“I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away,” President Obama said.
“At some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.”
The reference to caricature reminded me that the only published reaction to my column last November was from letter writer Peggy Normandin, who found that I “reflected little insight about the core issues involved” but seemed less agitated about that than my “I’m such a reasonable nice guy attitude.” It’s the first time I’ve been hung on the petard of reason and — although her interpretation of my attitude seems to have little relevance to the issue of abortion — I found it comfortable to be in close context with the president whom I admire.
Once we jointly accept the premise that reducing unwanted pregnancies is the best route to reducing abortions, the question then becomes how do we go about that.
Sex education in public schools has proven by far the best means of pursuing that goal, but there we hit another road block. The people who would de-legalize abortions are the same people who would limit sex education to abstinence. But that, at least, offers some grounds for debate, slim as it is.
The underlying problem in all these issues surrounding abortion is linking it to politics and religion.
We’ve had a recent example in the cancellation of a Planned Parenthood educational program for young women by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, mostly on the grounds that public agencies and money shouldn’t be used to support abortions.
