POP QUIZ: When does life begin?
A. At conception B. At the fusing of the spinal cord (about 10 days after conception) C. At birth D. 2 years after birth.
Without a doubt, it's one of the most loaded questions in American politics. Any answer eventually leads to debate over religious beliefs, abortions, past laws, gender, medicine and the sanctity of life. As of today, 30 years have gone by since the Supreme Court handed down their decision in Roe v. Wade. Yet still the debate wages on and on. Now, however, with two branches of government controlled by conservatives, the first chance to make a big impact on undoing the wrongs of Roe v. Wade has appeared. If Republicans are going to make any headway, they must begin with the middle ground of banning partial-birth abortions.
Abortion is usually seen as a black and white issue. Either you believe in it or you don't. You are pro-life or you are pro-choice. Both sides have their lobbies and political supporters. Both sides have won victories and faced losses in the past 30 years. Both sides hold annual marches and protests, vigils and rallies.
It may appear that legislatures face the same polarization of decisions. Conservative congressmen can neither outright ban abortion nor can they simply allow the "Holocaust of the unborn" to continue. They do have a choice, though. Legislatures in Alabama flexed their political power when they required underage girls to undergo a hearing before being allowed to have an abortion. The Bush White House showed its muscle when it moved to allow fetuses to be classified as an "unborn child" in order for low-income women to receive prenatal care.
More importantly than these small steps, legislatures have the middle ground of partial-birth abortion, a procedure in which the baby is partially delivered and then its skull punctured. Partial-birth abortion is seen as a possible ground for compromise because it lacks all medial benefits. The American Medical Association has backed this up. In the case of a late-term pregnancy where the mother's life is at stake, it is much safer to fully deliver the baby by cesarean section than to perform the late-term abortion. So, those who advocate abortion only in cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother should be less likely to support partial-birth abortion. Lawmakers' ability to sway some of the members of the rigid pro-choice collection will be setting the groundwork for even further legislation, which in such an important battle is a good thing.
Congress tested the middle ground both in 1996 and 1997 by passing a ban on all partial-birth abortions. Both times, however, it was vetoed by President Clinton. Another law was passed last year in the House, but the Democratic-controlled Senate ignored the law and never took a vote. Now -- with neither a liberal president nor a branch divided -- is the time to act.
More importantly than just laying the foundations for the ban on all abortions, the new law will save thousands of lives every year. Although the number of partial-birth abortions is miniscule compared to the number of regular abortions performed a year, lives is still being lost. Roughly only 1 percent of abortions performed every year are done after the first 21 weeks (www.prolifeaction.org). That means still that thousands of pregnancies are terminated with the use of partial-birth abortion. Thousands.
That may not seem like a lot on the large scale of world population or other devastation. But think of it this way: Eliminate the entire third year class at the University. That's roughly 3,000 people. Imagine they never existed, their lives never impacted yours and the world would never benefit from their contributions. Too many children are lost each year. Now imagine the third-year class is back. Their lives intact, their place in history firm. That is what will happen to all the children lost to partial-birth abortion if the ban is passed.
In the end, the GOP most likely won't be able to overturn Roe v. Wade in its next two years of power. It probably won't even be able to sway the hearts of the most staunch die-hard pro-choice advocate. It is not a measure to condone abortion, nor to say that regular early abortions are acceptable. Rather, it is simply a first step. But by taking the first small steps, such as passing the ban on partial birth abortions, countless lives will be saved and the country will be set back on the right track towards the eventual end of abortion.
Thankfully, the outlook is good. "We will pass a partial birth abortion ban," said Sen. Sam Brownback, (R-Kansas). "That's going to hearten people. It's been a long fight. We're finally turning some of the battle." One law, lots of saved lives -- that's a good turning point.
(Maggie Bowden's column appears
Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at mbowden@cavalierdaily.com.)
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