The New Administration's Abortion Policy
One of the reasons that the abortion debate in the United States has historically been vehement, ugly, and impossible to resolve is that people on both sides of the issue have refused to acknowledge that there are compelling arguments favoring both the traditional pro-choice and pro-life positions. Unfortunately, as the American public has grown increasingly polarized about the topic of abortions, so have American politicians. The problem with a politician taking an absolute pro-choice or pro-life stance is that such a position shows a tremendous amount of disrespect and lack of empathy for those Americans who hold opposing views. Therefore, the new administration's policy should not be based on traditional notions of pro-choice or pro-life policies, but reflect a more modern and inclusive position; a pro-life stance that recognizes that societal changes, not legal ones, will be what changes the face of the abortion debate. The fact is that the world has changed dramatically since the decision in Roe v. Wade.1 The trimester system outlined by the Roe justices is no longer scientifically justifiable, because scientific advances mean that a second-trimester fetus has a significant possibility of living outside of the womb. I
Wade had to balance two very compelling interests: a woman's right to physical autonomy versus the right of an unborn child to life. Furthermore, a woman who has an abortion without being given full knowledge of what the procedure will do, not only to her, but also to her unborn child, is a woman who is unable to give informed consent regarding a procedure on that child. Moreover, not publicly opposing such a policy sets a dangerous precedent; as prenatal testing grows more and more advanced, it will eventually become possible for parents to determine certain physical characteristics about a child before it is born. However, it is paternalistic to presume that an abortion is the necessary or appropriate response to all cases of rape or incest, much less all incidents of unplanned pregnancy. Therefore, in addition to making sure that women have access to the medical and social resources that lessen the likelihood that they will be in a position to seek an abortion, the administration has a responsibility to make sure that women who seek abortions have access to all of the information necessary for informed consent. Even most ardent pro-life advocates believe that women should be entitled to an abortion if the procedure can save the mother's life. In fact, one of the most cogent arguments against the pro-life movement is that many pro-life advocates are against the use of any artificial means of birth control, a position that many pro-choice and middle-of-the-road people find offensive and untenable; an anti-abortion, anti-birth control position appears geared towards controlling female sexuality, not towards limiting the number of terminated pregnancies. Doing so could have extremely negative life-long consequences for the woman, and could also greatly damage the child. 5 Requiring all abortion providers to show women what exactly they are terminating may hinder some women in their attempts to have an abortion. The trimester system attempted to establish fetal viability, and limited a woman's right to an abortion in the third trimester, during which a fetus was considered viable. A perfect infant can suffer a debilitating accident or disease sometime during its childhood, rendering it functionally equivalent to a person with Down Syndrome, and the administration would hardly stand by if the American Medical Association issued guidelines that would lead to the routine euthanasia of such children. Obviously, when a pregnancy poses a significant threat to physical maternal health, abortion should remain an option for a pregnant woman. The administration needs to separate itself from that part of the pro-life movement by sending a strong pro-choice message. In addition, the administration needs to take a strong stance against the increasingly-popular elective abortions that can result from early pregnancy screening. To do this, the administration needs to emphasize that it is pro-choice, and that it feels that women have been sufficiently empowered to exercise their right to choose at crucial stages before the conception of a child.
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