Encouraging Pregnancy, or Abortion

Frances Kissling is a longtime member of the American pro-choice group Catholics for Choice. She has written many articles on abortion, particularly in the group’s must-read journal, Conscience Magazine. This month, Kissling wrote an interesting piece for the Web magazine Salon addressing the question: “Should the U.S. government really be in the business of encouraging women to have babies?” The article, which you can read here, dips into interesting territory, which of course is applicable in New Zealand.

For instance, in light of what are considered high abortion rates, she notes that “some very pro-choice people are suggesting that a push toward pregnancy continuation is a reasonable response”. But, Kissling argues, “It's outright obscene for a government that does as badly as ours in caring for children to even consider encouraging women to continue pregnancies. Benign neglect would be a less evil alternative.” Still, she realizes that “such things are not supposed to be said. “Only unreconstructed racists and population control freaks, people who hate the poor and resent their sexuality, would possibly suggest that sometimes, perhaps many times, it is the morally best thing not to continue a pregnancy. If you are pro-choice, you also fear that such a statement will brand you as "pro-abortion" -- a bad thing.”

Pro-choice advocates in New Zealand face the same kinds of dilemmas. When the abortion figures come out each year, it’s almost mandatory to wag a finger and suggest the numbers are too high. Are the numbers “high”? And if they are, what does that mean? Perhaps that women have come to expect 100% control of their own fertility, something that has only been possible relatively recently. It also means that women know that safe, legal (well, Justice Miller and Right to Life might not agree with the ‘legal’ part) abortion is available. Is it possible to find positive news in “high” numbers?

We welcome discussion.