An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right

« Palin Bush Pilot

With McCain, If It Is Not The “L” Word, It Has To Be The “G.O.” Thing »

The Abortion Journey

Posted by DAVID SCHRAUB, Assistant Editor in At TMV.
Oct 3rd, 2008 | Comments

Volokh conspirator Todd Zywicki has an interesting post up asking about people’s development on the issue of abortion. Specifically, how and why they might have changed their mind on the issue. He says that he knows plenty of people who used to be pro-choice, but became pro-life — but few who made the opposite journey. And for those who have, he’s curious as to what prompted the change in mindset.

You can read about my own journey on this issue here, but the comments to Prof. Zywicki’s post are interesting as well. And of course, I’d be interested to hear your own perspective on how you’ve come to think about this issue.

Ads by Project Wonderful! Your ad here, right now: $0

duskglow

I was pro-life and became pro-choice.

What prompted this was the realization that I was only pro-life because it was what I was told to believe, that I do not know when a baby becomes viable, and because of that that it's none of my business what choice a woman makes. I still find abortion abhorrent, but I believe that a woman can decide for herself whether to make that choice and I have no intention of telling her what to do.

BTW, I find the artificial distinction between pro-choice and pro-life to be disingenuous. You can be both. One thing that the conservatives have been fairly successful at doing is framing pro-choice as pro-abortion. It is not. I am not pro-abortion, but I am pro-choice. And I think you will find that most choicers are the same way. The only people who would say different are those who are trying to discredit the entire pro-choice movement by putting words in their mouth like "abortions for all", etc.

It disgusts me, actually.

chasinfremont

My take is that in the absence of the horror stories produced by abortion being illegal, many people will take the moral path of least resistance and say that they are pro-life. We would be wise to remember that Roe vs. Wade was decided in the 1970's when truly awful stories of black market back alley doctors and anguished women with coat hangers were far more common in public discourse. Thank God we don't have those conditions today in the USA. Our collective memory is short. If more people employed introspection and history with regard to their opinions I believe most would be pro-choice, as they were when the Supreme Court ruled.

blog comments powered by Disqus