I was talking about this issue with someone the other day who said she wasn't pro-life or pro-choice. She was pro-realist. I liked that. At least in terms of politics, you have to think in terms of what will be practical. If you don't, your laws, no matter how "moral" will fail. The most obvious example of this was Prohibition. There was a strong moral basis for banning alcohol. Also, drinking inflicts many other social ills and kills thousands of people a year. But trying to find a legal solution to a moral and social problem just wasn't the best approach.
First, before moving into my proposals, I want to finally state my moral position on this subject. I am pro-life morally. I believe except in cases where the mothers life or physical health is seriously endangered that one should not opt for an abortion. I don't believe that a fertilized egg is the equivalent of a human life. I don't think that occurs until the brain begins to develop toward sentence. However, I am at a loss as to say at what point that occurs, so I would opt for not pursuing abortion at all, with the exceptions already mentioned.
However, simply passing a law banning abortion is unlikely to work. If we are serious about solving the problem of abortion, the approach cannot be totally legislation-based. So, here is my solution.
1. Return to Roe
Roe, while allowing abortions in the last trimester, did not encourage them. Roe stated that a legitimate concern for fetal life could be considered in the last trimester. I would say a total ban on "late term" abortion is legitimate with the health exceptions already mentioned. It is hard to argue that by the time a child is moving independently in the womb that he or she is not a "person." Charges have been leveled against individuals murdering a late term pregnant mother for two murders in some states which has withstood challenge. It is inconsistent to not consider the fetus a person in a late term abortion
Penalties, however, I feel should not involve jail time for the mothers. Fines and community service should be adequate. However, doctors performing late term abortions should be held to a higher standard with loss of license, heavy fines, and possible jail time for repeat offenses.
2. Waiting Periods
I don't see anything wrong with a "coolingoff" period. A one-week cooling off period seems reasonable. It doesn't interfere with a woman's right to an abortion, but it gives her time to think about what she is doing.
3. Parental Notification
Okay, I agree that teenagers should be provided with contraception without parental notification. That will prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce the number of abortions. However, an abortion is a serious surgical procedure, parents of minor children should be notified. As far as that goes, they should have some say in the decision. I understand that there may be extenuating circumstances such as an estrangement or a non-custodial parent interfering, but a reasonable appeal process and medical emancipation could solve those problems.
On the other hand, I do not believe that parents should be able to force a girl to have an abortion against her will.
4. Pre-teen Sex Education
Okay, I'm not suggesting showing movies of the sex act in kindergarten, but with kids having sex at younger and younger ages, we need to begin to deal with the issue just as they are entering adolescence. What does this have to do with abortion? Research shows that the more accurate information a young person has about sex and sexuality, the longer they will delay first sexual contact and the more responsible they will be when they begin having sex.
Yes, I believe in pre-marital celibacy and as a Christian single I practice that, but again a pro-realist approach recognizes that kids are inundated with images of sexuality in the mass media and some accurate information about sex is necessary to make decisions about sex.
5. Informed Consent
A woman considering abortion should be given information about the risks, both physically and emotionally, of abortion. However, this should be research-based and not anecdotal in nature. We actually need more neutral research done. I would like to see long term outcome studies done by a coalition of pro-choice and pro-life researchers.
For instance, post abortion trauma seems like a legitimate outcome, but I have to wonder how many women are affected and how this compares to other types of post-surgical depression or even postpartum depression.
But, no one should make such a major decision without having all the information available.
6. More prenatal care
Women should have greater access to competent pre-natal care. Even though such is available, many are ineligible or don't know they are eligible. Many have concerns about pregnancy which knowing they had the costs covered would relieve their concern.
7. More Day Care programs
Cost is often a factor in abortions. Young women often worry how they will be able to take care of the costs of raising a child on their own. Many have jobs, but those jobs don't pay enough to cover a babysitter or preschool. Increasing the number of such programs and getting the word out about those that exist could help.
On a related note: family leave plans need to be required of employers. A woman should not have to choose between having a baby and having a job.
8. Liberalizing Adoption
Currently, only a few people find themselves eligible to adopt children. Adoption agencies prefer couples over singles, higher income individuals over lower income ones. The very process of adoption is long, frustrating and complicated. It is also expensive costing from $5000 to $20,000 and more. Many good loving families simply cannot afford to adopt.
While it is important to protect the child, that can be accomplished while streamlining the adoption process.
Telling a mother that she can opt for adoption over abortion sounds good, but the adoption process is fraught with peril. Many adoptive parents worry that the biological mother will assert parental rights several years down the road. Making adoption easier and more secure would help both adoptive families and the biological mothers.
Of course, adoption is not the absolute solution many pro-lifers make it out to be. Most adoptive parents are looking for white, healthy infants. A downs syndrome baby or an African-American child will find it difficult to be adopted. Still, by opening up adoption to more people the chances of an unwanted child being adopted increases dramatically.
8. Tone down the rhetoric
Someone has said that insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. By that definition, the pro-life movement is insane. Protests in front of clinics have been going on for three decades with no effect. Yelling at young women that they are murdering their babies has not reduced the numbers of abortions. Marches, insults, bombings and voting Republican has not done a single thing to impact abortion.
We need to show our concern for the young girl facing motherhood before her senior prom. We need to share the worry of a couple who have four children already and don't know how they will afford a fifth. We need to cry with the college student whose parents kicked her out of the house when she "got knocked up." These are generally ordinary people who don't see any hope except abortion. Insulting them is not going to help them make a rational decision.
9. Seek non-legislative solutions
Perhaps the best use of pro-life resources is for Crisis Pregnancy Centers (as long as they are honest about their Pro-life philosophy). Many women seeking abortions simply don't think they have any other alternative. Helping them see the alternatives, providing them with practical help with pre-natal care, planning, placement of an unwanted child with a family, or helping with paying for maternity clothes, and baby supplies. Just helping a woman solve some problems can go a long way toward preventing an abortion.
I'm sure this plan will not set well with everyone. The pro-lifers won't like it because it recognizes that abortion is not going away. The pro-choice crowd won't like it because of issues like parental notification and waiting periods. The fact t hat the extremists on each side won't like it probably means it is workable.
But in a diverse, democratic society, we have to realize that none of us are ever going to get everything we want. This plan does have the potential of reducing the numbers of abortion and maybe begin to change attitudes toward it.
Of course, I'm not in power, and my words may mean little to those who are in power, but this may be a starting point for a discussion with those who do have the power.
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