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Dec. 28, 2004 As an undergrad at the Catholic liberal arts university I attended, I took a class, “Moral Issues and the Law,” that dealt with issues such as gambling, the death penalty, prostitution, drugs, and abortion. The professor was an attorney and, as I recall years later, we had a seminary student, males/females, foreign students, and at least one non-Catholic - myself. The professor used a Round Table discussion format and the debates were lively although, as one might predict of debates on these subjects, no winners were ever declared. The range of viewpoints I heard in that class more than twenty years ago are, surprisingly, no different than those expressed today. Isn’t it funny how moral dilemmas survive the ages? Be it Socrates, or Shakespeare, or this week’s episode of “All My Children,” the gray area between good and evil remains unchanged. I was reminded of that class when a recent conversation turned to the abortion issue. We touched on all the usual dimensions of that debate, but I was left with a new thought: is abortion a moral issue that has become a moot topic for politicians? Like almost all debate in America, abortion’s headlines typically reflect extreme positions – those who abhor all abortion versus those who staunchly defend the freedom of choice. While polls have continuously shown that the majority of Americans fall somewhere in the middle, we don’t hear as much about those compromise positions. The pro- lifer’s stance is easily stated: life is sacrosanct and is to be protected from the moment of conception. Certainly an admirable mindset and its proponents are genuinely sincere. The pro-choice advocates have a more complex argument, but its logic is compelling to many. They believe that a woman’s body is hers alone to do with as she chooses. The extremists among this faction grant the woman that right until late term. Some also theorize how the loss of this control over one’s body could foreseeably lead to forced organ donation – someone could die if one does not “donate” their spare kidney or blood. A bit far-fetched, but the logic is discernible. The majority of Americans fall in the middle. Some would allow abortion in cases of rape and incest. Most would allow it when the mother’s life would be in danger if she proceeds to full term. If the baby will be born with severe defects, many would allow abortion. The courts have tried to apply scientific principles in an attempt to define the exact moment when life begins, however science has advanced and there are now valid concerns with the calculations utilized in Roe v. Wade. So, with all these different views and the uncertain science, why do I believe the abortion issue is moot, you ask? I think the issue is moot because there is no realistic capability to enforce a ban on abortion. Forget the pro-choice scare tactic of warning about the possibility of a return to the “back alley butchers” – those unlicensed and unregulated providers in the era before Roe v. Wade legalized abortion. Forget the pro-lifers shrill cries to ban abortions so that all children can be saved. Neither result will occur from a ban on abortions. Abortions are performed by pill today in early term cases. With the advent of the “morning after” pill, many more pregnancies will not even progress to that point. Certainly, the number of surgical abortions is decreasing from these medical advances. To effect a ban on abortions, America would need the capability of restricting access to those pills. Why would anyone think that can be accomplished when we’ve not been able to stop the importation of thousands of tons of illegal drugs every year despite hundreds of millions spent trying? No, banning abortion would simply create one more black market item that will produce millions in profits for our country’s smugglers and similar profits for foreign manufacturers. Furthermore, although this is just a guess on my part, women may be prone to risky use of those pills without professional guidance. Almost certainly there would be women who take the pills too far along in their pregnancy. And there will be women who take too high or too low of a dosage. Finally, as any druggie will attest, quality varies greatly and I’m sure black market abortion pills will be affected as well. The net effects of a ban on abortion will probably be: 1) a slight decrease in the total number, 2) more affluent women opting for safe abortions in foreign countries, 3) many less fortunate women resorting to illegal drug pushers, 4) a slight increase in suicides ala pre-Roe days although much of the stigma of unwed births has, unfortunately, abated, 5) a booming black market in abortion pills with its predictable corruption, and 6) deaths or whatever side effects come from abortion pill overdose. Just as I opined in that college classroom so many years ago, on several topics in addition to abortion, I believe the answer still lies in education. Legislating morality criminalizes belief and is almost always subject to widespread disobedience with a resulting drain on valuable law enforcement resources that should be used to fight real crime. With apologies to the Pope, contraception is so easily obtained and utilized that there is literally no excuse for unwanted pregnancies, except in minor girls. (Being morally conservative, I don’t believe minors should have access to contraceptives without parental consent although, again, I doubt our law enforcement capability could accomplish that goal) For a fraction of the cost of enforcing an abortion ban, we could educate parents and, with their permission, educate their children to probably produce the same net reduction in abortions as a ban would accomplish. So, as much as I admire the anti-abortion stance of the religious right, give it up. Concentrate on passing down your morals through education and communication, and save your fighting strength for winnable battles. Don’t dwell on legalized abortion as a lost war, abortions are decreasing and will continue to do so. Those medical advances resulted from your fight and the “morning after” pill prevents conception – your dogma is safe. ------------ About the author: Ron Lewis is a software salesman extraordinaire, albeit habitually unemployed, with no significant accomplishments at age 47 other than two wonderfully talented children who take after their mother. All his friends note his keen insight, bad eyesight, doggedly jaded disposition, and rugged bad looks. A third person seems to recall that he talks too much. Email: grnacres@direcway.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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