Pro-life/pro-choice: the courage to face complexity

[coffeeteaandme]

I see surprisingly few abortion-based discussions on FB. Feelings tend to run so high its often hard to have more than a few exchanges without reaching a point where you can't decently keep the posts on your page. So it's nice to see something like a discussion.It's a tough subject, that tends to attract a lot of shouting, and I think sometimes we just get tired of the shouting, and long to have a clear, permanent solution so we can all stop shouting about it so much. I'd like to turn that idea about for a moment. I know that we're shouting a lot, but shouting itself isn't bad - it's discussion, passionate discussion. When people are uncertain of what is provable, the shouting gets louder. Well that's not bad either. The fact is this is about life versus choice, even in the language of Roe v. Wade. The law doesn't attempt to define when life begins, it only acknowledges and protects the choice a woman has to make, that it is invariably complicated and personal, fraught with fears, sacrifices, and dire consequences on all sides, and that this is therefore not a choice that can be overridden by the state. It acknowledges further, and this is important, that even were the fetus a full grown, established person, another person cannot be required by law to give up their own body to its support. This conflict that we pursue in public life is, ultimately, a reflection of the conflict every woman or girl confronts inside herself when the situation arises. And be assured, that the conflict - the choice - is affected, but not eliminated, by making abortion illegal. The Choice is there all right, as old as shame. And what happens in that woman's mind is where it's really at, no matter what we shout about or what laws we make, so here's the long-torn product of my judgement: A good society will always leave that choice to the prospective mother. But like the woman herself, a good society will always think hard about it, and worry about it, because no law can cover every situation with perfect justice, it can only do its best. The rest as always, is up to us.