Morality, the Evolution of Abortion Rights and an Alternative Proposal

Update: I wrote this back in October 2021. More important now than ever!!

UPDATE 12/2/2021: Only four countries in the world… allow abortions after 20 weeks” of pregnancy. China, Canada, North Korea and………….drum roll please………….the United States. Why is that even REMOTELY ok with you Pro Choice people and yet you’re the FIRST to tell everyone they HAVE TO BE VACCINATED???? As the Supreme Court hears arguments about halting abortions after 15 weeks……a reasonable timeline, it’s time to re-visit this article. As I heard Dan Bongino say yesterday “EVERY human who’s EVER been alive had their life start at CONCEPTION! THAT is when LIFE BEGINS”. Tell me differently…….I DARE YOU. If we continue with abortion on demand, we are BARBARIANS……period.

I was thinking about the connection between morality and the evolution of abortion rights. Every 4 years during presidential elections and every new nomination of a new Supreme Court Justice the topic of abortion is in the forefront. As a physician during my training, there was the opportunity to participate in what medically was termed a “termination of pregnancy” or TOP procedure. Based upon our own decision making you could opt out which I did.

First let’s explore the meaning and likely origin of “morality”. The Oxford Dictionary defines morality as “Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.” In his new book, Moral Origins, Christopher Boehm speculates that human morality emerged along with big game hunting. When hunter-gatherers formed groups, he explains, survival essentially boiled down to one key tenet—cooperate, or die. Humans are believed to have become “culturally modern” and having a “conscience” around 45,000 years ago. It’s a VERY interesting book and goes much deeper.

There are several traditional arguments for and against abortion rights. An oft cited author on abortion is Don Marquis, a medical ethicist and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kansas. He claims that murder is illegal because it deprives the murdered person of their potential future.  In a paper he published he states that except in unusual circumstances, abortion is seriously wrong. “Such cases include abortion after rape and abortion during the first fourteen days after conception when there is an argument that the fetus is not definitely an individual.” You can read more of this interesting paper here: https://web.csulb.edu/~cwallis/382/readings/160/marquis.html

The traditional “pro” abortion argument comes from Judith Thomson an American moral philosopher in her paper: https://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/Phil160,Fall02/thomson.htm Thomson’s example is basically an allegory of a “famed violinist” that needed to be connected to another human for an indeterminate period of time due to a rare blood disorder. Thomson argues that you surely have the right to disconnect yourself.  Again another interesting article and viewpoint. Thomson does admit that “there are some cases in which the unborn person has a right to the use of its mother’s body, and therefore some cases in which abortion is unjust killing.” Interesting…..

You can read the two articles and come to your own conclusions, but the interesting thing about BOTH of the above articles leaves a great deal of doubt as to abortion being COMPLETELY immoral or COMPLETELY allowable under ANY circumstances. I’d like to present a compromise to the polar arguments for and against abortion.

If we want to be a “moral” society we need to evolve. I think 45,000 years of having a conscience should demand that. Pregnancy is probably one of the most easily prevented medical conditions both before and after the fact. Birth control pills should be FREE and easily attainable. If a woman has unprotected sex SHE KNOWS SHE DID, even in the horrible case of rape. Children who’ve been molested are a separate issue obviously. The “Morning After” pill also needs to be simply and readily available. Women need to know that REGULAR BIRTH CONTROL PILLS CAN BE USED AS THE MORNING AFTER PILL!! Physicians and pharmacists I believe have the moral obligation to let women know that! The link to the article below describing “morning after” options should be distributed to every female of child bearing age: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007014.htm

Finally, as for viability of the fetus outside the womb. In May, 2019 A baby born weighing just 245g (8.6oz), believed to be the tiniest on record to survive premature birth went home from the hospital. Currently at 24 weeks the survival rate is 40-70%.

How about a compromise on the whole abortion issue? Both prominent PRO and ANTI abortion ethicists believe that abortion isn’t ALWAYS wrong or right. Make birth control free and available and if the woman wants to be “separated from the violinist” she can do that at 24 weeks gestation. Deliver the fetus and allow it to be an individual with it’s own RIGHT TO LIFE. Do these morally correct things and let’s move on from hearing nothing but Roe V. Wade every 4 years!! Let’s DO THE RIGHT THING.