A Serious Discussion in Four Parts: Pts 1 and 2 in Which the Author Explains His Views on the Issue

A couple of days ago a Catholic priest from Greenville, SC urged those of his parishioners who voted for Barack Obama to repent before accepting the Holy Eucharist, on the grounds that they were complicit in original sin since Mr. Obama is a pro-choice candidate.

I don't fault him for this, as I think his intentions were mostly good: a priest is the shepherd of a flock of people and when he sees them doing evil (as he and the Catholic Church see it), it is his duty to advise them to ask for Christ's forgiveness and accept the penance which is given to them by the priest. He was well within his right to do so, legally and morally.

In the following three days, I will discuss this incident because I think it's important. I think there's more to it than we may be seeing.

First, though, I should give some background into how I feel about the core issue: abortion.

1.

I think abortion is disgusting. I think the willful act of terminating a life is morally wicked, whether zygote or geriatric. Just because I can do something doesn't mean that I should. There are other options. Nor am I convinced that it is only a woman's choice. If I impregnate someone, I feel as though I should have the chance to discuss some options. I would never advise anybody to have an abortion. I don't know that I could. I think it's used less to save lives and more the shirk responsibility. Sex isn't for kids. It's a big deal and people should start treating it as such. If you want to go around fucking people willy-nilly, you may get pregnant. I don't think it's right that people can be so irresponsible and have this get-out-of-jail-free card.

However...

2.

However, I think abortion is a necessary evil. What happens if we criminalize it? Nobody is jumping out of their seats and getting pregnant just so they can get an abortion. It's not something people are doing for shits and giggles. Abortion seems to be the last vestige of hope for some people: those who have been raped, abused or just plain stupid. Criminalizing abortion is not going to make it disappear. This is where the pro-lifers are wrong. Abortion is like drugs in that sense. Just because meth is illegal does not mean that people are going to use it any less. That's the main thing about abortion: it seems to be all about desperation. If I was pregnant and the only option I saw was to get an abortion, I'd probably get one. I'm sure that many people who get abortions feel the same. If we make abortion illegal, we also lose the ability to regulate it. If we can't regulate abortion, anybody will be able to perform them for any price. Watch 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, a movie about a desperate woman in Ceauşescu-era Romania where abortion is illegal, and you'll get a good idea what might happen if we criminalize abortion.

Wrapping It Up:

Abortion is nasty business. In a perfect world, nobody would need an abortion, but we don't live in a perfect world. Sometimes people need abortions and will go to any length to get them. If we criminalize the act, we lose the ability to ensure that it is done safely at a reasonable price. Call me a cafeteria Catholic all you want, but the people fighting for the right to life are so blinded by their own disgust for the act that they can't see the forest for the trees: they don't get that making abortion illegal will lead to even more death and upheaval.

Tomorrow: Parts 3 and 4