It’s easy to believe that abortion is okay since it has been legal on a federal level since most of us have been alive. This cruel practice of killing the unborn has sadly been normalized in our society. For a living thing that has the same DNA structure as us, we sure don’t treat it with much respect.
The only differences between grown humans and fetuses are that fetuses can’t talk or defend themselves and they are inside another person.
However, there may be a way for abortion to become criminalized and still satisfy at least some of the concerns of pro-choice advocates.
Needless to say, pro-life groups continue to fight the battle to save the unborn. While it is a noble cause when it remains peaceful, pro-life groups need to update how they argue for change. They need a way that will help satisfy liberals and pro-choice advocates need a safety net instead of just hammering on about abortion.
Pro-life groups should be champions for helping underprivileged women, rape victims and teens. These groups focus so much on just making abortion illegal, but that doesn’t really solve many of the issues surrounding sexual freedom.
While I would not be surprised if many of these groups already try to provide charitable assistance, these pro-life groups should also lobby states for new laws, programs and public-private charity partnerships to help women.
These groups could use their political clout and resources to develop rape counseling programs and help design new, private adoption services to help out women who become pregnant accidentally or are rape victims. Maybe they could even lobby federal and state governments to reform state-run foster care programs.
Additionally, pro-life organizations could start programs to help at-risk youth and possibly even provide childcare for working women.
Government entities need to do their part as well. It may be a good idea to give tax breaks to families with dependent daughters and women who complete self-defense courses. Governments would also need to loosen laws affecting businesses, especially in urban areas.
These laws hurt the poor the most. It’s kind of difficult to start a legitimate business when the permit to operate takes up all of your start-up money.
By promoting legitimate business enterprises, women of all income levels have a better shot of being hired or starting their own businesses and thereby become more self-sufficient.
State governments must address this issue as more and more unborn children are killed every year, but pro-life groups must step up as well.
By becoming vocal supporters of reform in urban areas, protection and assistance for rape victims, and economic freedom, these groups could do great things for our society.
They may even win people from the left over and create some sort of compromise.
Roe v. Wade is still in effect, but maybe we can create a society where women do not voluntarily visit abortion clinics while we fight for it to be overturned.
Stuart Schmidt is a senior recreation and leisure studies major and a contributing writer for the Daily 49er.
