So, it's no secret on this page that I am rapidly pro-life. I don't beat around the bush on this topic.
But, what you may not know is that I don't see it as a black and white issue.
I believe in life. I believe that life is the greatest gift bestowed upon us. Whether by God, by nature, by accident, whatever. We only get one chance to live. I do not support robbing someone of that chance. Period. And, when I say this, I am referring to the VAST majority of abortions. Those done because two consenting adults had consensual sex and that consensual sex resulted in a viable fetus.
Here's the rub. I am not so naïve to think that by banning abortion we will actually stop abortion. If prostitution is the worlds oldest profession, the abortion is the worlds oldest sin. For as long as women have been having babies, some of them have tried to not have babies.
What's my point? My point is that, if we want fewer abortions, we won't get them by outlawing abortion. We will get them by making the choice to have an abortion less appealing than keeping and raising a child. This is where I get in fights with many of my former Republican cohorts. We want to educate people on how to NOT get pregnant. We want to provide them with health care so that if they do get pregnant, both mother and baby are taken care of. We need to support them after the child is born. While I hate the term "anti-choice," I don't think "pro-birth" is far off for many right wingers. They oppose abortion but they also oppose anything that makes carrying and raising a child easier.
Parental leave. School lunch programs. Pre-school/daycare support. All these things.
OH, BUT SOCIALISM!!!!
Fuck off. What's worse? Relevant social programs that promote health and stability for Americans? Or more dead babies? Give me some Socialism if it saves lives.
Here's my other issue. I have always admired the Supreme Court as a place where partisanship ends. Where justices look at the law and make decisions based on only the law. Not on how they voted at the ballot box. Yes, I consider myself a Constitutionalist. Meaning, I believe the Constitution should be enforced as written. It was written to be changed. So, if you don't like how it's written, then change it!
HOWEVER! It is absurdly hard to argue that this was not a partisan decision. This concerns me because, if one side can do it, so can the other. The decisions coming out this week on the hot topic items appear to be leaning VERY far right. The public school football coach who made a spectacle of his praying after football games. The NY gun restrictions (why are states' rights only important when it's pro-conservative?). And Roe v Wade. Definitely feels like there is an agenda. An agenda that is particularly shitty given the circumstances of the last 3 justices.
Finally, let's talk about the outrageous opinion by Clarence Thomas. This guy wants to go gangbusters! They are really making the case for Supreme Court term limits. I have never supported these before. But Thomas has single handedly changed my mind this week. You can't just go around reversing every court decision you don't like! That takes away any validity the court has.
Do I believe there is a constitutional right to abortion? No. I pretty much side with what was written in that sense. But, I do believe there is a right to privacy that is STRONGLY implied. I can see where the original decision came from based on this. And, I think that Thomas is an idiot if he actually believes the government can tell consenting adults who they can or can't get jiggy with.
Am I sad about the decision. No. But, I'm not really happy, either. I think it creates more problems than it solves. As I said, this won't end abortion. I don't want dead babies. Know what I want less? Dead babies AND dead mothers.
So, to my Pro-Life friends. Time to put your money and your votes where your mouth is. Time to support health care. Time to support paid parental leave. Time to support school lunch, free pre-school, sex education, etc, etc, etc. THIS, hopefully, will lead to fewer abortions.
To my Pro-Choice friends. Not all Pro-Life people are simply Pro-Birth. I can't say none of us are. In fact, I unfortunately can't even say that most of us are. But, many of us really truly want what's best for both mom and baby. Is this where we can find common ground? Guess we'll see.
And that's all I have to say about that.
