One pro-choice author said the following:
“To defend abortion with confidence, we must first recognize that institutional opposition to the right is part of a broader campaign to undermine women’s autonomy and equality… Abortion is only one piece of the puzzle. When this puzzle is assembled, the image that emerges is of a women subjected, not a fetus saved. For example, it is illuminating that “right to life” leaders generally tolerate abortion in cases of rape or incest. The fetus conceived by rape is biologically and morally indistinguishable from the fetus conceived by voluntary intercourse. But in the view of our opponents, the rape victim is innocent while the woman who chooses to have sex is tainted. For them, it is the woman’s innocence or guilt that determines whether she should be allowed to have an abortion or forced to bear a child.”
“Caitlin Borgmann and Catherine Weiss “Beyond Apocalypse and Apology: A Moral Defense of Abortion” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health volume 35, January/February 2003
Webmaster’s Comment: I thought this was interesting because it shows a pro-choice interpretation of why so many pro-lifers support abortion when it’s a case of rape or incest. They pick up on the inconsistency of that stand. What she says is true that the baby is still a baby whether or not it was conceived through voluntary sex or through rape.
It is also true that many women who get pregnant from rape don’t want to have abortions, and many who have regret it. To read some of their stories, go here.
