instances, I would be lying. The woman should absolutely have the final say, but it’s important to take into account her partner’s feelings as well. But, ultimately, it’s not about you; it’s about the child. After that child is born, the parents hold responsibility for him or her for the rest of their lives.

Whether or not the father pays child support or the mother aborts her child are two arguments that should not be considered synonymous.