Nicholas Fogelson is a zealous, outspoken pro-abortion physician who blogs at Academic OB/GYN. He recently posted there a commentary, “Why Pro-Choice Is Losing,” that has several points of interest. Fogelson is obviously steeped in the wildest myths of abortion ("Prior to Roe v Wade hospitals had entire wards full of women injured or dying from illegal untrained abortion." Entire wards? Yipes. Check your facts, Nick.) and he's full of peppy ideas ("Pro-choice should be picketing Crisis Pregnancy Centers EVERY DAY.").Nevertheless, Fogelson's post provides intriguing insights into what's happening in American culture regarding the "abortion wars" as well as showing the mixed feelings and confused ideas which are bubbling inside many pro-abortion people. Some excerpts:
Lately I’ve been troubled by how badly the pro-choice movement has been doing. Here in South Carolina we are continuously dealing with legislation to limit access to abortion. This year a 24 hour waiting period law was passed, and the state legislature is almost ready to sign in a law that prevents state funding for any abortion, even in cases of maternal jeopardy, rape and incest. Nationwide, abortion is under attack in many states, and in some cases progress is being made to limit access.
One of the things that bothers me is that I don’t see this trend improving, at least not until some major changes are made in the pro-choice movement. Right now, anti-choice is wiping the floor with pro-choice. Pro-choice is always on the defensive, and never on the offensive. Prochoice is tending goal and Prolife is always taking shots. This can only go on so long before one gets in the net, and we’ve been seeing that happen lately...
Pro-life has been very successful in merging two question that should be separated, and by doing so have taunted the pro-choice side into addressing the wrong one. These questions are 1) is abortion unethical / immoral? and 2) should abortion be illegal?... Pro-choice must separate these two questions. There is absolutely nothing to be gained in trying to convince people that abortion is a moral act...Pro-choice needs to stop addressing the question of morality question all together. The only question that should be addressed is whether or not abortion should be legal...
Pro-choice also needs to stop pretending that abortion is not destroying life. Pro-life argues that abortion is murder, and in response we hear from pro-choice is that it is not life, but a potential life. This is not a compelling argument. A fetus, from any scientific point of view, is alive. Claiming that a fetus is not alive is inaccurate, and this somewhat vampiric idea paints Pro-choice in a bad light in the eyes of the middle ground population that might be convinced to support their cause. Pro-choice must recognize that abortion is destruction of life, but is still a justified thing... (Fogelson provides, however, no example of what he would consider justified killing. He argues that because pro-lifers are "supporters of war, and in so are the greatest supporters of killing" that pro-abortion advocates should capitalize on this hypocrisy. But that sophomoric claim doesn't really answer the problem -- what is, in your mind, Dr. Fogelson, a justified killing? Not surprisingly, he refuses to consider that the number of abortion victims is a hundredfold to those dying in wars.)
Pro-choice is also losing because they are not aggressive enough in marketing. There are billboards all over the place promoting pro-life ideas. I never see billboards promoting pro-choice ideas. This is a problem...
When I was living in a very liberal state, I had the luxury of believing that my position was morally correct and that the opposition was incorrect. When I moved to South Carolina I realized the folly in this position. While I am as Pro-Choice I have ever been, I have met far too many wonderful intelligent caring people who happen to be Pro-Life to continue to believe that their position is fundamentally wrong. Their beliefs are completely logical given the premises they learned as children...
We need to fight with facts, and if needed we need to fight a little dirtier. Always taking the high ground hasn’t been working...
We [pro-abortion advocates] have failed to demonstrate the merits in our position with the same passion that the opposing side has shown, and over time the position has weakened. The truth is that both sides have compelling arguments, and which side you go with depends on your point of view. The problem is that our compelling arguments are not being pushed enough, and that we are being overpowered by a opposition that is far more zealous, and perhaps has a lot more time to fight...
I have wondered if the passion and sometimes zealotry of the pro-life side comes primary from the predominance of religion in that population. As a non-religious person, I was not taught to try to convince others of my views. While I am certainly interested in what other people think about something, it has never occurred to me to really want to change their mind. Ultimately, they have the right to think whatever they like. Those of a religious persuasion, in contrast, have been taught that they are doing something noble by trying to persuade others to believe as they do, that they are actually helping that person by doing this. Perhaps this is why the Pro-Life side has been more effective in pushing their views...
Why don't we say a few prayers for Dr. Fogelson over the weekend? Reading through his meandering comments makes me wonder if perhaps his mind isn't quite as made up about abortion as he thinks it is. But whatever's going on with the guy, he needs moral and scientific clarity. He needs better information than what's he's raked in so far. And, like every other person on the planet, he needs to understand that Jesus Christ loves him and, through His sacrificial death on the cross, offers him forgiveness, peace and joy everlasting.
(Hat tip: Pro-Life Action League)
