The pro-life agenda comes down to prioritizing an axiomatic truth: once conceived, a person is a person, and their rights shouldn’t be disregarded just because they are in utero.
You might disagree with that logic, or want to clarify it, or reword it. But most people actually incorporate it in some way into their philosophy. Most people agree with the idea that even before birth, a person-to-be should be protected, and be considered precious, and be wanted. The way most people feel about abortion is it’s a big swathe of gray, not black and white, and every case is difficult and different.
So, it seems to me a tragedy, that the pro-life agenda has been so ruthlessly hijacked by the Republicans.
It is increasingly clear that Republicans have no intention of advancing pro-life legislation. Mike Pence, the Conservative Evangelical Christian Vice-President did not present a position against abortion when given the opportunity in the 2020 Vice-Presidential debate. If Mike Pence can’t be bothered to be pro-life in public… this agenda is going nowhere.
The message to the pro-life community from Republicans is clear: We want your money. We want your votes. We won’t give you anything substantial in return.
And, tragically, this time with the Republican Party has left the pro-life agenda as requiring punitive measures. Abortion should be made difficult, and onerous to obtain. Providing one should be punished. Receiving one should come with a guilt trip and permanent shame. Murderer. Gore. Murderer. Blood. Murderer. Sin. If you don’t share it, the pro-life agenda comes across as being without mercy, without pity, without kindness, without compassion, and without shame.
But… does it have to be this way?
After all, when you take as axiomatic “Most people agree with the idea that even before birth, a person-to-be should be protected, and be considered precious, and be wanted” you don’t necessarily have to come up with punitive measures to get that across. It can take just as much money to punish someone for ‘bad’ behaviour, as it can to reward them for ‘good’ behaviour. (e.g. It’s much cheaper to give a gift card to parents who get their kids vaccinated, than put the effort to keeping the kids out of circulation, when it comes to increasing vaccine rates.)
… so in an effort to play my personal theory that there’s actually a lot of common ground between the Democrats “Compassionate Government” ideas, and the pro-life agenda:
If we agree that we will not use shame, punishment, or guilt trips, or stalling, as weapons against pregnant women who aren’t sure they want to be pregnant, or those helping them (i.e. no sticks)… what are some incentives and programs (i.e. carrots) government could provide to make giving birth, or being a parent, a less risky choice for pregnant women, and their family, and reduce the overall abortion rate in the USA?
Sir Tainley