Why Abortion Bans Backfire
We need a different sort of conversation.
I’m pro-life. Stay with me here.
The Arizona Supreme Court ban on nearly all abortions a week ago was boneheaded. It’s backfiring, and with Democrats having a field day, the decision could cost Republicans the state this November. I know a lot of readers will probably see that as a good thing.
The decision revived an eons-old (1864, Civil War era) law. It banned all abortions other than those necessary to save a woman’s life. (Text of original law and ASC decision here.)
The problem is that court-ordered bans do not address issues at the right level. For this reason, neither this, nor the U.S. Supreme Court’s abrupt overturning of Roe v Wade without preparation or discussion of where to go next, were good ideas.
Surprised? This pro-lifer would like a more nuanced conversation. If you would too, then read on.
Abortion Is Not a Mere Political / Legal Problem.
Is this a “mere” political problem with a political solution? Let’s think it through from the very beginning.
What does abortion do? Ends a life, obviously. A human life. Once, long ago, when teaching a contemporary moral issues class, I asked students, “Is a fetus…