Americans recently have seen that the debate regarding abortion has not changed in the last 36 years, since Roe v. Wade.
President Obama was met by many unfriendly faces during his <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-Notre-Dame-Commencement/" title="REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME | WhiteHouse.gov”>recent talk at the University of Notre Dame, stemming around this very issue. Rather than approaching the issue by antagonizing other perspectives, President Obama called for open minds, and understanding for other choices.
I could not agree more with this call for tolerance on the issue of abortion. It has become clear that there is often more to this topic than simply pro-choice or pro-life; there are many specifically articulated positions, each slightly different than the next.
Most recently, the Gallup poll has shown that the scales have tipped, favoring pro-life at 51 percent, for the first time since the question started being asked in 1995. But rather than bemoan our differences, it is important to acknowledge the common ground that President Obama spoke about.
The goal is of healthy women, families and positive futures for all individuals. This is the common ground on which we all stand. Making abortion illegal will not stop abortions from happening, as they still occur in countries where it is illegal, but rather will remove the safeguards that exist to protect women. Women may end up being harmed or dying seeking abortions because there is no standard of care or cleanliness.
However, we also know that by offering family planning and, sex education to children the number of abortions can be decreased. So let us not stand on the moral scale, weighing ourselves against the other opinion, but rather stand together in our common goal.
By providing women who choose to keep a child with adequate care, by educating our youth on safe sex and their choices, by advocating for adoption services, by providing sufficient resources for women who want to have a baby, we can make healthier homes and communities.
And all it takes, as President Obama said, are, “Open hearts. Open minds.”
Anna Jensen, Kirkland
