Why Abortion Bans Backfire

We need a different sort of conversation.

Steven Yates

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Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

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…

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Steven Yates
Steven Yates

Written by Steven Yates

I am the author of What Should Philosophy Do? A Theory. I write about philosophy (especially the Stoics), health and systems, and the future if we have one.

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