The problem with the abortion debate is that people often talk past each other. Of course, some of this is intentional.
The pro-life side can afford to acknowledge the best pro-choice arguments — a woman’s right to bodily autonomy, the intense difficulties an unplanned pregnancy can cause, the asymmetry of reproduction between the sexes, etc. They have counter-arguments for each of them.
But the pro-choice side cannot afford to acknowledge the legitimacy of the pro-life argument — that what’s being aborted is an innocent human person. If they did, they’d lose the moral high ground.
Bill Maher recently illustrated this on his show.
He said:
I don’t understand the 15-week thing, or Trump’s plan ‘let’s leave it to the states.’ You mean, so killing babies is ok in some states? I can respect the absolutist position, I really can. I scold the Left when they say, ‘oh you know what? They just hate women. People who aren’t pro-choice.’ They don’t hate women.
[The Left] just made that up. [Pro-life absolutists] think it’s murder. And it kind of is. I’m just okay with that. I am. I mean there’s 8 billion people in the world. I’m sorry, we won’t miss you. That’s my position on it.
Brutal though that argument is, at least he’s honest. Can you imagine what the abortion debate in this country would be like if more people argued for pro-choice policies the way Maher does?