Abortion, pro/con

Pro-Life
The majority of Americans do not support abortion-on-demand, there is a pro-life majority in Congress,
and more pro-life laws were put in to place in 2011 2013 than in the entire previous decade. Indeed,
The Entire South is Hostile to Abortion.
On the state-level, an initiative that may spread [according to US News & World Report] relates to
banning abortions after 20 weeks, the time at which pre-born infants can feel pain. Nationally, Sen.
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) {Heritage-Action Rating of 67%} has promised to take up a bill banning abortions
after 20 weeks.
Laws pertaining to the safety, or lack thereof, of abortion clinics have also proven to be effective in
protecting women and the unborn. 73 abortion clinics closed their doors in 2014 due to their inability to
comply with basic safety regulations. In this area, however, pro-aborts are vigorously fighting back,
which means the courts will be deciding in 2015 whether or not abortion clinics must play by the same
rules as other surgical facilities.
One way abortion providers have skirted around surgical abortions has been to improperly use the
abortion pill, RU-486, to induce abortion; even going so far as to monitor patients through a webcam
instead of being present to assist with any emergencies. Considering the number of deaths due to the
misuse of RU-486, it should come as no surprise that laws are being passed requiring the drug to be
used exactly as it was intended. Look out for more states addressing the issues of RU-486 and webcam
abortions in 2015.
Planned Parenthood has released their 2013-2014 annual report which shows that while abortions are
down across the country, the abortion giant actually performed more abortions last year. Susan B.
Anthony List has a must-see fact sheet that breaks down the most important take-aways from the
report, including:
- Taxpayer funding accounts for 41% of Planned Parenthoods overall revenue.
- In 2013, abortions made up 94% of Planned Parenthoods pregnancy services, while
prenatal care and adoption referrals accounted for only 5%.
- Planned Parenthood reported more than $127 million in excess revenue, and more
than $1.4 billion in net assets.
As has been the case in years past, Planned Parenthoods own report makes well the case for defunding
the organization.
Pro-Choice
Regardless of public opinion, women should have the choice to elect a medically safe and legal
procedure; if they dont believe in abortion, they neednt get one. The abortion issue can perhaps be
distorted as a disagreement among women but, regardless of gender, religious views are a primary

driver of positions on this issue consistent with concerns about the potential impact of the politics of
the religious right. While some women may oppose abortion, the bottom-line is denial of access to
abortion has a far greater impact on women than it does men. It is in this context that the so-called war
on women exists.
Regardless of what this tug-of-war is entitled, this is a political issue; the religious right is actively
working to change policy. Opposition to abortion is easy until you are faced with the choice yourself (or
for your daughter, granddaughter, niece) and do not have the wherewithal to raise a child or to facilitate
an adoption. The ramifications are societal and economic. The future of the child is at risk and, in poor
communities, the cycle of poverty is continued.
Looking at the economic impact of teen pregnancy, David H. Ciscel, Emeritus Professor
of Economics at the University of Memphis, found, Over half of teen mothers do not
have a high school diploma and many teen mothers have difficulty completing job
training. Teen pregnancy impairs educational progress, slows job skill development,
results in dependence on public assistance and reduces life-long earning capacity.
Preventing unintended teen pregnancies helps to ensure that young women are more
likely to complete their education. In Memphis, only 48% of women under age 19 who
have more than one baby will graduate from high school or get their GED. Only 60% of
teenagers with one baby will graduate, while 90% of young women who do not have a
child while in high school will graduate. Additionally, over 50% of teen mothers will also
have another baby within 24 months, thus almost guaranteeing a life of poverty for
their children and themselves. [Editorial by A Step Ahead Foundation in Memphis,
Tennessee]
The problem is compounded by simple-minded views about the morning-after pill. This is not an
abortion procedure and has been deemed safe enough by the FDA to have been available currently
over-the-counter. Further, opponents of abortion do not advocate for enhanced access to long-acting
reversible contraception, the most effective forms of birth control especially for young people for whom
adherence to other methods is a significant issue.
To minimize abortions, conservatives should promote ready-access to birth control (including
requirements for coverage and reimbursement by private insurers, employer-sponsored plans
religious or not - and government programs like Medicaid and the VA) as well as realistic sex education
that goes far beyond a message of abstinence. And do not oppose (or otherwise cut-back) funding for
social service programs that will pay for the care of the children born into poverty or provide education
and job training for young mothers. Conservatives cannot have it both ways. If you put policies in place
that result in unplanned babies to be born, you have a societal responsibility to provide all relevant care
over the course of a lifetime medical, social, and educational. To many, this cost is simply too high
both on a societal level and - more importantly - on the level of an individual mother and child.