Right to Life vs. Freedom of Choice
This is an issue is one that sparks emotions and heated debate. On the surface, it appears that there are two clear sides, but I find the specifics a bit unclear. Polls show that the majority of people favor abortion rights, but does that mean that those folks are all in agreement? I think not. There are some that favor late-term abortions while others do not agree. On the other side, there are people that believe that believe that life must be protected from the instant of conception while others are ok with the morning-after pill and even very early termination.
On one extreme side, people believe that life begins at conception and that abortion, at any stage is murder. There should be no exceptions regardless of rape, incest or threat of death to the mother.
On the other extreme side, folks believe that the decision to abort is solely a personal decision with no restrictions.
To my knowledge, currently, there is no state that abolishes abortion from conception. My information is that Oklahoma currently has the most restrictive law. They ban abortions after 6 weeks with exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and the threat of life of the mother.
To extremists on both sides, this does is not an acceptable compromise. Should women have the unrestricted right to determine the life of the fetus? Should any government (Federal or State) have the right to restrict reproductive freedom?
Should a woman have the responsibility to make an early decision regarding pregnancy termination? These are all valid questions leading to my assertion that the issue is not as black and white as the extremes claim. While I fully agree with the Oklahoma law that provides exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and the threat of death to the mother, I think that the 6-week time frame might be too short as many women are not aware of pregnancy within that time frame. Perhaps 10 weeks would be more reasonable? (I do understand the “heartbeat” argument). Timing is an issue that requires debate.
I suspect that what we see at most of the protests are folks that represent the extremes. I also suspect that the more moderate majority are not aware of the facts. The extremes will likely never reach a compromise, but I believe the majority can.