OK, I never post diaries. But I found myself peppering entries all over Armando's abortion diary today, and wanted to write a short rant.
Why are we yielding our ground in the abortion fight?
Why is it that we're willing to consider adopting prohibitions on late-term abortions as a way to "defuse" the issue? Why do so many on the left look at the Roe doctrine and the status quo as the best possible situation for abortion rights? It's not, people. Abortions are woefully hard to get in far too many states, and doctors who perform them are far too heavily penalized for offering the procedures.
It's like we latched onto the "Rare" part of the "Safe, Legal and Rare" Clinton construction to the exclusion of everything else. And then we missed the point! "Rare" doesn't mean "restricted by law." It means "as unnecessary as possible."
Here are my abortion principles. Does anyone out there share them?
- A woman's right to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy is always greater than the protections that should be granted to the fetus. The fetus may still be protected, but such protections can only apply against outside actors, and can never operate to limit the woman's right to choose termination.
- Sexual education should be widespread, mandatory, sophisticated and effective. Every child should know, before puberty, exactly what the consequences of procreation are and exactly how to limit its probability.
- Abortion providers should be regulated so that the procedures can be done as efficiently and safely as possible. Government money should ensure that facilities are outfitted with the most hygienic equipment available.
- Support should be available at all stages of the family planning process for all Americans. Free contraceptives should be everywhere. Chemical abortifacients should be available by prescription, and pharmacists who refuse to provide them and doctors who refuse to prescribe them without good medical reasons should lose their licenses. Abortions should be offered free to those that cannot pay. Prenatal health care should be similarly subsidized, as should delivery and postnatal care.
My core values relating to abortion are these: health, safety, education and women's rights. I absolutely disagree with those who advocate elevating the fetus's right to exist over every other consideration in the abortion battle. I just as absolutely disagree with people on my side of the aisle who are willing to make conciliatory overtures about limiting access to abortions. Implying that the fetus's right can EVER trump the mother's rights is just as harmful as concluding that it does so, starting at conception. It yields the principle. I want to keep my moral righteousness, thank you very much.
Fewer abortions would certainly be a hallmark of a principled policy of reproductive rights. But it's not a prerequisite, and it shouldn't even be the goal. The goal should be better safety, health and education and stronger support for those making reproductive choices. That's my moral high ground.