My Dearest Daughter, The last time I wrote you a letter in the form of an essay, you were nine years old. As I’m sure you’ll remember, you came home from school upset that every one of the 44 American presidents pictured on the wall of your third-grade classroom were men. “Why have there been no girl presidents?,” you asked. So I wrote
Damon, this is an excellent essay that gets to the crux of the abortion question. While I agree with the the pro-choice movement's stance that abortion is the woman's decision at any point, I don't believe that anyone who has taken a pregnancy past 24 weeks would have an abortion except under grave problems with the fetus or for the mother' health. A compromise allowing abortion up to 20 to 24 weeks without restrictions, and placing reasonable restrictions after such time would probably be OK with most pro-choice folks. This, of course, would no satisfy the anti-abortion folks, but they must be willing to compromise as well. Certainly laws that forbid abortion for ant reason should be vigorously fought.
Thanks for a thoughtful look at this complex issue.
Excellent essay. I have found persuasive the argument that unenumerated rights must, must include a zone of privacy that includes self-determination about what one does with ones’ body, and what people of the age of consent do with one another. As Damon notes, this seems integral to liberalism. Abortion, within limits, seems to fall squarely in this zone, like other medical decisions.
I am certainly open to a compromise on what the limits are (12-20 weeks, with exceptions like Ken noted above), but compromise is hard to come by these days.
I am interested to see how the issue works out politically, but very concerned that the people in favor of banning abortion outright and people who favor abortion on demand throughout the entire term of pregnancy will dominate the conversation.
Damon, this is an excellent essay that gets to the crux of the abortion question. While I agree with the the pro-choice movement's stance that abortion is the woman's decision at any point, I don't believe that anyone who has taken a pregnancy past 24 weeks would have an abortion except under grave problems with the fetus or for the mother' health. A compromise allowing abortion up to 20 to 24 weeks without restrictions, and placing reasonable restrictions after such time would probably be OK with most pro-choice folks. This, of course, would no satisfy the anti-abortion folks, but they must be willing to compromise as well. Certainly laws that forbid abortion for ant reason should be vigorously fought.
Thanks for a thoughtful look at this complex issue.
Excellent essay. I have found persuasive the argument that unenumerated rights must, must include a zone of privacy that includes self-determination about what one does with ones’ body, and what people of the age of consent do with one another. As Damon notes, this seems integral to liberalism. Abortion, within limits, seems to fall squarely in this zone, like other medical decisions.
I am certainly open to a compromise on what the limits are (12-20 weeks, with exceptions like Ken noted above), but compromise is hard to come by these days.
I am interested to see how the issue works out politically, but very concerned that the people in favor of banning abortion outright and people who favor abortion on demand throughout the entire term of pregnancy will dominate the conversation.