Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice you probably got stirred up the past couple of weeks. Amazingly, a rogue clerk at the Supreme Court leaked a draft opinion, with footnotes to Politico.
Personally, I am pro-life. A human has never been born from a jackel and when a human is conceived, it’s a human, not anything else. I do think there are instances where abortion is necessary. In order to live in a civil society, I need to have some tolerance for abortion so we don’t go to war over it. However, I do think it ought to be limited and somewhere in the 12-week time zone seems very appropriate for the bulk of all pregnancies.
I do think the narrative and conversation ought to change. In many cases, abortion is a failure to have hope. It’s a failure of someone to see a future for themselves. If we had things like school choice, stronger nuclear families, and other “conservative” values that are similar we’d have a lot less abortion. Just look at statistics from the early 1960s.
A lot of things in society have changed since then, and for the better. But, some things have gotten a lot worse. Most of the things that have gotten worse have roots in some ideology like Marxism which isn’t good for society anyway. Bill Ayers's ideology has won in education. It’s bad for America.
If you are a candidate, you shouldn’t try to duck this issue. Being confident that voters in your state can decide for themselves seems like a winning way to present yourself to a voter. Even saying that you favor limits on abortion is a winning argument.
Both sides should agree that the leaking of an opinion that is a work in progress from a deliberative consensus-building body such as the SCOTUS is out of line. But, the pro-abortion people somehow have twisted their ethical compass to read “by any means necessary”. Even protests in front of the personal homes of judges was okay.
Remember that next time something like this comes up and the shoe is on the other foot.
Friends of mine on social media posted all kinds of diatribes on how horrible the decision was even though it’s not been issued yet. A purely emotional download.
Here is the thing. If you read the decision, it doesn’t ban abortion and it doesn’t even ban it in very socially conservative states like Louisiana and Mississippi. It doesn’t touch on other social issues like gay marriage or birth control or anything like that. As a matter of fact, when you read the leaked draft opinion, it specifically says it doesn’t touch on those matters and is confined to one matter, Roe v Wade.
Today, some interesting polling data was released.
65% of people when questioned and informed think voters in states ought to decide for themselves, not judges. Only 18% of people polled want to preserve abortion as it is today.
That’s exactly what this opinion does.
Use objectivity and logic, not emotion.
I have been watching with interest what the response of the corporate community has been. My personal opinion is businesses ought to say nothing at all, unless they are in the abortion business. If I am a doctor’s office where my main procedure is abortion, I think it’s okay to say something. If my business is counseling people on how to prevent abortions from occurring, like the doctor they ought to say something.
Otherwise, it will pay zero dividends and only make you feel good about yourself depending on what you say and where you stand on the issue.
Some companies like Tesla said they would pay for their employees to go somewhere to get an abortion if their particular state created laws that made it too difficult for them. If a company wants to create an HR policy to keep or attract employees and they think that is best for them, then it’s a companies decision.
Crossing state lines to get a “medical procedure” done isn’t illegal. Heck in Las Vegas where I live they say the best medical waiting room around is the airport.
Other business organizations, specifically ones that cater to women, were basically one voice which is a strident call to rally against the decision. I saw one in Chicago that tried to walk the razor’s edge between the two factions but had a photo of a pro-abortion rally on the headline. It was as if, hint hint, we are trying to be inclusive but you should really believe the way we believe. Another women’s organization I am very familiar with said nothing at all.
Remember, only 18% of people want what exists today.
When you let emotion rule your decision-making, you often make bad decisions. You can still make bad decisions when you don’t let emotion get in the way. However, then you can retool your decision-making process.
I am saddened by the breach at the Supreme Court. It’s too bad one person thought that they were above the polity of the Court. I would like to see all the justices in unison decry that action. However, in these highly politicized times, it cannot happen.
A lot of the "outrage" is actually quite organized, but made to look authentically grass roots. How many times have we seen a new Current Thing pop up and the very next day, a rally with printed signs and "dozens of people" commence their screaming and shouting for all to see?
Then we find out that these groups like Wisconsin Dog Catchers For Abortion are actually just dba's of one large Democrat activist NGO that keeps its machinery whirring every day. They are typically funded by big money Democrat donors and they make the Rage machine look a lot bigger and forceful than it really is. Of course, they are hoping to start the fire, and then get unsuspecting people to join the cause and elevate the shouting and screaming to the next level.
So, the poll you cite doesn't surprise me at all, as the media has always focused on the sensationalist and TV-ready images for their own profit models, while ignoring the perhaps boring, greater sentiment. The weather reporter standing in the "windstorm" acting as if he's being battered by 80mph winds by leaning sideways comes to mind.
The amount of noise in this country has gone to the point where I just roll my eyes and look for the headline of the Next Current Thing.
Well said, thanks.