Progressives need to have a discussion about abortion. We need to acknowledge that it is a difficult, and heartfelt issue for many people. Since the SCOTUS handed down Roe v Wade in 1973, Americans have been bitterly divided on the issue. Unfortunately the GOP and right-wing have succeeded in framing the language of the debate and put those of us who support legal abortion on the defensive for the last 43 years. The GOP have framed the debate as life vs choice. That framing presents many problems for progressives. First the GOP have managed to proclaim themselves as the protectors of helpless innocent beings, while portraying liberals as “baby killers”. It is pretty hard to keep winning that argument, especially when liberals claim to be the champions of oppressed people.
Of course that is a simplistic framing of a complex issue, but it resonates with many people.. We must change the frame of this debate, I don’t think choice is effective. By arguing for choice we end up arguing that we support choosing to “kill babies”. I like the way some progressives have started to refer to anti-choice politicians as forced birthers. But I am not sure that the forced birth language is effective in re-framing the debate.
I think it is imperative we acknowledge that abortion is rarely a desired outcome. I would argue that it is the best option in cases of rape, incest, or severe birth defects (like those caused by Zika). We need to re-frame the debate. We need to remind voters that abortions will be reduced if women have proper access to birth control, family planning and affordable health care . Access to birth control and family planning reduces the number of women who find themselves with an unwanted pregnancies. Women who still find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy need to have access to affordable health and childcare. I wonder what percentage of abortions are for purely economic reasons?
It is a fact that a majority of Americans support legal abortion, but a significant minority oppose it and they are heartfelt in their opposition. According to Pew
56% of U.S. adults say it should be legal in all or most cases, compared with 41% who say it should be illegal
Republicans and Democrats differ on their views, but there are Republicans who support legal abortion and Democrats that oppose it. Again according to Pew
What I find interesting about this research is the fact that 14 % of liberal Democrats think abortion should be illegal in most cases, and 30% of conservative Republicans believe it should remain legal.
The views we hold on legal abortion are not always the same as our views about the morality of abortion. According to Pew
About half of Americans (49%) say that having an abortion is morally wrong, while 15% think it is morally acceptable and 23% say it is not a moral issue.
Religious affiliation affects how people view the morality of abortion.
I learned an interesting fact. According to Pew
Roughly six-in-ten Americans (62%) know Roe v. Wade was a decision about abortion, but among adults under 30 years old, only 44% know. Younger adults also are less likely to view abortion as an important issue: 62% of Americans ages 18 to 29 say it is “not that important” compared with other issues, while 53% of adults overall say this.
This might explain why trying to convince millennials that the SCOTUS is the most important reason to support Hillary isn’t always effective. If only 44% of them even know what Roe vs Wade is it is pretty hard to convince them it is important. Of course they take it for granted that abortion is legal because it has been legal their whole life. They have no experience living in a country where abortion is not legal. No wonder 62% of them say it isn’t important. They don’t know what life was like without it.
How can we ever get past the divisive fight over legal abortion? Can we find any common ground? How can we as liberals re-frame the debate? Are we willing to compromise and if so how? Are we willing to accept a ban on 3rd trimester abortions with exceptions? Will this ever be enough for the rabidly anti-abortion folks?
I am convinced that some Trump support comes from anti-abortion voters who view the issue as the most important. In fact I assume it is the primary reason Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio and Mitch McConnell are still backing Trump. I assume it is why many evangelical Christians are still backing Trump despite the fact that he is a sexual predator. In their minds having an abortion is worse than being a sexual predator. I doubt we can change the minds of people who think like Ryan, Rubio and McConnell. But for most people the issue isn’t black and white and maybe they can be persuaded to work with us to reduce abortions but keep them safe and legal.