Some Thoughts on Roe v. Wade

I talk to lots of people about their innermost thoughts and I’ve never heard anyone claim to be pro-abortion. Abortion inherently comes as a result of a situation the pregnant person doesn’t want to be in. I’d be willing to bet we could all agree our world would be better if there was no need for abortion. That would mean no unintended pregnancies, no health or genetic issues, no situations that would make it untenable to bring a particular new human into the world. We are medically and socially not there yet.

The abortion debate has been framed in an unhelpful way, as if it is about protecting unborn babies. If your stance on abortion is based on your beliefs about the sanctity of life, please take a deep breath, step back, and gather more information. This debate is about bodily autonomy, and who has the decision-making power over what can happen to your body.

Let’s suppose a man you don’t know is in the hospital with kidney failure. Without an organ transplant he is sure to die. You have been determined to be an exact match, and you have two intact kidneys. Should you be forced to give him one of yours? Would it be considered murder if you chose not to? Whose life or quality of life should take precedence in this situation? And who gets to make that decision?

I saw a meme recently that said, “Keeping kosher means I don’t eat bacon. It doesn’t mean I don’t eat bacon and therefore no one is allowed to eat bacon.” If you are anti-abortion, I support your decision to never have one. I encourage you to go out into the world and help create change to reduce the reasons people have abortions. Support family planning education. Hold men accountable for causing unintended or unwanted pregnancies. Become a geneticist. Encourage your friends and family to be their healthiest selves so they will have stronger chances of having healthier babies. 

But please don’t presume you have the right to tell someone else what they can do with their body. I’m reminded of this quote I first saw at the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.: 

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.” 

When one group’s rights are taken away, it opens the possibility for everyone’s rights to be taken away. If you can deny someone the right to determine what happens to their body, someone in the future can deny your right to determine what happens to your body. If you were sensitive about being asked to get a vaccine or wear a mask for the sake of public health, how can you possibly think it’s okay to tell someone else they must carry a pregnancy to term? 

If this issue doesn’t affect you personally, you are exactly the right person to stand up for the rights of others so there will be someone left to stand up for you.