Ours is a time of rapid advance in science and hopefully also an ever advancing and aware human race. The time has come for a peace treaty to be forged between abortion foes and supporters. The pro-choice and pro-life factions seem to be as far apart as they can conceivably be, in fact the national prominence of this issue has polarized our country. There must be a common middle ground.
If the ACLU and the NRA can join forces to fight USA Patriot Act restrictions on our civil rights, then I’m guessing a reasonable compromise both sides can live with is possible. Let’s face it, the extremes on both sides are radical and such positions are typically tied more heavily to emotional attachment to one’s own view point than to logic.
The radical pro-lifers want complete societal control of a woman’s sexuality which means: no sex until marriage, no birth control and correspondingly no abortion under any condition. Sounds like the suppression of women’s rights so prevalent in the middle east. In addition, this is not a reasonable expectation given humanity’s tendency to procreate. After all, you and I would not be here if our parents didn’t “do it.” (Born-Again virgins are a prime example of a departure from reality, but that’s another story.) The radical pro-choicers want on-demand abortion asserting that an embryo is nothing but a blob of tissue; a simple procedure and away it goes. However, given nine months without interference and the reasonable good health of the woman and a newborn appears.
Preventing the necessity of making a tough choice is the best “choice” for all concerned. Certainly the fringe extremes will probably never agree, but I contend there is a great silent majority who would agree a woman’s control over her ability and willingness to conceive or not conceive through readily available birth control, and the proper education to use it, could eliminate most unwanted pregnancies and correspondingly the need for abortion or the burden of an unwanted child.
If eliminating the need for most abortions due to a shift to preventing unwanted pregnancies became the shared goal for both sides, could they lay down their arms and declare peace? How could you keep up the fight? Is the well being of women really the nobel cause? Or is the fight itself the goal? Nations across the globe wage war generation after generation, unable to break destructive patterns engrained in their beings. Are the abortion warriors victims of a similar affliction?
The need for all abortions can never be completely eliminated, but a substantial reduction is possible if the coalitions of opposing views band together for the public good. Certainly modern science has made great strides over the last 20 years inviting a fresh look at the options. The logical answer is to give women the tools to control their own destiny and they will prevent the crisis situation of unwanted pregnancy and live happier lives.
