Can Americans ever reach a compromise on abortion rights?

For decades, abortion has been one of the most controversial social issues in the United States. Even with Roe v. Wade seemingly locking in a woman’s right to choose since 1973, Americans on each side of the issue have continued to argue their position and push for political and legal action to either solidify or limit access to abortion. Now, with Roe v. Wade being overturned on June 24, 2022, the issue is red hot again just in time for 2022 midterm elections.

But for the average American, is this topic really that polarizing? Those on the far left and far right of each side would lead you to believe there is no room for compromise. Hardcore liberals brag about having had abortions and tout a woman’s right to choose without any limits, while hardcore conservatives seek a blanket ban without any exceptions. However, neither of these positions seem reasonable to me, and based on my conversations with family, friends, and colleagues, I don’t believe most Americans find it reasonable either.

Let’s start with the extreme leftwing position, which is women (or people who can become pregnant, as the extreme left would say) have a right to terminate a pregnancy for any reason at any point during the pregnancy. The basis for this position is summarized with the rallying cry “my body, my choice,” which, generally speaking, is a sound position. I’m strongly against forcing anyone to do anything with their own body that they don’t consent to. But with abortion, there is not one, but two bodies to consider.

The extreme rightwing position is straightforward as well: ban abortions. This position is based on life being sacred, life beginning at conception, and terminating the pregnancy for any reason constituting murder. Those that hold this position tend to be very religious and allow their political positions to be fully influenced by their faith.

As a reasonable person, does either position seem appealing? Aborting a 36-week-old baby from the womb seems absolutely horrific and unreasonable.  But leaving a young woman who was raped and became pregnant as a result with no choice to remove the offspring of her attacker is also horrific and unreasonable. These scenarios, however unrealistic or rare some would say they are, can happen under the extreme positions of the left and right.

Before I get into the compromise, I’ll share with you my personal stance. I am against abortion in almost all cases. I find it immoral to terminate a pregnancy that occurred because of consensual sex, period. Abortion should not be used as a means of birth control or as a way to make up for irresponsible sexual habits. My wife and I do not want to have any more children, but if our current methods of birth control were to fail, I would never consider abortion, and neither would my wife. However, if my wife were raped and became pregnant by her attacker, we would not want that child. I would encourage her to take a Plan B pill. But if the window of opportunity for Plan B was missed for whatever reason, I would want her to have another option and I don’t believe abortion to be immoral in such a scenario.

Now, on to the compromise. For me, it is relatively simple. We must establish a point at which the life inside the womb is reasonably recognized as being a person. That part is not so simple, but some type of brain activity seems to be required in order to recognize personhood. Basic science tells us that spinal cord and nervous system development begins around week 6, with the first simple brain activity beginning around week 8 (6 weeks post fertilization). Brain development continues during the first trimester but, according to Yale researchers, the development of the human brain is marked by a burst of synaptic growth in the prefrontal cortex during the second trimester. Therefore, the second trimester seems to be when conscious “personhood” occurs, supported also by the fact that the earliest a baby has been born and survived is around 21 weeks. For those reasons, it seems reasonable to recognize a baby in the womb as a person in the second trimester.Based on these factors, abortion should occur as close to the first trimester as possible, with a cutoff at 16 weeks. This allows for legal abortions, for any reason, before critical brain development begins, giving women a reasonable time frame to become aware of their pregnancy and act. I also believe it is reasonable to allow legal abortion after the 16-week cutoff for specific, rare instances of potential harm to the mother. It is also reasonable to allow the removal of a fetus that is not living rather than force a stillbirth situation.

I know those on the left will bring the predictable arguments about irregular menstrual cycles and women not becoming aware of pregnancy until it’s too late, but that just requires a little responsibility. If you are sexually active and capable of becoming pregnant, take a pregnancy test regularly. Be mindful that you can carry life and the responsibility that comes with that.

To those on the right, mainly the religious, remember that you are not guilty of the sins of other people. God gives people free will and many other “sinful” behaviors are legal in the United States. Abortion is no different; don’t get an abortion if you consider it to be sinful. If others choose to do it, let God judge them.

To summarize, reasonable abortion law in the United States is as follows.

·         Legal, for any reason, up to 16 weeks.

·         Legal due to potential serious injury/death to mother as determined by a doctor, with no limit.

·         Legal to remove a fetus that has no detectable heartbeat or movement as determined by a doctor, with no limit.

I think most Americans would agree with this position. It respects a woman’s choice and health, while also respecting the humanity and rights of the baby in the womb. We should always approach difficult social issues rationally and reasonably instead of solely based on emotion. If only our political leaders would follow that advice. (GP)

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