Once again, the issue of abortion is in the news–predictably being pushed into the forefront of public debate by conservative Republicans. Several days ago, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican from Kentucky, unveiled legislation intended to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding, charging the family planning provider with illegal practices in cases of abortion. Shortly thereafter, it became apparent that Senator Rand Paul, likewise from Kentucky, intends to spearhead the effort to defund Planned Parenthood. Whether the charges against Planned Parenthood have any validity is a matter that could and should be clarified. In any case, more than 90 percent of the services offered by the organization are preventive, including the providing of birth control. But neither these statistical facts nor the possible validity of the charges against Planned Parenthood are relevant to the current discussion because the real issue is not funding, but rather abortion itself.
Senator Rand Paul has gone on record saying that he is opposed to abortion and has even supported legislation that would make it illegal in the United States. At this point, the discussion becomes interesting: Does the Federal Government have the right to dictate to a woman whether or not she may terminate an unwanted pregnancy? This is a purely legal question. Unfortunately, it has not been carefully distinguished from the moral and the ethical questions. Much would be gained in the discussion about abortion if conservatives could think through the issue in a more differentiated manner and place their conservative views in the proper arena. One certainly has a right to view abortion as immoral. Nota bene: I am not saying that abortion is immoral, but the conservative has the right to view it in this way if he or she wishes. One might also maintain that abortion is unethical in the context of a particular religion; a Christian, for instance, might say that abortion cannot be reconciled with his understanding of faith.
It is not, however, the function of government to propagate the moral and ethical views of particular groups in society. To put it succinctly, it is not the purpose of the law to make saints out of ordinary citizens, but rather to prevent them from becoming demons and destroying society. Consider the case of murder. The prohibition against murder seems to be a necessary law within any society since society itself would dissolve if murder were an accepted practice. The same does not seem to hold true in the case of abortion. The pregnant woman who terminates her pregnancy does not harm society itself in any demonstrable way.
For this reason, the issue of abortion should be considered first and foremost a moral and ethical question, and our legislators should concern themselves with issues that threaten the very basis of society: climate change, widespread poverty, the perpetual waging of wars etc. The list is long enough to keep them busy during their time in Washington, and in their spare time at home, they can discuss among themselves their moral and ethical views.
Jack Brush is a resident of The Villages.