An open discussion Re Roe

[Dave Grubb]

I applaud Politico for putting together this presentation of various view points.

Well done

Added in edit:

I am going to include a single opinion of many opinions expressed in the above article. I have chosen this one since it so closely mirrors my own but is stated far more eloquently:

‘Making abortion illegal will not materially affect the number of abortions.’
Randall Balmer is professor of religion at Dartmouth College and the author of Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right.

The Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade represents a pyrrhic victory for the anti-abortion movement. As a historian, I think the closest parallel is the Eighteenth Amendment, which inaugurated the era of Prohibition. Religious conservatives (and others) worked for and celebrated the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment, but it proved all but impossible to enforce, and it led to an era of unrestrained lawlessness and, eventually, repeal.

The parallels are not exact, of course, but I expect a similar outcome in 10 years. Making abortion illegal will not materially affect the number of abortions, but it will drive the practice underground once again, thereby endangering the lives of women. I’ve long argued that abortion should be regarded as a moral issue, not a legal issue, and those sincerely wishing to reduce abortions should focus instead on changing the moral conversation surrounding the practice. Another way for these folks to frame the issue would be to say, “I have no interest in making abortion illegal; I want to make it unthinkable.” Such a posture requires much more effort, but it would ultimately be more effective for their stated goals. And it goes without saying that such efforts must be coupled with sex education and access to contraception.