Scott Tibbs
blog post
March 14th, 2005

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Why do you "hate" abortion?

In her March 9 column, Amy Obermeyer says "I hate abortion. I could never have one, and I feel terrible for any woman who feels so desperate that she would walk into an abortion clinic. Yet I, like many people, recognize a woman's right to choose."

Obermeyer's position is not unusual. I hear from many "pro-choice" individuals of how they personally oppose abortion and yet think it must remain legal. Former President Bill Clinton and 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry both said that abortion should be "safe, legal and rare". (Emphasis is mine.)

The first, and most obvious question, is why does Ms. Obermeyer "hate" abortion? I assume the answer is that she sees abortion the same way millions of other Americans, even those who are "pro-choice", see it. Abortion is the violent termination of a human life.

If you believe abortion is the violent termination of a human life, why should it be legal? Why should it be legally permissible for someone to violate the human rights of another person?

As more and more people recognize the reality of abortion, pro-life people have a huge opening. The key is to show people it makes no logical sense to "hate" abortion and yet believe it should be a legal procedure. People in today's society would look on with scorn at people who "hate" slavery yet think it should be legal. The key is to convince people that being "pro-choice" on abortion is no different than being "pro-choice" on slavery.