Image: SIBAS_minich - Getty Images
Doctor with pregnant woman
Now that Roe v. Wade has been aborted, candidates for office and anti-abortionists can claim that they are “pro-life.” But whose life are they the “pro”? The life of the fetus. The life of the bearer of the fetus is completely ignored.
How are humans conceived? When a male fertilizes the egg produced by a female. Thus, each sex has equal responsibility for creating the fetus.
Then things change. After conception, the female now is 100% responsible for bringing the fetus to viability. In a perfect world every conception would result in a birth. But we are not living in a perfect world. The ban on abortion is a classic example of a simplistic solution to a complex problem.
What is the major reason women cite for wanting an abortion? That they cannot afford to raise another child. And 17% of the children in the United States—the world's wealthiest country—are living in poverty.
There are other reasons.
Has anybody heard of a girl made pregnant by her boyfriend who then dumped her? Or made pregnant by her father or a member or “friend” of the family. Or (heaven forbid!) by a clergyman? Has anyone heard of a woman who became pregnant because of rape? Has anyone heard of a woman who was so distraught over an unwanted pregnancy that she committed suicide?
OK, you can lower your hands now.
The Center for Disease Control says that three million women in the U.S. experienced rape-related pregnancies in their lifetimes. In 2021 in the US 71,548 women were raped or sexually assaulted. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center says that one in five women in the US have experienced complete or attempted rape in their lifetimes. In 33 major US universities almost one in four undergraduate women experienced sexual assaults.
Seven percent of American women attempt self-abortion, and more than a fourth of their attempts are successful.
Before Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973 pregnancy-related deaths in this country were about 6.3 per 100,000 women. After Roe v. Wade was passed pregnancy-related deaths fell to less than one per 100,000.
In 1982 Canada approved legal abortion. Among the reasons was a rash of young women who killed themselves trying to self-abort. As well as legalizing abortion, Canada banned demonstrations at abortion clinics.
The U.S. “ban” on abortion doesn't prevent it, but merely drives it underground. Wealthy women can skirt the ban by traveling to places where abortion is legal. Poor women have to resort to the back-alley butcher or try self-abortion.
|
|
My view: If the woman next door is pregnant and chooses to have an abortion, that is none of my business. It is an issue involving the woman, the man who made her pregnant, her doctor, and God. Like my favorite Supreme Court justice, Sandra Day O'Connor, I am pro-choice.
Roe v. Wade was passed on Jan. 23, 1973, in a 7-2 decision. Following are the justices, the president who nominated them, and the justices' religions.
APPROVING
Chief Justice Warren Burger, Nixon appointee, Presbyterian.
Harry Blackmun, who wrote the decision, Nixon appointee, Methodist.
Lewis Powell, Nixon appointee, Presbyterian.
William Douglas, FDR appointee, Presbyterian.
William Brennan, Eisenhower appointee, Catholic.
Potter Stewart, Eisenhower appointee, Episcopalian.
Thurgood Marshall, Johnson appointee, Episcopalian.
DISSENTING
Byron White, Kennedy appointee, Episcopalian.
William Rehnquist, Nixon appointee, Lutheran.
Best solution to the abortion problem? Resurrect Roe v. Wade and make birth-control drugs and methods easily obtainable to all. Not perfect, but fair. And ban demonstrations at abortion clinics.
