About What If

Several years ago I had a realization, an insight, a light bulb moment. I realized that Pro Life and Pro Choice people could not discuss the issue with each other, that it wasn't possible because they were operating from different thought processes. And those thought processes arose from their different theologies.

The Pro Life people see God as authoritarian who has rules and laws and patterns and processes that one needs to know and conform to. They aren't comfortable not knowing the answers. If they don't know them, they go to someone who does know them and follow their instructions.

The Pro Choice people see God as friend and guide, someone who they can consult in unique situations for unique guidance for that situation. No, not "situation ethics," but a flexibility and innovative approach the Pro Life people would not be at all comfortable with.

As a result of their different theological views and approaches, they just aren't going to be able to meet on deciding about abortion.

From that realization, and I'm convinced it is true, I thought, what can be done to bring them together? What do they have in common?

One of the useful things I've learned in my long study of changemaking is: A problem cannot be solved on the logical level on which it occurs. One must go to a higher or lower logical level to find a solution.

So, I wondered at what level the Pro Choice and Pro Life people would agree on the issue. I decided that could be on the level of the desirability of abortion. Neither are pro-abortion. Nobody is in favor of abortion. Pro Choice people are not in favor of it, they see it as the lesser of evils. Everybody wants to avoid abortion whenever reasonably possible.

Both Pro Choice and Pro Life people are pro life, they want the babies to live, and the mothers to live. The Pro Choice people just want the mothers to be able to choose rather than the doctors or the general public whether they will bear a child or not.

I wondered how they might be able to work together at that logical level. Perhaps they could work together on the same objective, but each in their own way, in the areas of their choice, to make abortion unnecessary. Not to make it illegal, unavailable, or dangerous, but to make it so that no woman has to make the choice of whether to abort or not.

How might that be accomplished? I thought it could be done by a person or group acting as a coordinator or idea spreader, loosing a new idea, a new approach to the abortion dilemma. It should be simple and easy to implement, memorable, and innovative, and able to be adaptable to individuals and groups from both sides of the abortion debate.

I thought a simple statement, one that stuck in the mind, one that piqued one's curiosity, that might create aha moments for others, one that could be used by everyone, believable and practical, would be the place to begin. That statement, a question really, became:

"What if all the time, money, and effort expended to make abortion illegal were, instead, invested in making it unnecessary?"

My idea was to find vehicles to spread that sentence throughout the world, in newspaper ads and magazines, to have a newsletter, and telephone support, to share information on how others were working to make abortion unnecessary, not just now, but for little girls being born today when they become old enough to need that help. And, I'd write a book on the subject to help the cause along.

It was a daunting task, and much beyond what I could do at the time. But it has continued to be a project I wanted to launch and promote and develop.

Along came the Internet, and websites and email discussion lists, and I thought I'd add those to my project. Still, I wasn't ready to do it.

Then, along came blogging. As I began to build blogs for my interest areas, and to replace some of my websites, I thought about my abortion project again. Suddenly, I realized I did not need to wait any longer. A blog, simple and inexpensive, could begin the spread of the message, the Question. It could also be a gathering point for the material I'd thought I'd need to gather for a book. Using a blog, I could publish it immediately, as it was being written, and those who want to share their stories can do so right now. No need to wait for a book to be written, edited, and published.

So, this is the beginning. I have much to say about the subject, which I will write as we go along. I'm hoping those who have had abortions, or have considered them and did not have to abort will also share their stories.

What I want, from those who read this site, is:

-Comments from readers answering one of two questions:

1. If you had an abortion, what was not available for you in your life that made the abortion necessary for you?

2. If you considered an abortion, but did not abort, what was available for you in your life that made it possible for you to not abort?

-Comments from readers about ideas for making abortion unnecessary.

-Comments from readers about what you are doing, planning to do to help make abortion unnecessary.

-Comments from readers sharing information useful to the cause of making abortion unnecessary.

-Spreading the word. Please send others to this blog site, spread The Question that heads the main page. Please, if you will, add the URL of this blog http://www.makeabortionunnecessary.com to that question when you share and disperse it throughout the world so that others can come here to join and profit by what everyone else is contributing to the cause.

Thank you.

Let us begin making abortion unnecessary.

Pat Gundry

Comments

[Francois Tremblay]

"Let us begin making abortion unnecessary."

I am pro-abortion, so... let's not and say we did. Can't you just do like the two other positions and just protest and scream without actually doing anything for change?

[barbara]

Comments from readers about ideas for making abortion unnecessary.

Education

Educate people about the gift of their sexuality. That it should not be viewed casually because it is special. Help them to understand that they have a choice whether to engage in sex or not. This is where choice first begins…not after the conception of a new life. Let’s help them to understand that choosing sex may lead to pregnancy and the responsibilities that go along with bringing a life into the world.

In my twenties I thought that a woman has the right to have an abortion or not. Hey it is her body!

Then I got married and my husband and I decided to start our family. My first pregnancy was a miscarriage. I was devastated and never saw abortion the same again.

As women, the nurturers of this world, we must make the choice to not engage in sex if we are not willing to nurture the baby who may be born of our choice.

I educated myself about abortion after my miscarriage and spoke to teenagers about pre-marital sex and abortion. Part of the education process was watching video tapes of an abortion. I was pregnant at this time and I felt my baby crawl closer to my heart when I heard the sounds of the baby being aborted. My baby sensed, heard the horror and crawled away in fear.

Sex is not casual, it is sacred. It is how we share intimately with the one we love.

Let’s educate the world to understand this and make the choice that will make abortion unnecessary!

Peace,
Barbara

[Alice]

I really like your idea. I have come to believe that it is better to try to reduce abortion by making the world a more egalitarian place than to ban abortion, which I think would be seriously detrimental to women. As you said, no-one wants an abortion. And I think that that is something that people tend to forget; I really dislike it when pro-choice people are referred to as being 'pro-abortion'. I have heard so many arguments 'for' and 'against' abortion, and I think that rather than arguing it is best, as you suggest, to try instead to make it unnecessary.