As many folks know, the State of Texas has passed a law banning abortion after about 6 weeks' gestation in virtually all cases. The 6-week provision is based upon clear scientific evidence that this is the point in pregnancy at which the unborn baby's heart begins to beat. Yesterday, the Supreme Court (in a split decision) rejected a request from Texas abortion providers for an injunction against the law. Hence, at midnight, abortion in Texas became illegal after 6 weeks gestation.
I do not intend here to comment on the law, the debate surrounding the law, or the Supreme Court decision - though I have very strong rational and emotional positions on all of those.
Instead, I would like to comment briefly on a single picture (which I have cropped) contained in a news report on the Supreme Court's decision.
CBC.ca (Canada's federally-funded media outlet) published this picture in their article, "Chaos at Texas Abortion clinic as new restrictions come into effect." The article, unsurprisingly, painted workers at Whole Woman's Health as heroic victims fighting the oppressive machinery of narrow-minded bigots who oppose women's reproductive health - you can read the whole article HERE.
What I would like to point out is the glaring logical incoherence of this unfortunate soul's protest sign. Overlooking the grammatical imprecision (it should be either 'Abortion Saves Lives' or 'Abortions Save Lives'), the reality is that abortion does the precise opposite of saving lives - it is the practice of intentionally ending lives. Granted, a small fraction of abortions are performed in cases where the mother's physical life is clearly endangered by the pregnancy - such abortions save one life by ending another; but it is also worth noting that, so far as I can tell, the new Texas restrictions do not outlaw post-6-weeks abortions where the mother's life is in jeopardy.
There can be some reasoned debate over whether an unborn baby (or a fetus if you prefer that terminology) possesses personhood and thereby is deserving of protection under the law. But there is really no scientific or moral debate that an unborn baby (or fetus) is a living member of the human species.
I think precision in terms is important. And frankly, trying to pretend that "abortion saves lives" is about as logically untenable as pretending that banning abortion "protects women's choices."
Perhaps the sign could instead have read: "Abortion Ends Lives - but Justifiably So." At least then there's something worth debating.
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