ABORTION REDUCTION: A Response

(In response to ABORTION REDUCTION article by Jonathan Merritt in Relevant Magazine: http://relevantmag.com/magazine/current-issue)
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It’s so hard to know exactly where to begin to flay the diatribe masquerading as a “new discussion”. Ironic that there is very little merit to Jonathan Merritt’s decidedly liberal (and grossly misinformed and misinforming) invective about abortion. Allow me to reveal my true colors up front, literally. I’m a biracial (black/white) thirtysomething who is a married father of three. I was adopted at 6 weeks of age and was born as a result of rape.

I’m thankful to our nation’s stalwarts in the fight against slavery. They didn’t give up because people claimed that abolition was a divisive argument. I’m grateful that singularly focused and passionate people sought not just to seek a better life for those enslaved, but to rid our society of the very law that failed to recognize their full humanity. We hardly consider that a myopic viewpoint or their actions polarizing.

Jonathan would’ve been more accurate to say that the tagline for the abortion debate should’ve been: Conning America since 1973. The Pro-Abortion industry has been intentionally propagandizing the American public for decades. Yet, somehow, efforts of those who believe the 1973 decision was an egregious assault on our true liberties, have managed to educate the public, increasingly swaying our society toward a more prolife viewpoint. Forty two percent versus fifty-one percent? A stalemate? I thought stalemates occur with something closer to a 50-50 split. Must be new math. A 51% to 42% result would ensure an unquestionable victory in any contest.

And this is just the beginning of Merritt’s seeming Pro-Obama advocacy piece.

Throughout the article, the only ones vilified are the ‘Christian-right’. There’s never a mention of those organizations, like Planned Parenthood (whom Obama supports whole-heartedly), who have poured hundreds of millions into campaigns of deceit and lobbying efforts to prevent any prolife legislation. Who in the world does Merritt think has brought ‘abortion reduction’ policies to the state level? Prochoicers? Commongrounders? It has been the effort of the very groups he spends so much time demonizing in this disingenuous piece that have worked on grass-roots levels to bring some sanity back to the ill-decided Roe v. Wade (and Doe v. Bolton) decisions.

Inextricably tied to ‘abortion reductionist agenda’ is this ‘Whole-Life’ mentality that somehow claims that caring for pregnant woman and encouraging adoption is part of some epiphany. This is nothing new. I can recall the many Pregnancy Resource Centers that I’ve worked with over the years, churches, and adoptive parents who’ve been doing this for decades. Just because an instrument of the media (albeit Christian progressive media) says it, doesn’t make it true.

There isn’t a shred of evidence that any legislation that Obama has supported has ever reduced abortion. Omitted from this article is Obama’s staunch advocacy for Planned Parenthood, federally funded abortions (as included in the HealthCare reform legislation), his opposition to protecting infants born alive due to botched abortions, and his support of the liberal SB 99 sex education bill (in Illinois). None of this shows someone who has even attempted to find common ground. SB 99, which Obama voted for, struck the language that described abstinence as the “only protection that is 100% effective against unwanted teenage pregnancy, STDs and AIDS”. It was changed to: “…abstinence is an effective method of preventing unintended pregnancy…” Thankfully, the bill never made it out of the Senate. Beyond the rhetoric is legislation with words that truly matter. How in the world do we approach an issue without being willing to acknowledge who is an ally and who is an antagonist? The point of this is, as President, his political advocacy is a continuation of what he has ardently supported during his adult public life.

I do agree with Merritt on one thing: actions speak louder. But whose actions reflect an intention to reduce abortions? Nancy Pelosi? Harry Reid? Barbara Boxer? Patrick Leahy? Barack Obama? Every single one of these pro-choice politicians adamantly supports the very organization (Planned Parenthood) that encourages promiscuity in the guise of sexual liberation and tolerance, that has legally fought against EVERY pro-life state policy from being enacted, and aggressively markets teens with factually misleading information about sexual behavior and abortion.

Who, on the left, does an ‘abortion reductionist’ partner with that has made great strides against Roe v. Wade? I would propose that the list would be extremely short. Could Merritt illuminate any recent abortion-restricting legislation that has been introduced or overwhelmingly supported by pro-choice politicians? Making adoption easier has been the goal of many conservatives—not something new that Obama is heralding. The suggestion, toward the end of the article, that prolifers need to do more than vote ignores the magnitude of effort that happens every day, in every state, to save and change lives.

My parents can claim the ‘abortion reductionist’ mantle. They can claim the “We’ve Translated Belief into Action” mantle. They adopted 10 children and fostered several others. They have supported orphans from around the world. They have financially supported prolife organizations that have sought to restrict abortions through the very policies that have helped reduce the overall national abortion rates. They’ve never demonized anyone on the left for their opposing ideology. They’re not considered progressives even though they’ve contributed to providing an environment where abortion isn’t the only option. They’re what the oft-quoted ‘abortion reductionists’ would call extreme right wing. Why? Because they believe ardently that abortion isn’t something to merely be reduced, but eliminated. Just as slavery was a human tragedy, the inherent nature of abortion is the same; otherwise, why in the world are we even trying to reduce it?

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Ryan is an Emmy Award winning broadcast design and branding professional in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, visit: http://www.shouldhavebeenaborted.com
© 2009 Ryan Scott Bomberger