As everyone knows, one of the most prominent debates in today's world is that of abortion. It's the one thing that everyone has an opinion on. But I must ask, WHY? Aren't there more important issues to devote all your time to? Seriously, I have my own opinion on it, but I certainly won't devote all my time to it like most of these activists on either side seem to do.
Honestly. What the hell is up here?
I figured we'd have more activists for the election candidates or ending the war in Iraq, or even against the bloody Patriot Act! But no: abortion always incites the most emotion in anyone. I really, really want to know what it is about this medical procedure that makes it more important to the general populace than events that kill more people than abortions, like wars and genocides around the world. I don't get the "pro-lifers" who care more about abortion clinics than starving children in Africa. But I also don't get pro-choicers who would do absolutely anything to keep it legal in all cases. (I'm pro-choice, but I don't think they should be practiced in the third trimester unless the life of the mother is threatened. After that, I think it's just stupid. You should have made up your mind long before then.)
I brought this question up to my mom, and she put it this way: "Abortion is so prominent an issue because it's one of the only issues that doesn't directly affect men." I hate to admit it because I hate to sound sexist, but she has a point. You all know the line: "77% of pro-lifers are men; 100% of them will never get pregnant."
People who have abortions don't affect anyone except the woman having the abortion and maybe the father. That's it. They don't affect the rest of the world at all. Things that affect the world more than abortion include, but are by no means limited to: the environment, the economy, foreign wars, genocides, terrorism, HIV/AIDS, and even autism and other developmental disorders. How about we worry about the people who are already here? With all the other issues we have in our world, abortion should be the least of anyone's worries.
Also, one of my friends made a great argument about how you can't debate abortion in the first place. Here's why:
You can't debate abortion.
In order to debate a topic you have to first agree whether or not something exists. In the case of abortion, you get through that step just fine. And once you both recognize its existence, you have to agree on the definition of it. Only after that can you argue whether or not it is a good/bad thing. Unfortunately, while debating abortion, pro-lifers are arguing step two while pro-choicers are arguing step three. So their debates are not correlated at all and can't really get anywhere because y'all aren't talking about the same thing.
The debate is completely circular. You never get anywhere, more so than with any other issue. People are so emotional about it that they can't think clearly and just go in circles, spouting out random opinions at each other.
I'm so sick of debating abortion. Please don't debate the ethics of abortion here. I don't want to hear it. I think abortion should just be called "Old Faithful." Everyone, rich or poor, man or woman, black or white, etc. has an emotional opinion on it. Just shut up already and move on with your lives. The Fat Lady sang after Roe v. Wade.
Abortion and its legality is a complex problem that poses ethical and logical questions. Personally I disagree with almost everybody on the subject in one way or another because of the nature of the issue. The starving people in Africa and other impoverished and oppressed parts of the world that are also subject to genocide should be a focus in my opinion. It is abhorrent that, on average, over 24,000 people die from starvation every single day and yet we continue to waste so much in America. Many people are so selfish that they would not give up their stupid sports shows and Superbowl in lavish stadiums on big TVs even if it would save thousands from a torturous death everyday. I hope there is an afterlife and justice for all the good people that are murdered and die horrendous deaths from starvation everyday because they were born in an unfavorable part of the world. God (if such a concept exists) needs to inspire us to help our brethren. Hundreds of millions of people don't even have regular access to clean water. We need to think and discuss these issues rather than focus our energy and attention to a dead-end abortion issue. Good post.