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November 2010

Abortion is one of the most divisive issues of our time. Can there be a compromise or any agreement on abortion between liberals and conservatives?

There seems to be very little room for debate between the liberal (pro-choice) and the conservative (pro-life) groups in this country. Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska praises her daughter's "decision" to have her baby but she wants to deny this decision to all other women including victims of rape and incest in the United States by overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that gave women control over their own reproductive decisions. Several states are already poised to ban abortion in all cases except to protect the life of the mother as soon as the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade. With attacks from religious conservatives on sex education and contraceptives, abortion is once again becoming the only way to address unwanted pregnancies. Can liberals and conservatives have common ground? Do we need to relive the severe impacts to women of anti-abortion laws to understand, once again, the necessity of sex education, of accessible contraceptives and, in some cases, of abortion?

Conservative Response

Liberals tend to use crimes of rape and incest to criticize the conservative belief that abortion is murder. How can we force a woman that has been raped or a child that is the victim of incest to spend 9 months carrying the child of their attacker? Conservatives counter that argument with: How can we punish (abortion is the ultimate punishment) an innocent unborn child who has committed no crime? Would we send an innocent child to death row if the child's father was convicted of murder?

Liberals also use the argument that by making abortion illegal, we could jeopardize the life of the mother or prolong the suffering of a severely damaged baby. Here the arguments for conservatives are not so clear. Conservatives believe that, unless the loss of the mother's life is indisputable, the right to life for the child takes precedence over any negative health impacts to the mother. For the unborn child that will suffer mental or physical impairments or even a painful death after birth, who are WE to decide to prematurely end their lives. Doesn't everyone have the right to fight for their own life? For these difficult situations, conservatives believe that the states, not the federal government, should determine the legality of abortion.

Conservatives believe that the Supreme Court decision with Roe v. Wade lacks any basis in the Constitution. Since our Founding Fathers remained silent on abortion and "reproductive rights," the proper venue to resolve the issues concerning abortion is in the state legislatures not with the federal government and definitely not with the Supreme Court. The people of the United States need to have their voices heard when it comes to the life and death of an unborn child.

— Editor

Liberal Response

Liberals are not "pro-abortion." This is a term used by right-wing pundits and anti-abortion radicals. The truth is, liberals are realistic and understand that abortions will occur whether they are legal or not. Liberals believe that women have a right to make decisions concerning their own bodies and that the decision to have an abortion should be between the woman and her doctor. Liberals believe in making abortion safe, legal and rare. Liberals believe in making contraceptives readily available including emergency contraceptives for rape victims, in contraceptive research to reduce unwanted pregnancies, in family planning and sex education and in fully supporting healthy pregnancy, childbearing and childhood development. And contrary to what many conservatives say, liberals also believe in making adoption more accessible and more affordable.

Every year, there are 20 million unsafe abortions worldwide resulting in 70,000 deaths and 5 million serious injuries. Before 1973 in the United States, there were 1.2 million illegal abortions resulting in 5,000 deaths each year. Since the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion has become a very safe medical procedure with only 0.5% chance of serious injury and few deaths. With more research on contraceptives and better medical procedures, the number of unwanted pregnancies, the number of abortions and the number of medical problems will be further reduced.

The "right to privacy" was established in the United States Constitution by the Supreme Court before the Roe v. Wade case in 1973. It was not a right that was introduced by this one court decision. Liberals believe that the Supreme Court correctly decided Roe v. Wade. The court based its decision on the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution which, over the years, has furthered the concept of individual liberty and has placed restrictions on the actions of a state. It could also have been based on the Ninth Amendment which reserves certain rights to the people, including a woman's decision to terminate a pregnancy, OR based on the Thirteenth Amendment which prohibits "involuntary servitude," which may be considered a stretch until you're forced to answer the question: Can the state force a woman to bear children against her will?

Whether the case was correctly decided on the Fourteenth Amendment or had been decided on the Ninth or Thirteenth Amendment, the decision to legalized abortion has resulted in tremendous gains in women's reproductive health, in reductions in mortality rates due to pregnancy and childbirth, in advanced research into contraceptives, in more services for family planning and in more information to prevent unwanted and teen pregnancies. Imposing strict limitations on abortion, such as mandatory waiting periods or notification requirements, will result in fewer doctors trained and willing to perform an abortion and will only delay a woman's decision, significantly increasing the risk of the procedure. Criminalizing abortion will NOT end abortions, it will only force women to, once again, risk their lives in back-alley abortion clinics. Liberals believe that the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade must stand – abortion must remain a constitutionally protected medical procedure.

— Editor

Alternative Response

There are some very simple facts about abortion. Abortions will continue whether they are legal or not. Abortions will continue whether they are safe or not.

Women will continue to "choose" between having a baby and having an abortion. Abortion rates are no higher in countries where abortions are legal than countries where abortions are illegal. However, in countries where abortions are illegal, there is a higher risk of injury and death from unsafe abortions. In addition, where abortions are severely restricted, either due to notification laws, waiting periods or limited availability to medical facilities; there is also a higher risk of injury and death from delayed abortions.

The only solution to abortion is to reduce the number of abortions and, eventually, to render abortion unnecessary. To do this, we must address the reasons why women seek abortions.

Many pregnancies are unplanned and unwanted. Women must have access to contraception (including emergency contraception) and contraception must be affordable. When used correctly condoms are 98% effective against pregnancy, birth control pills are 97% effective and IUDs are over 99% effective. When both condoms and birth control pills are used, they are almost 100% effective. Emergency contraception is almost 90% effective. Advances in birth control, including a male birth control pill, are coming soon. Making contraceptives available now, even to those that cannot afford them, will make a huge dent in the number unwanted pregnancies.

A large percentage of women (over 70%) have abortions because they cannot afford the cost of pregnancy, childbirth and child care. For those women lacking financial means to pay for necessary medical care during pregnancy, there is a much higher risk of complications during childbirth and early development. Not only does this impact the health of the child, this adds to the financial burden already carried by women. To raise a child, especially for a single mother with limited income or for those women with other children, the cost to raise a child or another child is extreme (upwards of $200,000 by the age of 18). Mothers must think about the health and welfare of children for which they currently care. Promoting affordable universal health care, including pre-natal and well-baby care, support for pregnant women and single mothers and affordable child care; would go a long way to easing the financial burden.

Teenage pregnancy results in very poor futures for teenagers. Girls who become pregnant are more likely to drop out of school, are less likely to receive prenatal care, are more likely to become dependent on public assistance and are less likely to have a stable home life. Teenagers must have a comprehensive sexual health education which includes both abstinence and safe sex practices. Abstinence is the only 100% effective means of birth control and the choice to abstain from sex should be a socially accepted decision; however, abstinence only programs do not stop teens from having sex. Sexual education, including safe sex practices, and access to contraceptives will greatly reduce rates of teen pregnancy.

Of course, there are many more reasons that women consider abortion such as being a victim of rape or incest, being in a bad or insecure relationship, being too young or unready to be a mother or being afraid to let anyone know they are having sex. Providing contraceptives, including emergency contraceptives, would help reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. More importantly, women need access to social support services, which may also include law enforcement, to help them through extremely difficult situations and to help them make difficult choices. As a society, we must also eliminate the stigma associated with unwanted pregnancies.

As a society, we must also make adoption a viable alternative to abortion even for those without the financial resources to bring a pregnancy to term. The adoption process needs to be simplified and the cost needs to be reduced. The stigma associated with giving up a baby also needs to be eliminated. Along with improving the adoption process, the government needs to vigorously investigate and prosecute illegal adoptions including scams against adopting parents and abuses against pregnant women.

Pro-life and pro-choice organizations benefit financially by demonizing the other side. Politicians capitalize of the issue by enraging their constituents. The only truth in this argument is that neither side has reduced the number of abortions. As contrary as it may sound, abortion is a fact of life. The true goal of both sides should be to reduce and eventually eliminate abortions. Until science, technology and medicine help us reach this goal, we must address and resolve the reasons why women have abortions and we must not condemn women to injury or death if they still choose to have an abortion.

— Editor

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