Consensus My Ass

E.J. Dionne, Jr. recently wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post reminding President-elect Barack Obama to keep his “promise to pro-lifers.” It was a pretty bullshit op-ed, riddled with logical inconsistencies. But here’s the part that bothered me most:

Abortions did become rarer during Clinton’s time in office, dropping by 11 percent. But since Clinton made no major public moves on abortion reduction, many pro-lifers who had been inclined his way felt he ignored the third word in his motto [i.e., “rare” in “safe, legal, and rare,” which is actually the 4th word]. There’s no reason for Obama to make the same mistake — and no reason for advocates of abortion rights to get in the way of his trying to build a new consensus. 

I think it’s funny that reducing the number of abortions by 11% without kissing pro-life ass by passing ridiculous legislation that only attacks women’s bodily autonomy is considered a “mistake.” If anything, I think that’s evidence that having someone who believes in reproductive rights running the country reduces abortion more effectively than someone who doesn’t.

However, it’s the last line that pisses me off to no end — “and no reason for advocates of abortion rights to get in the way of his trying to build a new consensus.” This is not the first time I have read or heard someone say that it’s the pro-choice movement who has to back off and make their position “less extreme.” I know it’s hard to look at one’s own political positions and critique them objectively, but I don’t see my position on abortion all that extreme. It’s similar to the one that’s held and promoted by the major feminist and pro-choice organizations. I believe there should be no laws keeping women from obtaining an abortion for any reason, including age, socioeconomic status, and gestation of pregnancy. Believe me, these laws are unnecessary at best, and deadly at worst. Furthermore, I believe our government should invest more in providing all people with accurate sexuality education and birth control methods. That’s a position that gives everyone more freedom, both in their beliefs and their actions. Learn all about it, and use it if you want to. These policies encourage healthy expression of sexuality, promote safer sex practices, prevent unintended pregnancies, and reduce abortion, all while still respecting women’s human rights. Not all that extreme, but we’re still told to moderate our already all-inclusive position. We don’t need everyone to agree with abortion when pro-choice policies reduce unintended pregnancies.

On the other hand, the pro-life position is to ban abortion in all circumstances. It’s to implement personhood amendments that put women’s health and lives on the back burner for the sake of the embryos or fetuses that live inside and feed off of those women. Most pro-life organizations and Republicans demonize birth control and shame those who dare to have sex without intent to reproduce. These policies shame sexually active women, increase unintended pregnancies, and disrespect women’s human rights by forcing them to give birth. No sex? No birth control? No abortion, even if it could save the woman’s life? That’s extreme. And even though that’s extreme, nobody asks the people who believe in this position to move to the center. Why is that?

I have a few ideas about why this is. First, I think because the right to abortion is a liberal value, and because liberals in general are more accepting, we are expected to sacrifice our values for the sake of fairness, even at the detriment to womankind. Second, because those opposed to reproductive rights use religious dogma to defend their position, people are less likely to see these beliefs as extreme. Lastly, I think because women are not told to put themselves on their own priority list, it’s a scandal when women fight for their own rights and freedoms, let alone exercise them. I can’t help but think that the goal of the pro-life movement is more about putting women “back in their place” than “protecting babies.” I know, real shocker. 

Pro-choicers have to keep fighting and not waver. We are in the right here, and there’s no reason we should advocate for what we know is wrong. And we need to make sure that a Barack Obama presidency is pro-woman and pro-choice. Pro-choice policies reduce abortion. Abortion bans do not.