Abortion

For too long we have focused the nations attention, via the two major political parties, in the wrong place when it comes to deciding the issue of a woman’s right to chose versus a fetus’s right to exist. We have all chosen a side, some based on political affiliation, some on conscience. Some have even chosen political affiliation based solely on the pro-life/pro-choice debate.

There is, unfortunately, a side of the debate that is never…well, debated. That is, the idea that people who don’t want to have children should put forth every effort to prevent conception to begin with! For some reason the debate has always focused on the consequences of unwanted pregnancies; should we have it, or should we not have it, rather than, what can be done to make sure we don’t reach the point that such a decision is necessary? This makes no sense! We don’t focus on dealing with the aftermath of our homes burning down. We focus on preventing them from catching fire. We don’t focus on which auto body repair shop is the best. We focus on not crashing our cars.

Roe v. Wade brought the issue of abortion to the forefront of politics. The debate even reaches into local politics, which is odd considering the US Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade made the debate a federal one. Local politicians have no say in the matter. It would take the US Supreme Court reversing itself or an act of Congress, likely a Constitutional Amendment, to change the law.

This is a very divisive issue that, if left with only the two choices we have always been faced with, will never be resolved. It is time to get to the root of the issue. It is time to start talking about the other option. It is time to call on both the Democrats and the Republicans to focus their efforts on preventing unwanted pregnancies. The way to put out a fire is to extinguish it at the base, not just blow the smoke away.