Thread by @profsamperry

🧵 Thinking about the SCOTUS abortion case. There are many reasons folks oppose abortion. BUT the "sanctity of life" rhetoric always bothers me cuz folks who want to restrict abortion are also *more likely to be* folks who disregard life (or nonviolence, mercy) the most. Data: 1/

The 2018 GSS asked if adults thought state abortion laws should be easier or harder. Note that those who want to make abortion harder are more likely to favor death penalty, want courts to be harsher, oppose gun permits, & would approve of police hitting mouthy citizens. 2/

Conservs. can argue first 2 (death penalty, harsher courts) are "pro-life" in that being harsh w/criminals may preserve innocent life.

Harder to make that argument w/the other 2 questions, suggesting folks who wanna make abortion harder are just more pro-guns & authoritarian. 3/

We see same patterns in our PDES panel data. We asked adults whether they thought abortion should be legal or illegal. Look how those groups differ on guns. Abortion abolitionists are FAR more likely to venerate gun rights & favor gun violence as THE solution to gun violence. 4/

What about authoritarian control & violence? In another set of PDES questions, we find abortion abolitionists are FAR more likely to wish we used death penalty more, think letting the guilty go free is worse than condemning the innocent, & favor any-means-necessary policing. 5/

What about violence in general or political violence? Same pattern. Abortion abolitionists are just more open to violence in principle. But look at the question farthest right. Abortion abolitionists are WAY more likely to say patriots may have to "Jan 6" the govt to save US! 6/

Lastly, look at responses to COVID. Who rejects life-saving vaccine & disregards the vulnerable? No surprise. Abortion abolitionists are FAR more likely to say they don't plan on getting vaxxed & in May 2020 were more likely to say saving economy was worth risking the elderly. 7/

Let me clarify. These data DO NOT show that ALL persons who wanna outlaw abortion are doing so because they're authoritarians or mean or violent or whatever. As I said in my first tweet, reasons for favoring any policy are diverse and complex. However... 8/

What data DO show is abortion abolitionists are MORE LIKELY TO BE pro-violence, pro-death penalty, unjustly punitive, authoritarian, pro-guns, & anti-vax/restrictions than those who'd keep it legal.

Thus "we who value life" isn't a good descriptor of abortion abolitionists. 9/9