I'm sick of abortion as an issue.  And I feel that I can say that from a position of experience.  In the 70's, I trained problem pregnancy counselors.  At that time, in Indiana, abortion was illegal.  By helping women get abortions, we could have been charged as accessories to homicide.  Yet, we persisted in offering this choice.  Without the hope of finding ways to get a legal abortion, many more of the women we saw would have died or been maimed by illegal abortions.  The right to make this decision about one's body is basic.
I am sick of abortion as an issue.  We have stopped talking about the full range of values and focus on this.  The left is defensive about their stand while the right talks only about abortion.  The cynical have hijacked this issue to avoid talking about important things such as hunger, health care, pensions, and the split between poor and rich.  I feel incredible sorrow as I hear that people are dying in Pakistan as the helicopters stop flying because of lack of money.  I hate the fact that "good" Catholics feel that their soul is in peril if they vote an antiwar, anti capitol punishment ticket that doesn't condemn all abortions.  The moral issues are so diverse.  We need to broaden our dialogue.

I'm sick of abortion, and I urge the Democrats to say that they are done with this battle (update: we continue to stand firmly pro-choice, but that we know that that is where most Americans stand and we act on that without apology. Not, that we back down in any way - Supreme Court or legislation.)  Middle Americans are more reasonable than most of the people shaping political campaigns.  Saying clearly that we take a moral stand, that we value life, and that we also support the right of a woman to choose, seems so simple.  Refusing to get embroiled in this battle may finally free us from having our moral stands constantly upstaged by a false debate. The far right talks as if we rejoice whenever an abortion takes place.  The pro-choice lobby fights a good fight, but they have also lost their sense of perspective.  This is not the only issue in this country.  

I am sick of talking about abortion. I love to see the left continue to say that abortion should be legal, safe, and rare.  We need to call out anyone who blocks easily available contraception, good sex education, and support for poverty stricken mothers.  But then we need to say that we are tired of a false debate.  We need to talk about other moral issues.  We need to say that we stand for good quality of life for all people, not just for fetuses.  We need to say that we respect all people who value life, but that we will not let the government get involved in the battle about what a woman does with her body. And then we need to invite all caring people - people of all religions and of no religion to join us in trying to make this world a place where life is precious for all people.