The Most Misunderstood Aspects of the Abortion Debate

We asked our supporters on social media: “What are some aspects of the abortion debate you wish more people understood? And what are some aspects of the abortion debate you suspect your opposition wishes more people understood?” Here are a few of the top responses.

DáSean C.: “I wish people understood pro-lifers aren’t just white Christian men. There are many ladies, atheists & BIPOC who are against abortion, of all ages, for many reasons. I think the opposing side wishes we were more empathetic to the plight of women seeking abortion.”

Sharyn T.: “I wish people understood how little the abortion industry is actually regulated, how biased reporting is, and how little reporting is actually mandated. I think pro-choicers believe that we do not understand the they are not pro-abortion or anti-children, but think that it’s entirely about giving women control over their reproductive choices.”

Breriyaki: “I wish more people would see the value in engaging honestly and in good faith. Too many on both sides disregard the opposition as immoral and not worth talking to/listening to because they either ‘want to kill babies’ or ‘want to control women’ when most people don’t.”

Jean K.: “I wish that more people understood what the laws actually say in regards to ectopic pregnancy and truly life-threatening situations. I also wish that we could have more productive conversations about how to help pregnant women who are facing a crisis. I also wish that the bodily autonomy crowd could see that the concept is rooted in the idea that every human life has value. This is a dangerous concept to abandon. Abortion is always the voluntary ending of a human life. I’m sure they think that the woman’s life takes precedence and that there are many ways in which an unplanned pregnancy can derail her life.”

Joy H.: “That pro-life people love women and want to see them succeed, and that having children is not punitive. I think pro-abortion people would like pro-life people to be more compassionate and work towards societal changes which make child-rearing easier in our culture.”

Justin M.: “That the vast majority of pro-life people care about life from conception until natural death and care about both women and children, and that being pro-life is pro-woman and pro-child. And that abortion is actually extremely demeaning to women. Because they don’t understand that we are pro-woman, I believe they want us to understand that women have been held back by society and marginalized. That women need to be respected, represented, and treated as equals to men.”

KayJayBee: “[I wish most people understood] the importance of checking your arguments against your non-abortion related stances to ensure consistency and avoid special pleading. [I suspect our opposition wishes more people understood] pregnancy sucks and so can parenting.”

[Photo credit: Afif Kusuma on Unsplash]