If you are of a heavily liberal leaning inclination, you may be deeply offended by this post. You have been warned.
Now before you read this article, keep in mind two things.
#1. I strongly disagree with Megan’s position on abortion.
#2. There are two PG-rated words in the article. There are also some other issues with the article, so you may want to be careful about showing it to children. (The article is linked to, but not included, here).
There, it has been disclaimed:
http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/06/the_war_on_the_war_on_abortion.php
Having said all that, this is a fairly even-handed, open-minded treatment of the subject… quite a bit more thoughtful than something I would normally expect to come from this quarter. (I’m sorry for the horrible style… I am writing/riding on a lack of sleep.) And I find it very interesting that Megan, had she been pro-life, would have been less tolerant of Dr. Tiller than the professor (from my last post on this topic) would have been. In fact, she has such a good argument for Tiller’s demise that I am tempted to come over to her side.
However, I’m not the least bit tempted by this statement: “Moreover, I don’t think many other people believe [abortion is] murder, either, for all that they profess to. They mostly don’t, for example, want fourteen year old girls who have abortions hauled off to lengthy juvie terms.” Really? She knows what pro-lifers believe even better than they do? Let me tell you (since I am pro-life). No, I don’t want 14-year-old-girls being shipped off to juvenile hall for having abortions… I want them not to have the abortions in the first place. If juvenile hall serves as an adequate deterrent, then yes, send them! Because I do, in fact, consider abortion to be murder, and I would want anyone who committed that crime to be penalized for it.
Of course, you also have to ask yourself who should take the fall for this crime… the doctors, or their victims (the mothers who they deceive)? How easy would it be for abortion doctors to fool them into undertaking this horrific, traumatizing experience if the mothers knew someone who had received a murder penalty for getting an abortion?
Think about it.
I halfway wonder if I shouldn’t post this comment on her blog too, but here it shall go.
I am offended that she thinks that first eight weeks might not be murder. Of course it is. Just like killing the neighborhood bully because you think he is an existence sub-par of humanity and closer to level of algae. In a sense it all comes down to what point something can be considered “human,” and I believe that goes from conception to natural death. The logic behind which is extensive.
Let me say this, Abortion is quite frankly allowed as an aspect of our country as a means of reducing repercussions for senseless activities such as casual sex and as a misguided economic attempt to control population numbers.
As for the rare extenuating circumstances where it comes down to saving the life of the mother or the baby, those depend on unique situations on which an all-encompassing blanket answer should not be made. However, such arguments hardly serve to push for the normative usage of abortion for which our abortion mills exist.
Life, above all else, must be treasured. We only got one after all, and you don’t need to walk a mile in another person’s shoes to know that too.
Shoot, I forgot to add anywhere in there how much I liked her article despite that fundamental issue.
Perhaps we should have the option to terminate abortion doctors within the first 8 weeks after they start their practice. Of course I’m only joking!