The Pro-Life and Pro-Choice forces have been duking it out in the United States for almost five decades, and the most disappointing characteristic about the battle is its binary nature. Black and white. Life and death. War and peace.
The flawed thinking is that if you’re pro-choice you’re pro-murder and if you’re pro-life you’re just a religious rube.
There was a terrific movie starring Laura Dern and Swoozie Kurtz that tackled this issue in “Citizen Ruth.” Dern played a young girl who sold her body for drugs and became pregnant. She became the cause celebre’ for both sides, which used all kinds of warfare to use her and protect her.
The two sides finally squared off at a house where she was holed up after being captured by the pro-choicers. While the shrieking warriors did battle outside, Citizen Ruth had a miscarriage and escaped out the back door. That’s how the movie ended.
Some recent events gave me cause to pause and reflect on this contentious issue.
One occurred about 20 years ago when I had to edit an obituary about a little boy in Hastings who was deliberately brought to term and birthed, only to die after seven hours. He was born without a brain. His parents knew it beforehand and decided to have him be born regardless.
Not long ago another couple in northeast Allegan County knew ahead of time their son would not survive more than a couple of hours after birth, but they wanted him to be baptized.
These two cases test the pro-choice crowd. If you’re pro-choice, you believe the issue should be decided by the doctor and the child’s parents, not by politicians, who have made a lot of hay over the past 50 years because of the abortion issue.
I sincerely believe that indeed, the decision to have the child despite the horror of it passing in less than a day, is that of the physicians and the parents. But there is an economic problem as well.
The United States has the most expensive health care system in the world, and it’s cases like these two that contribute that that unpleasant fact. And in America, the costs for the parents’ choice were extremely high, causing one couple to ask for help with a GoFundMe. Then it becomes the choice of those who support the couple’s difficult decision.
The emotional issue of abortion has been a complicated one over many years. It’s not as simple as being “pro-babies” or “pro-murder.”
I personally will be glad to have this settled once and for all at the ballot box in Michigan Nov. 8. Pro-Lifers have very skillfully and patiently worked hard for 49 years to have Roe vs. Wade overturned.
Not it’s soon time for the Pro-Choice movement to put up or shut up.
Interesting, not a passing mention to a constitutional amendment? Do you truly want the issue settled? or is put up or shut up, meaning pay up to progressive groups and Democrats? The Supreme Court struck down a national law and will again, it is unconstitutional, amend the constitution and end the argument, or is it to lucrative for the progressives? 70% of Americans want some limited abortion they could easily pass an amendment. Please read the Bill of Rights.
Mr. Traxler,
With respect to your point of view, and with no skin in the MI game this November, it is my opinion that waiting for a Constitutional amendment is another game in futility. Look to the Equal Rights Amendment of 1972. It finally received the 3/4 ratification of 38 states in 2018, after the deadline established by Congress had lapsed. 50 years after its proposal and it still has not been achieved. Now that Roe v Wade has been overturned, women in this country cannot afford to wait another 50 years for full dominion over their own bodies and their reproductive health. Sure, an amendment to the Constitution would provide a permanent solution. That being almost impossible to achieve, state ballot initiatives are our next best solution to the issue.
No one has the right to decide issues pertaining to my body, or the bodies of other females. My body is the ultimate domain of my existence. It’s no one else’s damn business what I do with it. End of story.
“My body is the ultimate domain of my existence. It’s no one else’s damn business what I do with it. End of story.”
Hmmmmmm………..You and your liberal friends wanted to force the therapeutic jab on MY body………..Sorry sweetheart, once again you want it both ways……….
Cheers!!
I’m gonna back Dave up a little on this one Bob.
We both know that the GOP is so aligned with rabid anti-any-abortionists that no member of the GOP would survive politically if they supported such an amendment. Since 1980 I have never heard the idea of such a thing ever get proposed by a Republican politician. If it happened, I missed it.
The fight against abortion is big money for the GOP as well. Its an issue that unites them and us while it neatly divides all of us.
The only thing more impossible than an amendment is agreement by both sides on the issue of abortion.
More evidence of a depraved nation and society. What happened to being responsible for ones actions? Selfishness……