Massachusetts legislators are on the brink of extending the "buffer zone" surrounding abortion clinics to 35 feet to allow women access without being bombarded by protesters. From the Boston Globe:

Supporters say the measure is a public safety initiative that would protect women from intimidation that they may face from protesters and would make it easier to prosecute violators. But opponents said the bill violates protesters' First Amendment rights by limiting their ability to distribute materials that could encourage women seeking an abortion to change their minds.

Now, there's a legitimate argument about abortion with serious implications to consider on both sides. Are we restricting free speech only to abortion protesters? Or, are we trying to protect women as they make one of the most challenging decisions of their lives? I tend to come down on the side of the former. There are only a few states that have restrictions on protests during funerals. If there are no laws restricting protesters at military funerals, should there be laws restricting protests at abortion clinics?

Whatever the answers to those questions, they're at least valid questions.

Our message board on abortion, however, is becoming completely ridiculous. A few choice quotes:

--"First of all, this is the 'philosophy' of Hitler and Stalin, who were amateurs compared to the millions more killed by abortionmurder. Whoever wants to prune back on the human population is welcome to jump off a cliff today, to demonstrate their sincerity. Being hypocrites, they have no sincerity and will not prune back their own part of the "excess" population by jumping off cliffs. This hypocrisy demonstrates the falsehood of this specious argument."

--"You obviously have a lot of issues. How does it make you feel to know that most of the pro-life people disagree with the pictures you have. You don't practice what you preach. You want unborn children to have rights yet did you have the permission from the dead baby that you have on your sign to put their picture on the street???? No you didn't, so you are exploiting that baby."

--"I suppose you would give the same advice to those who oppose slavery. 'Don't want a slave, don't have one. But don't tell me I can't have one.' Or those opposed to female genital mutilation. 'Don't want to mutilate your girl's clitoris, then don't. But don't tell me I can't.' What you and others who support abortion do not seem to get is that we are not against abortion because we think women should have no control over their lives or because we think every one should have the same views on sex that we do. We are against abortion because we believe that it is murder. It is a social injustice. It is evil. It is wrong."

--"God creates all people and He doesn't make mistakes....no baby is a mistake because he/she was created by God."

--"And he also created all the people who perform abortions and those who have them. So what do you have to say about that? If I take your statement literally then abortion is not a mistake because you say he makes no mistakes. If he doesn't make a mistake then people who get them and people who perform them are not making a mistake either because everyone was created by God and you say he is not wrong. So by you saying abortion is wrong you are saying that God is wrong then according to your statement."

Actually, touché on that last one.

Is there any sensible middle ground on this issue? Why is it impossible to have a civil discussion on abortion without invoking Hell or Hitler?