How about abortion? Controversial enough for you?
The discussion about abortion and it's legality and morality frustrates me. Not because of which side of the pro-choice / pro-life struggle I find myself on, but rather because of how the war is waged. This issue has struck me with the recent the murder of a doctor who provided abortions in Wichita Kansas.
Brian's issue #1. If pro-lifers think taking a life is wrong than why is it alright to kill a man while he greets people at his church? The entire abortion debate is littered with inconsistencies. I almost can't hold back when I hear someone in public, (and why people feel the need to be publicly outspoken about such matters to strangers boggles my mind and will be a later post) demonize abortions and then advocate for the death penalty. And don't get me started on the willingness of people to use science and medicine to get pregnant against natures will, but unwilling to recognize a place for science to end pregnancy against natures will. Pro-choicers are guilty here too. The stance that abortions should be cheap, easy and readily available doesn't fly with me. Should we also have cheap, easy and readily available angioplasty, hip replacements and neurosurgery? Medicine is not a drive through industry.
Brian's issue #2. Abortion is not the only end to the situation of an unwanted pregnancy. Why is there not more attention given to adoption? Why does the public discussion center around "keep the baby or have an abortion"? Having seen a few people go through the process it seems as though there are lots of people willing to adopt but fewer babies available (at least in the US, not to mention the hard reality that many parents want racially similar babies to themselves leaving minority adoptees unclaimed).
Brian's issue #3. Isn't the discussion about abortion a band-aid discussion? The issue is unwanted pregnancy, so lets discuss that! Prevention and education has it's own land mines, but also has a place for everyone to advocate as opposed to lashing out at the wrongness of the other side. Proponents of abstinence education may not agree with contraception availability to teens, but one does not necessitate undermining the other to further their stance. Abstinence encouragement, sex-ed in schools and contraceptive availability all get to the same end.... less unwanted buns in the oven.
It angers me that abortion has become a black and white political platform, when, like most of science and medicine, it is very grey. NPR's, Talk of the Nation, (click "listen to tuesdays shows" and select the 3rd section labeled Health Care) had an interesting discussion on the topic after the announcement by George Tiller's family that his clinic will close permanently. The pro-choice commentator discussed the standard talking points, but also mentioned that she has never seen a women come into her clinic with a flippant casual attitude towards getting an abortion. The pro-life commentator also espoused the talking points of their stance, and then clearly recognized the medical need for abortions, but that those circumstances are not clearly defined. Too often I think the persona of trollops using abortion as birth control, and the stance that all conceived embryos should be carried to birth skews these discussions.
I can't help but think that when people are forced by society to align as pro-choice or pro-life that they are over polarizing them selves, and more tragically and artificially move farther away from the grey of the argument where most of us are, and where I think, the resolution can be found.
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