A New Conversation on Abortion

Abortion is one of those complicated issues that we've shied away from talking earnestly about for too long. As I highlighted in a guest opinion piece this summer, the pro-choice position has never been a pro-abortion one. It's mantra is that abortion be safe, accessible, and RARE. Yet, because the conversation has focused exclusively on accessible vs. inaccessible we haven't done very well at helping to ensure that it happens far less frequently than it currently does--that young men and women say no to unprotected sex, that they have access to reasonable contraceptive options, and that if and when pregnancy does occur there are real, viable choices available to support that family raising a baby in less-than-ideal circumstances. In a climate when abortion was needed only in the rarest of cases, keeping it safe and accessible would be easier.

A blogger for sojourner magazine, highlights the possibilities that a shifting political climate might offer for a new kind of conversation about abortion:

In last evening's presidential debate, the first steps were taken toward a new national conversation about abortion. For too many years, the old one hadn't changed very much. It came up every four years during elections and seldom in between. The Republicans repeated that they think abortion should just be completely illegal; and the Democrats repeated their only mantra of a "woman's right to choose." And the number of abortions remained mostly unchanged.

"Pro-life" battled "pro-choice" when neither party was really either one. Those positions were more like postures, and they didn't lead to solutions. What if "pro-life" really meant policies that would protect the precious gift of life wherever it is threatened and aim at dramatically reducing the number of abortions in America? And what if "pro-choice" meant extending the range of real choices available to women -- not only to terminate a pregnancy, but also to make the decision to have a child with the necessary economic support, health care, and adoption services?

Last evening, both Barack Obama and John McCain took steps toward finding some possible common ground.

Both said that they would not use Roe v. Wade as a litmus test for appointing Supreme Court Justices in the future.

And both suggested some cultural commitments and policy directions that could be most effective in dramatically reducing abortion. Last night's debate got that conversation started...

Americans are for life. Americans are for choice. The challenge for our political leaders, our religious leaders, and every American is to hold freedom and life together even when they seem to collide. We should do all we can to make sure we have as much of both as possible. And we can start by having a better conversation about abortion in this election and beyond. Thankfully, the first steps toward that conversation were taken last evening.

Read the whole piece here.