Abortion remains one of the most controversial and heated subjects in politics. It is a subject that I have battled discussing over the past couple years, given the difficulties that come with approaching it. However, it is a subject I have long wanted to write about, and I felt it necessary to give my thoughts. As many of you know, I am a fairly staunch conservative Republican. My party inherently believes in the pro-life cause. And while morally I am in agreement, it is only logical that the United States allows legalized, medically safe, abortions for all women.
I recognize that as a male, ultimately my thoughts do not equate the real world reality that many women must go through. I also recognize the volatility of the topic, as it is a very polarizing ideal. So it is important that I first clear up my thoughts on the matter then discuss the logic of allowing legalized abortions.
On a moral level, I do not agree with abortions. As a Catholic, I believe that all life is precious and equal. The Catholic belief is that all are born in the image of God, and all life through God is sacred. This is where the vast schism of the debate comes from. On one side, you have religious idealists who believe in the sanctity of all life. On the other side, you have realists who believe in the sanctity of human rights. Both are not wrong, but the way both sides approach it has only fueled the toxic environment surrounding the topic. But I believe it is possible to believe in both sides of the story, as both are not mutually exclusive of each other. As a Catholic, I believe that killing a person is a sin, regardless of context. If it’s an embryo, a prison inmate on death row, a soldier, it is irrelevant in my viewpoints. Killing is wrong. However, Catholic teachings are about forgiveness and judgement. One of the most quoted Biblical verses is “thou shall not judge lest ye be judged” (Luke 6:37). This is a pinnacle of the Christian faith, yet many people tend to forget this when discussing abortion. The simple reality is that one cannot know the nature of the abortion. There are many circumstances that surround an abortion, whether it is rape, finacial reasons, or health concerns, the reasons do not matter. If one believes in the teachings of Christ, then it is most important to remember the idea of not judging someone for making an incredibly difficult and life altering decision.
Now comes the logic. Abortions are going to happen whether there is legistlature to stop it or not. So rather than thinking about whether it is “murder” or not, it is imperative that the rights and protection of the mother are placed in high regards. Women have the most incredible ability to form a child in their own body, carry that child, give birth to the child, and feed the child. The male contribution is a very tiny amount considering what changes the woman undergoes to raise a child. And yet most of the laws dealing with abortion are written by men. I rarely go on a patriarchal rant, but even I know that the fact that most of these laws are signed in by men is unjust. As men, we do not have to suffer the excruciating pain that women go through to give birth to a child. And it is wrong for men to write bills that deal with the female body. Women are going to get abortions whether men like it or not. But I would rather see women go to a medically licensed clinic, and get a safe procedure rather than risk their own lives getting an illegal abortion done.
This is a hard topic to discuss, and I certainly do not claim that I fully understand the complexity of it all. But I urge you all to consider my words. One of the tenants of conservatism is about the rights of the individual, and the conservation of those rights. If the right for women to get a safe abortion is stripped, then conservatives have failed in their duty to uphold rights for all. If a conservative claims to disagree with abortion on a moral level, but has no issue with capital punishment, then I question the objectivity of that person. It is time we put the rights and well being of the mother first. It may be the founding fathers that get thanked for building the nation, but it was the mothers that made this nation into the wonderful place it is today.
