Political season hotting up in the US
A few days ago, I got an email from my friends in Philadelphia, Naomi and Rie, asking if I wanted to come and stay in their spare room and join the campaign to get a Democrat elected to the Senate from Pennsylvania. Even though the Democrat in question, Bob Casey Jr, is a lacklustre centrist anti-choice candidate, it was still a tempting offer, as he’s running against one of those gods and guns Republicans, and I’d love a change of pace right now… But I can’t take time off work at the moment, so I’m spending time with the political ads database (”I’m Josephine Bloggs, and I approve this message” - they really do say it! Just like on the West Wing!) and with the revamped electoral-vote.com.
Antonia, being pro life you might probably ignore my argument, but I had no problem with the thought of John Kerry being elected President in 2004, given the opposition (and I was not happy with one or two of Kerry’s policies, namely his being pro choice (BTW Have you seen The West Wing episode on that issue, worth watching!)). It’s one of the irritating things about politics, supporting what you regard to be the lesser of the two evils!
Antonia,
Have you met Larry Sanders (Leader, County Council Greens)? You might be interested to know, if you didn’t already, that his brother is running for Senate in Vermont - and short of a serious disaster, is going to win….
Always cheers me up to look at his polling data!
Paul - I do understand, though it’s a much more important question in the US, where the issue is highly politicised and vastly more important - whether Bob Casey Jr would vote against the confirmation of an anti-choice judge, for example, is something that the people of Pennsylvania have a right to know, and might well be an important factor in their voting decision (though his opponent is a much more vehement anti-choicer).
I’m interested in your own position, though. When you say you’re “pro-life”, what do you mean? That you wouldn’t choose abortion in your own circumstances for whatever reason (am used to framing that question to women, not men, but I hope you know what I mean - it’s a position I respect), or think abortion shouldn’t be available (a position I don’t respect)?
Matt - I have met Larry Sanders, and I knew about his brother. Of course he’s going to win, though if he caucuses with the Democrats, as he has done in the House, I rather think he should get over himself and join the Democratic party.
I just can’t wait until the midterms…
That’s a bit of a loaded question Antonia! But I will try and give a clear and honest answer.
Generally speaking I am strongly against abortion. That isn’t to say I don’t have every concern and sympathy for the mother making the decision, I do (and I know that last sentence comes across as patronising, but it’s not meant to be and I don’t know how else to frame it). I don’t agree with most abortions, where I do agree with it is if there is something hideously wrong with the baby (where it is dead or will die anyway) and the mother’s life is in direct danger.
Should abortion be made illegal? Given my dislike of it, obviously the idea has appeal, but I hesitate on that one because I do agree with them in one or two extreme cases and I would not want to see a rise in backstreet abortions. For me it’s a real moral dilemma and if I was an MP or Peer I would probably abstain on a vote on such an issue!
What if someone close to me decided on an abortion? Simple, I would stand by them no matter what. I am as much concerned about the mother as I am about the child. For me, not agreeing with something is different to whether or not you accept a situation and whether or not you care for the person concerned.
And would I agree to an abortion if I were female and pregnant?
Well the honest answer is I don’t know, but I suspect it would be only in an extreme case!
Sorry that’s a mixed and probably unsatisfactory answer, but it’s the best one I can give at the moment.
But what about you Antonia? Are there any circumstances where you would disagree with abortion?
Paul,
Thanks for the answer. You see, I think there’s a massive difference between “no-one should ever be able to have a legal abortion” and “I wouldn’t choose the option of abortion for myself”. The first makes you anti-choice; the second doesn’t. We need to get across to people that being pro-choice isn’t being pro-abortion.
As to whether there are circumstances where I disagree with abortion - no, not really, there aren’t, Paul. I don’t like the idea of aborting a baby not of your preferred sex; as an advocate of diasbility equality I struggle with the notion of aborting a foetus which may have a high risk of disability; I wish there were better options than aborting late-term; but I don’t think any of these situations should be made illegal.
I see your point, but it’s not fair on the unborn child/feotus is it!
What pains me about debating this is that it’s an emotive issue (but then how can it be anything else!) which means that some people on either side refuse to listen to each others arguments, although I think we do
As for pro choice, I get your point (hence my West Wing reference earlier), but then you yourself are therefore almost borderline from being pro choice because of your distaste towards certain circumstances where abortion takes place!
No, I’m not “almost borderline pro-choice”, Paul. I believe that abortion should be a private medical decision made between a woman and her doctor - there should be no prescribed list of acceptable “reasons” and no one-size-fits-all time limits. Just a private medical decision.