Colin Morrissey
American Government
Political Issue
10-24-10
In the current political environment the issue of abortion has taken on a secondary role in the political discourse. However, it remains a very personal topic for many people whos opinions on the subject remain well entrenched. The issue which currently isn’t atthe forefront of political agenda can sway voters if the issue is brought to the table. The issue of abortion has more weight than many other issues because it is so one sided and has no middle ground. The debate on abortion encompasses morality, religion, medical science, human rights, privacy, and social issues.
Ever since the landmark Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade in 1973, seldom has the topic not been a political issue to be reckoned with. Because abortion is such a person issue, it can’t be generalized by political parties. Although party platforms suggest supporting one side or the other not all Republicans or Democrats have to fit the mold of the party according to the issue. Most politicians would rather not adopt the abortion issue into their campaigns or legislation in fear of losing votes. That is why we won’t typically see any movement forward on the issue unless the courts get involved. The judges that make the decisions in our courts generally don’t have to worry about their decisions affecting their longevity in their position.
The Democratic Party has chosen to take on the platform of pro choice. They believe choice is a fundamental constitutional right. They also champion that abortion should be an option on regardless of financial ability to pay. The party also supports the use of embryonic stem cell research which relies heavily on the research of aborted fetuses.
The Republican Party platform promotes abstinence and adoption when it comes to the issue of abortion. The party also believes a constitutional amendment is necessary to reaffirm the rights of an unborn child. While they are also encouraged by stem cell research, they are concerned with such a researches need to use fetal stem cells.
Both parties positions come at a price of looking hypocritical. Republicans tend to value the right of privacy, yet want to prohibit the citizenry to keep the matter private. Democrats usually support government involvement in many aspects of peoples personal affairs, but they feel that this issue is a matter for the government to keep their hands off.
Each side of this contentious issue is littered with countless advocacy groups. The pro choice agenda has such organizations such as Planned Parenthood and NOW (Nation Organization of Women), while the pro life position is advocated by National Right to Life, Operation Rescue, and the Catholic Church. May other groups play secondary roles in each position.
It is a difficult task to find many individuals that will be outspoken in the public light especially those that are politicians. A politician who puts their neck on the line in talking on the abortion issue probably won’t last that long as a politician. The only real outspoken individuals would be the heads of the organizations or the Pope himself. These groups don’t have to worry about public opinion as far as being popular so they can say what they want freely and as extensively as they want. If you were to point out any individual politicians that have an opinion on abortion they would only generally be sympathizers and supporters and not your traditional leader. People such as Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama support pro choice because it goes along with the Democratic platform, but they would never say that they are an outspoken leader of the cause. The same goes for the Republican side. New House leader John Boehner, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, and John McCain are all supporters of pro life and key Republican figures, but they would never go as far as to call themselves leaders of the cause. These key figures in each party aren’t necessarily forced to support on side of the abortion issue or the other as mentioned before.
Occasionally the Federal Government or State legislatures test the political waters by introducing some fringe elements of their abortion persuasion. On the other hand, usually these attempts only reinvigorate the abortion debate with little or no legislative change. Often, the threat of a judicial challenge makes the issue subside.
Peripheral issues such as birth control and medical health issues get brought into the debate. Federal funding of abortions does occur in extremely limited circumstances. Government funding of Planned Parenthood and the services they provide regarding condom distribution to minors also occasionally provides a public uproar. Conversely, “abstinence only” programs are often ridiculed as being ineffective and naïve. This kind of governmental support shows that the government is leaning more pro choice than pro life. Also, with the medical advances in pregnancy testing, potential parents are able to decide whether or not to terminate a “troubled” pregnancy or a multiple pregnancy.
In the current political climate, abortion has been pushed to the side with issues such as the war, the economy, and the decisions over health care. Abortion only comes to the issue in debating when there is nothing else to really debate on. Often times, medical technology and innovation outpace the ability for legislative oversight. With the explosion of infertility clinics and their ability to offer sex selection and multiple embryo termination, it would be impossible to monitor such procedures. As it was prior to Roe vs. Wade, abortion decisions can often escape public scrutiny.
Abortion also complicates many social circumstances. Women who are unable or not prepared to bear children and adequately support them burden themselves and society. Many times these women have associated social problems including drug abuse and poor health concerns. Teen pregnancy and single parenthood are not the social taboos they once were, but they still challenge society’s morals and support networks.
While abortion may complicate the issue an easy alternative would be to adopt the children. Many unexpected parents who aren’t ready or willing to have a kid often times put their baby up for adoption. At the current time there isn’t a shortage of people who want an adopted child. Until there is a change towards perpetuating life in an unselfish manner this avenue for minimizing abortions social wreckage will continue.
In a perfect world everything would go smoothly and life would be perfect. The moral decision of having an abortion is still hard for those that decided to do it. I couldn’t imagine someone going to an abortion clinic as if it was an everyday task. Abortions take an emotional toll initially to those who decide to go through with them. The reason why it takes an emotional toll initially is the idea that a potential life was killed. Human morality would tell you that killing another human is obviously wrong. The question when it comes to abortion is when do you define life as taking place. I think most people can agree that life in an abortion was potential life, but some people would rationalize that living hadn’t taken place yet so it’s an easier moral decision.
Unfortunately, the intensity of the debate has taken a fatal toll on both sides of the issue. Abortion clinics have been bombed and abortion providers have been killed. This isn’t “morally right” either but people still feel the need for retribution if they are so heavily radical on the pro life side.
The hypotheticals are something that usually come up if you are debating to someone about abortion or testing their stances on abortion. Some of the common hypotheticals involve mental illnesses, rape, teen pregnancy, parental economic situation, the expectancy of more children than you can handle, or expecting a kid at too old of an age. These questions then turn into a would you support abortion then session. It usually turns out that if some people will support abortion it will be in the instances of rape or incest. The other hypotheticals won’t tend to sway a pro lifer on the side of supporting an abortion.
The issue of abortion will also be part of the political dialog. As mentioned before there is little room for compromise and limited ability for the government to intervene in any substantial way. It would be up to the courts as to whether the issue ever makes any substantial progress. Ultimately, as with many things in life, people will do what they want regardless of whether it is right or wrong in another persons eyes. As has been said many times before you can’t legislate morality.