The argument is not whether or not abortion is a good thing to do. Whether or not it’s acceptable in extreme cases is a separate matter of varying opinions. But generally speaking, no one who isn’t mentally and morally sick thinks that abortion is an acceptable means of casual birth control. As no one in their right mind thinks that abortion is in any way a casual matter — or feels that its generally okay to do. An equal amount of people on the left and the right basically believe that abortion is a tragic thing.
So the first thing we need to clear up is: what are we’re debating? It’s not a battle of people in favor of abortion vs. people against abortion. The reality is that on some level, we are all against abortion. That’s not the argument.
This argument is the flagship example of the conservatives' disconnection from reality. Again and again; up and down so many issues; their relentless denial of reality is only equaled by what appears to be the high level of personal offence that they take when faced with reality. This truly and simply is the argument against the right-wing's relentless rejections of reality — and the fact that their renunciation of reality is largely the original cause of so many of the problems we debate . The reality of prohibition was that it just created illegal activity and violence. People were going to get their booze, regardless of the law. So we had to face the fact that the subject of alcoholic beverages in America was a matter of realistic regulation, not prohibition.
Without regard to your impervious rejection of reality, it is possible, perhaps likely that your child will become sexually active during their high school years, if not earlier. And if by the recklessness of your will, your child has been convinced that abstinence is the only form of birth control, you very well may be the cause of an unwanted pregnancy.
I know you righties hate science, but here's an interesting fact of science for you. The physical development of a person's brain has not completed until the age of 22. This may in part explain the fact that young scared girls make decisions based on their fear — driven by their mental and emotional immaturity. It’s a reality of youth that you can't preach out of them. This is a large part of the reason that a law against abortion did not prevent abortion from happening during the time that it was outlawed in this country. Despite the law, abortions continued to happen — but without the presence of any sort of medial professional or proper equipment. Everyone has heard the coat hanger horrors — that would so often result not only in the death of the fetus but also in the death of the young pregnant woman.
Now it may be your position that if a girl chooses to perform a “bathroom or back alley abortion” that she deserves whatever physical complication may befall her. Okay. But that’s a different argument, isn’t it? This is my point. Let’s be clear and honest about what we are debating. It’s not “baby killers” vs. “baby savers”, as the conservatives would like everyone to believe. If you’re against abortion, that’s great. So am I. Borrow my ladder and shout it from the roof tops. Get active. Promote more education and positive realistic guidance. Choose from many things that can be done that accomplish so much more than creating a law that is sure to be tragically ignored. Do something. But please think thoroughly about the real life effect of laws in our society before you bring your conviction into the argument of whether or not to outlaw something that so many young women and girls will find a way to do regardless of the law.
This is the real debate:
Practical and fearless education, Realistic prevention, and Responsible safe regulation
vs.
An ideology that rejects the reality of the fact that preaching abstinence is not teaching birth control. An ideology which also rejects the reality; that under a law against abortion many young women would perform hazardous and lethal home abortions. It may also be the position of this ideology that any girl or woman willing to perform a home abortion deserves to die.
And if that final point is their position, I’m not judging them for it. I’m simply trying to present a more accurate picture of this argument. It’s an argument about a potential LAW and what the real life effect of that law would be. Everyone is to some degree against abortion. So the argument is not one of for or against abortion. The argument is for or against a law that would cause more pain and suffering than it would prevent.
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