1/ There should be a more nuanced discussion about abortion. (a) Late-term abortion is morally wrong. (b) Republican pro-life efforts do not reduce the number of abortions but increase them(!) because they do not encourage access to contraceptives.
2/ Pro-life people say: "I cannot vote for anyone who permits late term abortion. Their moral judgment is deficient because late-term abortion is similar to infanticide."
3/ But, there is a some consensus about late-term abortion. (Third trimester abortion would be: 28-40 weeks). 43 of 50 states ban abortion between 13-25 weeks. Only 1.3% of abortions occur after 21 weeks.
4/ "None of these Democrats [candidates for president] is explicitly saying, 'I support allowing third-trimester [28-40 weeks] abortions' — and, in fact, they seem to be trying hard to avoid doing so." washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/…
5/ Democrats should state their moral disapproval for abortion when the fetus is viable. "including a ban on late-term abortions with limited exceptions." nytimes.com/2019/07/13/opi…
6/ What reduces the number of abortions tends to be more access to contraception (not reducing access to abortion) so pro-life GOP efforts do not reduce the number of abortions!
7/ "Restrictive abortion laws are not associated with lower abortion rates." thelancet.com/journals/lance…
8/ "increasing access to highly effective methods of contraception (and thus preventing unintended pregnancies) is a more effective way to reduce abortion rates" [than restricting access to contraception]. brookings.edu/blog/up-front/…
9/ Moreover, the abortion rate is declining: "the abortion rate dropped in Ohio by 27% and in Texas by 30%, and by similar amounts in states that protected abortion access, including California, Hawaii and New Hampshire." apnews.com/7e45fe6f70cf45…
10/ There are almost certainly millions *more* abortions under Trump than there would have been under Hillary Clinton because his administration has done so much to limit access to contraceptives (by changing the Affordable Care Act, etc.).
11/ Michael Wear: "If a Democratic presidential nominee held and communicated views that reflected the median Democratic voter, that nominee would support and defend Roe v. Wade, but express moral reservations about abortion itself;
12/ ... offer openness to additional restrictions on abortion, including a ban on late-term abortions with limited exceptions; and call for a set of policies with the purpose of reducing the abortion rate in America, such as paid family leave,
13/ ... workplace protections for parents and pregnant women, increased access to birth control and a strengthened social safety net."
14/
15/ Warren: "Only 1.3 percent of abortions take place at 21 weeks or later, and the reasons are heartbreaking."
Buttigieg: "less than 1 percent of abortions take place after 24 weeks of pregnancy. They often involve heartbreaking circumstances."
nytimes.com/2019/11/25/us/…
Buttigieg: "less than 1 percent of abortions take place after 24 weeks of pregnancy. They often involve heartbreaking circumstances."
nytimes.com/2019/11/25/us/…
16/ Abortion attention-getting during impeachment trial.
Democratic Senator candidates' teams reaching for pro-choice primary votes:
,
Trump trying to keep pro-life evangelicals:
,
Democratic Senator candidates' teams reaching for pro-choice primary votes:
,
Trump trying to keep pro-life evangelicals:
,
17/ During primary season, Republicans and Democrats emphasize their most extreme positions on abortion and don't mention the sensible bipartisan common ground (contraception, limits to late-term abortion, the practical impossibility of banning abortion today, helping parents).
18/ A couple attempts at probing whether the pro-life rhetoric that "Democrats want to kill babies" is accurate.
And about Trump's role as a pro-life representative:
And about Trump's role as a pro-life representative:
19/
20/ 15% of Democrats think abortion should be illegal, and 44% of Democrats think it should be restricted, according to 2019 Gallup data.
news.gallup.com/poll/246278/ab…
And indeed, "43 states prohibit some abortions after a certain point in pregnancy."
guttmacher.org/state-policy/e…
news.gallup.com/poll/246278/ab…
And indeed, "43 states prohibit some abortions after a certain point in pregnancy."
guttmacher.org/state-policy/e…
21/ Jan 2020 Marist poll:
"by 15 percentage points (55% to 40%), a majority of Americans support banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This includes 45% of those who identify as pro-choice and 69% of those who identify as pro-life."
kofc.org/en/news/polls.…
"by 15 percentage points (55% to 40%), a majority of Americans support banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This includes 45% of those who identify as pro-choice and 69% of those who identify as pro-life."
kofc.org/en/news/polls.…
22/
CDC: "The majority of abortions in 2016 took place early in gestation: 91.0% of abortions were performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation; a smaller number (7.7%) were performed at 14–20 weeks’ gestation, and even fewer (1.2%) were performed at ≥21 weeks’."
cdc.gov/reproductivehe…
CDC: "The majority of abortions in 2016 took place early in gestation: 91.0% of abortions were performed at ≤13 weeks’ gestation; a smaller number (7.7%) were performed at 14–20 weeks’ gestation, and even fewer (1.2%) were performed at ≥21 weeks’."
cdc.gov/reproductivehe…
23/ Here is an excellent essay pulling together a number of issues addressed in the thread above:
24 / If someone thinks that abortion is much more likely to be immoral after the fetus is viable (at about 21 weeks), the Supreme Court in 1973 (Rowe v Wade) and in 1992 (Planned Parenthood v Casey) agrees. Abortion can be restricted after viability.
25 / The phrases "pro-life" and "pro-choice" are confusing because most people don't know that 45% of "pro-choice" people "support banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy," according to 2020 Marist polling.
26 / A Christian who believes that "life" or even "personhood" "begins with conception" should try to persuade women that she should not choose an abortion. But it may be impractical to ban abortion under ≤13 weeks.
That's my read of David French here:
That's my read of David French here:
27 / Abortions after 20 weeks often are part of a sad story.
28 / "We can make changes at the margin using legislative majorities and executive power, but these are very marginal. Ultimately, we have a fundamentally persuasive task, requiring us to think about how our arguments look to people with different views."
