Why Reduce Unwanted Pregnancies?

I didn’t watch Obama yesterday at Notre Dame. Didn’t listen to him. There was no way I was going to ruin my Sunday listening to a speech I could’ve writen every cliche of myself including “dialogue” and “working together to reduce the number of abortions.”

So, instead my children and I went to the library and then played on the swingset in the backyard. I wasn’t thinking much about it until a friend of mine called and asked what I thought of Obama’s speech. Now, mind you this friend is a very pro-choice liberal and was just calling to needle me.

He said I should’ve watched because the speech was really great and he thinks it would’ve changed my perception of Obama. I told him that I’m not concerned with what Obama says, it’s what he does that bothers me.

My friend assured me it was a “middle of the road” speech and I would’ve liked it because Obama talked about something we can all agree on and that is reducing unwanted pregnancies.

I was a little tired and instead of going into what that actually means, I decided on a different tactic. I asked a simple question. Why? Why do you and Obama want to reduce abortions?

My friend for a few moments stuttered and finally just said, “What do you mean, why?”

I mean, why is it so important for abortion to be so rare that it warrants the President of the United States talking about it? If the fetus in the womb is just a blobby little choice and not a child at all, what do we care if abortion happens a thousand times a day and twice that on Sundays.

Isn’t it up to the woman to do what she wants to do? If the creature in the womb is deemed not to be a baby by its “mother” who are we to question her and prefer that she not do it often. Isn’t it a legitimate choice? Why is one abortion cool but eight…not in good taste?

Isn’t the President forcing his morality on women by saying he wants to reduce abortion?

I mean, it’s not like abortion has some kind of medical risk associated with it, does it? If so, I haven’t read about it in the mainstream media?

My friend said I shouldn’t make fun because it’s a very difficult decision for women but all he was doing was refusing to answer. He hastily added that he thinks Obama really means that we have to watch out for the future implications of abortion. He said he read recently about gender based abortions and that we can all agree that is not a good idea.

Why, I laughed. You’re saying it’s not OK to kill based on gender a fetus that you’re willing to deny its very humanity? How can you worry about it’s male-ness or female-ness and not about its humanity?

My friend quickly retreated and asked about the NBA Playoffs. I let him because I could tell he was uncomfortable. I hoped that maybe I gave him something to think about. Probably not. But maybe.

But I think the question needs answering. Obama speaks endlessly about reducing unwanted pregnancies. He did so at Notre Dame:

“Let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let’s reduce unintended pregnancies. Let’s make adoption more available. Let’s provide care and support for women who do carry their child to term.”

My question is why?

Much like Bill Clinton saying he wants abortion to be “safe, legal and rare” and essentially every pro-choicer picked up on it. My question is “why?”

So next time someone defends their pro-choice-ness and says we can all agree that we want to reduce abortions, just ask them why.

And don’t let them start talking about the NBA Playoffs like I did.

Update: Aggie Catholics have more on this very topic in their Notre Dame wrapup.