If there is one thing that we can all agree on, it's that there are far too many abortions in this country each year (over 1 million).
Like the majority of Americans, I am pro-choice, but I don't think that I have particularly strong feelings on the issue. It is possible that part of the reason is that I am a man and I have never been in a situation where my partner and I have had to consider questions related to abortion. I think it is more likely, however, that my feelings are not strong on abortion because I just don't know what to think. Is abortion really taking the life of an innocent baby? I don't know. Is a woman's right to choose worth more than the life of an unborn child? Maybe.
I don't think I am alone on this one among many Americans. Most issues lend themselves to a spectrum of opinions. People can have very nuanced views on the appropriate level of taxes, immigration policies, and even on a timetable for withdrawal of troops from Iraq. To me it seems like the abortion debate is either you are for abortion or you are not. Because the sides of the debate are so polarized, there doesn't seem to be any middle ground sometimes.
While I am not for one second arguing that we should concede ANYTHING to the right wing on this issue, Democrats should speak to the middle and take the moral high ground. I think we can do this by advocating a policy of cutting the abortion rate in half.
How would we do this?
When a woman goes through the decision of whether to have an abortion or not, there is an agonizing process of thinking about the costs of such a decision. If we want to make birth a more viable option, there have to be fewer costs associated with raising the child than with having an abortion. I don't mean to reduce such a difficult decision to a cost-benefit analysis, but in the end each person must weigh the pros and cons given their personal beliefs and given situation.
What are the costs of raising the child, in the year 2005?
Economic
A real discussion needs to be had on poverty in this country. What are its roots? How can a person pull themselves out of poverty? What is the role of the government in making life better for both the urban and rural poor? It is important to have this discussion, but I'll leave that to other diarists at this point.
From a more immediate standpoint, there are many things we can do to help mothers (and families) give their children a secure start at life. I'm talking about affordable housing and universal healthcare, among other things. There aren't many things that are more important than having a roof over your head and a place to go when you are sick. If a mother knows that she cannot provide these things to her child, of course abortion will seem like the more rational (and compassionate) choice!
Work concerns
People have to work. There needs to be more and better childcare options for working mothers. Many urban poor in this country today are working 60 hours per week between multiple jobs just to get by. Who can raise a child given such demands? Not only do companies need to do a better job of supporting mothers during pregnancy, in the months after the child is born, and in the ensuing years, but there should be better community daycare centers so that mothers can work full-time jobs if they need to and still give their children a safe, reliable place to stay during the day.
Lack of options
I admittedly don't know much about the foster care and adoption systems in this country, but it seems like they could be made much safer and more efficient. While no mother would ever want to give up her child, the choice would be easier if she could be guaranteed that her child would really have a better life in a foster care or adoption environment. The government should do more to promote adoption and the process should be easier, more efficient, and more compassionate.
This diary is just a short brainstorm. If we could take action steps on these ideas alone, I am sure that the abortion rate would decline. As it is now, there are over 1 million abortions in the United States each year. We can all agree that this number is way too high.
Promoting the goal of cutting the abortion rate in half would give Democrats the moral high-ground and allow us to have a more open social dialogue on issues like affordable housing, universal healthcare, and the fact of poverty in this country itself. Plus, it would solidify the support for Democrats of moderates and people like me who do not really know what to think about abortion. The abortion issue is so politically and morally charged, but I think this is one thing we can all get behind.