There are claims that the story of Amillia Taylor surviving despite being born after only 21 weeks gestation will transform the debate over abortion in America. I wish I was as optimistic about that as those who make that claim.
I've felt for a long time that the debate over abortion is not about the right to life of the child as much as about the benefits it provides to the mother or other people in the child's life. (I say "other people" because of the number of abortions that happen due to pressure from the child's father, or the recent story of the 13 year old in Italy who was forced to have an abortion, against her will, by her parents.)
I read an article a long time ago that compared attitudes toward abortion and slavery. Essentially the author argued that those in support of legal slavery were aware of the inhumanity and cruelty inherent in the institution of slavery, but supported it due to the benefits it provided. They had a problem with slavery, but liked the lifestyle it made possible, so they looked away from the negative side of it. The author (I completely forget who) argued that a similar attitude exists towards abortion: people who stop to think about it know it's wrong, but like what abortion makes possible: greater career options for women, more sexual freedom, etc. So they look away from the obvious fact that a child (at least one) is losing their life in every abortion.
It's this attitude that pro-lifers have to overcome. And that's something I don't know how to do. That sense of entitlement/selfishness (for lack of a better word) is very ingrained in our society. From fast food to the Internet, we want what we want and we want it now and we won't let anything get in the way of it. (I know I'm certainly guilty of that problem.) Abortion is a symptom of that greater issue of our culture. We need to fix that root problem before we have any hope of converting people's hearts and minds on the rights of unborn children.
Cross posted at Gazizza.net
