Convictions: Slate's blog on legal issues

Reducing Abortions

Eric, you changed the topic on me and perhaps misunderstood. The conversation was about the politics of abortion and Republican coalition--no one is questioning the sincerity of belief of many who would like to see Roe overruled and abortion banned. 

Do you doubt that the legislation I described would likely increase the total number of abortions?  My point was that the kind of legislative initiatives that come out of the "Republican coalition" you were discussing does not actually accomplish a reduction in abortions.  (And that the primary prochoice organizations do work hard toward that goal.)  That may also well reveal that some (not all) such political forces are more interested in objectives other than reducing the number of abortions.  Among them may be controlling the nature and understanding of motherhood and diminishing women's equality and sexual freedom (and even where those are not objectives, they may provide strong influences).  For the many who sincerely would like to reduce the number of abortions, that desire provides the basis for education about the true effects of the legislation and the possibility for instead forging common ground policies that promote pregnancy prevention and healthy childbearing.