The Abortion Debate

In response to something my friend, Jeromy, wrote on his blog, I promised some thoughts on abortion, so here we go.

I'll start by saying that I am firmly against abortion excepting in very rare circumstances (the health of the mother for example). I think that no matter why it is done, it is an incredibly weighty decision that should not be taken lightly. The cavalier attitude taken by many toward abortion is disturbing to me. I would like to see abortions go away completely except for the afore mentioned "rare circumstances."

That said, I do not think that the current methods most pro-lifers use is the best way to accomplish this goal. First, having a law outlawing abortion is not going to make abortion go away. Murder is against the law, but it still happens. Now that doesn't mean I think we shouldn't have a law against murder. Rather we need to change our culture so that abortion is considered just as wrong as murder. People still murder each other, but for the vast majority of the population it is considered a vile, reprehensible act. That is what we need for abortion - a majority consensus that it is wrong.

Second, the tone of the debate needs to change. By letting the supporters of abortion become "pro-choice," opponents of abortion have put themselves at a great disadvantage. This is Ameria; we take pride in our freedom (except when a certain Republican President is doing everything in his power to curtail them, but I digress). If someone is against "pro-choice," then obviously they are evil fascists who want to control you and it is imperative you stand up to them. Language is important and the current phrasing of the debate only serves to inflame the opposition into irrational tirades that do nothing to further the cause.

I think that those who oppose abortion need to take a bottom-up approach. Talk to family members, friends, fellow church goers about abortion. Make sure the people around you know that they can talk to you about it if they need to. Make sure you don't come across as holier-than-thou or accuse people who get an abortion of being hell-bound baby-murderers. You may feel like that, but it doesn't help your cause if you voice your opinion this way. This method is much more likely to achieve productive results. Maybe I'm crazy, though, and bombing abortion clinics and killing doctors who perform them will be more productive in the long run.