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From: thoma@reed.UUCP (Ann Muir Thomas)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Just How Long is That Waiting List?
Message-ID: <1844@reed.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 25-Aug-85 17:00:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: reed.1844
Posted: Sun Aug 25 17:00:53 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 27-Aug-85 01:23:49 EDT
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Lines: 22

*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH A BABY ***

A favorite argument used by anti-abortion forces is that
if a woman does not want her baby, she can always carry it
to term and give it up for adoption with one of those
thousands of couples that want a child.

Assuming that abortion was banned tomorrow, and all unwanted
babies were adopted, how long would it be before there would
be more babies than couples to adopt them (a reversal of the
current situation)?  It couldn't be too long; a million "extra"
children per year is an awful lot; an estimate of the size of
the waiting list is about 750,000.  There is an obvious
disparity in numbers here!  What would happen after the demand
for adoptable babies was reduced?

Ann-Muir
...tektronix!reed!thoma

PS-- Since I am starting school next week, I won't be able to
answer most e-mail. So-- either post your follow-ups to the
Net, or send mail to me and I will post a summary.