An argument frequently heard from people who are in
opposition to gun control is that outlawing guns would create more crime. Thus, people who are in favor of gun control
only want to ban guns, not address the actual problem and would end up doing
more harm than good. People who make the argument that all firearms should be banned are suffering from a cognitive bias known as the
attentional fallacy. It is defined as
the tendency to pay attention to emotionally dominant stimuli in one’s
environment and to neglect relevant data when making sound judgments or
correlation associations.
The same cognitive bias is often applied to other social issues, like abortion. Many people who are pro-life suffer from attentional bias because they want to ban abortions completely, but that is wanting to ban abortions, not to protect life. If one is truly pro-life, as the writer of this blog is, one needs to take the following information into careful consideration and understand that your perception of what constitutes “pro-life” could be more destructive than helpful.
According to The Medical Journal, abortion rates are higher in countries where abortion is illegal. Unsafe abortions are performed at an alarmingly high rate in countries where abortion is banned completely. The World Health Organization estimates that 70,000 women die each year from unsafe, illegal abortion procedures. So right off the bat, one needs to understand that wanting a ban on abortion will do more harm than good, put people at risk, and result in the death of mothers from unsafe abortion procedures.
If you are pro-life, as I truly am, your want should be as few abortions as possible. Making abortion illegal will not accomplish that. In fact, outlawing abortion will probably make things worse. Here is a simple formula that everyone needs to understand. More unwanted pregnancies equals more abortions. Fewer unwanted pregnancies equals fewer abortions. It is really as simple as that.
The reason that countries where abortion is illegal have higher abortion rates is because the law is frequently based on religious beliefs which also limit access to contraceptives and comprehensive sex education. I assert that pro-life people have a moral obligation to be pro-contraceptive. We need to make contraceptives as available as possible and as inexpensive as possible.
Emergency Contraception versus Abortion Pills
Recently, a federal judge ordered making morning-after pills (an emergency contraceptive) available to girls as young as 15 years of age, without prescription. This was met with furious resistance from the “pro-life” camp. This decision was a huge win for pro-life supporters, whether they realize it or not, as it increases access to contraceptives which will reduce abortions.
The same cognitive bias is often applied to other social issues, like abortion. Many people who are pro-life suffer from attentional bias because they want to ban abortions completely, but that is wanting to ban abortions, not to protect life. If one is truly pro-life, as the writer of this blog is, one needs to take the following information into careful consideration and understand that your perception of what constitutes “pro-life” could be more destructive than helpful.
According to The Medical Journal, abortion rates are higher in countries where abortion is illegal. Unsafe abortions are performed at an alarmingly high rate in countries where abortion is banned completely. The World Health Organization estimates that 70,000 women die each year from unsafe, illegal abortion procedures. So right off the bat, one needs to understand that wanting a ban on abortion will do more harm than good, put people at risk, and result in the death of mothers from unsafe abortion procedures.
If you are pro-life, as I truly am, your want should be as few abortions as possible. Making abortion illegal will not accomplish that. In fact, outlawing abortion will probably make things worse. Here is a simple formula that everyone needs to understand. More unwanted pregnancies equals more abortions. Fewer unwanted pregnancies equals fewer abortions. It is really as simple as that.
The reason that countries where abortion is illegal have higher abortion rates is because the law is frequently based on religious beliefs which also limit access to contraceptives and comprehensive sex education. I assert that pro-life people have a moral obligation to be pro-contraceptive. We need to make contraceptives as available as possible and as inexpensive as possible.
Emergency Contraception versus Abortion Pills
Recently, a federal judge ordered making morning-after pills (an emergency contraceptive) available to girls as young as 15 years of age, without prescription. This was met with furious resistance from the “pro-life” camp. This decision was a huge win for pro-life supporters, whether they realize it or not, as it increases access to contraceptives which will reduce abortions.
The outrage from the far right stems from the
misunderstanding that an emergency contraceptive, such as the morning-after
pill, is the same thing as an abortion pill. They are not the same. In fact the
morning after pill is, literally, the exact, same chemical makeup as
birth-control pills, just at a much higher dosage. It is physically impossible for a
morning-after pill to abort an embryo that has already implanted into the
uterus. It is not an abortifacient like the RU-486 pill which is NOT available,
even to pharmacies. An actual abortion-inducing pill is only available to
specially-qualified licensed physicians in the United States.
Pro-life people should support pouring as much contraception and
comprehensive sex-education into the world as possible. States and counties in the United States that
offer both contraceptives to teenagers and a comprehensive sex education
curriculum have the lowest teen pregnancy, abortion rates, and rates of
sexually transmitted diseases. That should be the goal of pro-life people. In contrast, states and counties that teach
abstinence-only programs have the highest teen pregnancy, abortion, and rates
of sexually transmitted diseases. An
effort to encourage children to be moral and abstain from sex is resulting in
significant damage that is in direct contrast to the goals of pro-life groups.
I am pro-life. I want as few abortions performed as
possible. I want people to have a wide-range
of contraceptives available to access cheaply. I want children properly
educated about safe sex, sexually-transmitted diseases, and the dangers of teen
pregnancy. I want no one to die from STD’s. I want no mothers dying as a result
of illegal, unsafe abortion procedures. I am pro-life because I care deeply about the sanctity and decency of human life in all facets, not because I oppose abortion.
Good Post, great commentary-- I would surmise that Pro-life can be interchanged, by some aspects contained within this commentary, not to say that there is no merit with being Pro-life. I usually deem the details to abortion, STDs, Sexual awareness/appetite to a more personal obligation of the person involved. I cannot be held liable or in control of what a woman does with her body to her unborn child--Do I want the child to see the world, provided mother is taking care of herself (emotionally, nutritionally, etc.)this would be a resounding yes. Though it depends, I am not Pro-second or third trimester abortions--But I don't see or view life as 2 cells that multiplied into a zygote as a declaration of life--but something has to be said about that heartbeat--which is when many mothers find out they are pregnant, after the heart if formed and beating (usually in the first 18-21 days)Do I consider this life, No--as if it were outside the womb it wouldn't survive. I know call me Screwy and amoral--but if it cannot survive outside on its own--then it is not sustainable life. It hurts to read this callousness in my words, but it is the truth.
ReplyDeleteFor those against Abortion--I applaud you for being desperate enough to care about life to want to put yours and others health on the line. There are certain reasons for abortions, though not all are due to these, but for many young mothers, it might have been a rape child, a lack of contraceptional education--we cannot just litigate and enact laws based upon Religious texts to suit Today's issues--as many laws or standards are irrelevant for today. But Sorry for the Long Comment E--I just thought it good to explore a different POV on your Blog... safe travels my Friend...Troy