July 26, 2005

They Know Not What They Do

Watch this video

It's only about 7 minutes long, but it is one of the most significant insights into the minds of anti-abortion activists I have ever seen. It takes only one question to reveal the shallow emotionality of their position; one question that demonstrates how little they know about the history of abortion in this country. And one question that demonstrates how little they have thought about the consequences of their actions.

The question?

When abortion becomes illegal, what punishment should there be for a woman who has an illegal abortion?

These people have not thought about it. And then when they do, their answers are hesitant, compassionate, and strangely unsure, in stark contrast to their righteous condemnation of Roe v Wade, their self-satisfied antipathy toward physicians who perform abortions, their assured blocking of women's clinics that offer information about abortion, and their untroubled confidence when they condemn pro-choice politicians.

One young woman even struggles with the "possibility" that women might still obtain abortions if they were made illegal, not really certain if that could happen.

I have heard one suggestion that we stop referring to these people as anti-abortion or anti-choice, but rather as pro-criminalization. Let's educate them. Let's help them to think about the consequences of their actions.

1 comment:

Gouda said...

A fantastic video.

The "pro-life" term disturbs me. For life. I mean, who isn't for life? I'm for life, but I'm also for protecting a woman's right to make choices about her body.

How can those who calls themselves "pro-life" support a death sentence for the woman, her doctor, or others who aid her? For the life of me I can't figure out this contradiction.