Barack Obama does right by lifting ban on funds to agencies on abortion

Agreed abortion is a dicey question in the US. The policy on US governmental aid to international agencies who do or inform about abortion has see-sawed between the Republican "nos" by Reagan and Bush on the one side and the emphatic "yes" by Democratic presidents like Clinton. Obama is only following the Democrats' tradition.

But note one thing. The opposition to abortion is not so obvious as it is made out to be. A Gallup poll conducted last year showed that 54% of Americans think abortion should be allowed under certain circumstances, 28% believe it should be legal under any circumstances, while only 17% back a total ban.
Moreover we are not dealing with abortions of US women here, who are better informed and more independent, but of women in many countries where they are not so fortunate. Either they are not educated and don't know about their rights, or live in oppressive societies (like in many Arab countries). These are the women who need all the help and counselling they can get about abortion.

The Republican blocking of funds to aid agencies who do just that was thus against the basic human rights of women the world over.

Coming back to the issue of abortion, I feel a woman should have full rights to decide whether to have a baby or not (except in cases where the woman is mentally imbalanced). After all she is the one who caries the baby in the womb for nine months and goes through the painful process of giving birth. And I am not talking of rape victims or women who face medical danger at having a baby.

This right will become a powerful tool to empower women and a recognition of their indispensability. After all, men can't give birth to babies! Only women can. So give them their due position in society. Full abortion rights will help in that happening.