New Faces of the Abortion Debate

A Good story on BustedHalo today about students from Boston who attended both the inauguration and the Pro-life rally.

But the more telling perspective comes not from these two extremes, but rather from the majority of students who find themselves somewhere between the “pro-life” and “pro-choice” labels. Overwhelmingly, students voice some support for a consistent ethic of life while grappling with many of the nuances intrinsic to the topic.

“I think that the consistent ethic of life is a good principle, and it’s very air tight,” said Junior Rob Finn. “In that sense, I think that it’s good thing. But in terms of my personal beliefs, I question certain parts of it.” Other students stated that while they ultimately hope to eliminate the need for abortion, for now a more practical solution is working to reduce abortion rates. “I feel strongly that no mother that finds out that she’s pregnant wants to have an abortion out of malice,” said McNeill. “She feels cornered and feels that she has no other alternative.” If the cultural ethos is changed to encourage women to have children, and young single mothers are supported through social programs, fewer women will ultimately seek abortions.

I agree with the author here. Most people are in the middle with regards to the practicality of how to end the issue of abortion. However, I also find a shift in thinking, especially amongst young women, who seem to be consistently saying that abortion is not a good idea because life begins at conception. At the very least, they don't think abortion a good solution and think most women resort to it because they see no other way out.

It's clear that this attitude represents a drastic change in thinking from other women who considered it simply their own right to do what they wanted to do with their body.