First, let us agree that we would all prefer that abortions be rare. If you can't agree with that statement, save your time and move on because you won't agree with anything else I've written. If you think there should be absolutely no abortions you are unrealistic. No matter what laws you pass or who sits on the Supreme Court, abortions will continue. They may not be legal, but they will occur. If you think abortions should be unrestricted you are also unrealistic. That isn't the law now and I can't believe it ever will be. There will always be restrictions on abortion.
So let's try to modify our agreement to say that abortions should, in some cases, be legal, but should be rare. The catch is in the "in some cases." For the moment let's set aside in which cases abortion should be legal. Since we haven't been able to agree on the "in some cases" up to this point, I don't believe we are going to solve that one easily.
So let's tackle how we make abortion rare. I don't believe I can lay out (or you would be willing to read) detailed proposals for doing this, but some options might be:
- Better, required sex education in schools. Basic science and facts. Including contraception and abstinence.
- Required ethical discussions. These could be conducted by religious institutions and/or in schools.
- Make family planning available to everyone and free.
- Make adoption easier and give financial incentives.
- Make the morning after pill readily available.
If both sides could set aside their opinions on abortions and concentrate on ways to make it rare, maybe we could reach a point where the legal issues are just not as important as they are now. Pro-life advocates could take solace in how many abortions they've prevented. The number of abortions wouldn't be zero, but then it never will be. Pro-choice advocates could protect a woman's right to choose. There will continue to be restrictions and attempts to add more restrictions, but if abortions are rare these fights will not have to be so political. We may be able to make reasoned decisions rather than take hard political stances which seldom leave room for compromise.
Technorati Tags: Political Abortion
1 comment:
Thanks for your comments on my blog. You do make some very good points. Abortions will never go away but I would be for making them rare.
Maybe my memory is fading but I think a couple things that have been tried but shot down in the courts that seemed good, were to have the person have some counseling first. Not a big lenghty 2 week ordeal but maybe a 1 or 2 hour session. Also to a degree it is a private matter, but why can't a man be informed before hand, especially a husband. A parent should be informed if their child wants to have one also.
I am totally against it, but if I had a daughter and she was dead set to have one, I wouldn't stop loving her or being there as a support. Would I be disappointed, of course.
Yes we do need to think past the birth. We save a baby but then forget about the child. I think both sides do very little in this area. I am tired of the photo ops and the pot stirrers that can talk a good game with the cameras going then leave for the suburbs and put forth little effort until the next publicity opportunity comes around.
I grew up in Detroit and came to Phoenix in 95. Both states and cities seem to talk a lot, do little and then blame Washington, regardles of the party in the WH. Here our Govenor campaigned hard for a prop that would set money aside for light rail. The cost of this thing that at this time does not spoke off to various areas is over 1 billion dollars. During the weeks leading up to it, she continued to blame the White House, for the money shortfall in education and other social programs here. Then without missing a beat could go on to justify the light rail line.
As a Bush/republican supporter I can see that there have been many shortcomings in this administration. It just seems that whatever side your on, too many of the Rush's, Hannity's, Comb's, etc, never can acknowledge the shortcomings their side has. That is one of the most frustrating things. So I rarely will listen to any of them.
Too many State and local "leaders" don't want to focus on what they can do to make there area better if they feel a certain function should be supported by the Feds.
We do need the Churches, schools, and communities to work together with citizen involvement, to make things better. What I see in the last 20 years is that we have shift the primary responsibility away from parents and on to the schools, churches etc, but without the power or authority to make decisions. Far too many parents have let basically strangers be the primary influence on their children. Yes some have to work 2 jobs or both parents are working to support the family, but you still need to be accountable for the development of your child. Some have to work a lot just to cover the basic necessities, while others are so busy working to make sure their child has the latest stuff. I grew up dirt poor and now I am able to have "stuff". I can tell you I am no more happier then I was back then. I found back then the less you had the more creative or imaginative you had to be and it kept the brain challenged.
Really a Good post you have here. It is very thought provoking and I appreciate that you made good points on my blog in a Civil way.
Post a Comment