Why Can't We Identify With Them Both?

There are a couple of new pieces regarding abortion at Salon (you have to view a short commercial to get a site pass).

In one article, the author interviews a variety of prominent pro-choicers regarding Hillary's speech and other abortion issues.

One part that I found interesting is on page 5. Susan Hill, the president of the "National Women's Health Organization, which runs women's health clinics in six midsize cities" says that before she started in the abortion business, a doctor told her, "Before you start this, you have to sit down and search your soul. In the issue of abortion you have to identify with either the fetus or the woman, because at some point there's a choice and you cannot identify with both. You decide which one you're going to be the advocate for."

Hill then says, "Thirty-two years later, my choice is always to help the woman."

Why can't we identify with both? Why do we have to pit women against their children in a grudge match for our interests? Why can't we reach out to woman in a crisis pregnancy and help her and her child? Shouldn't the fact that there is a conflict between a woman and the child she is carrying tell us that there is something wrong with this situation?

The other article is written by a woman who had a second trimester abortion because her child had a genetic abnormality. She admits that she killed her fetus.

Excerpts include:

"He was my baby, and I chose to end his life."

"I also believe that to end a pregnancy like mine is to kill a fetus. Kill. I use that word very consciously and specifically."

"I have no regrets."

"I did not want to raise a genetically compromised child. I did not want my children to have to contend with the massive diversion of parental attention, and the consequences of being compelled to care for their brother after I died. I wanted a genetically perfect baby, and because that was something I could control, I chose to end his life."

"I was catapulted into a six-month depression after the abortion, a depression that ended only when I got pregnant again."

Read the whole thing.

How many women millions of women in our country know that their decision led to the death of their child? How many women think that it was ok of them to end the life of their child? Do the women that talk like this really believe that what they did was ok? How many millions of people understand that abortion kills an innocent human baby but think that killing innocent human babies should be legal?

Does the prolife movement possibly need to shift its focus from telling people that abortion hurts women and kills babies to teaching people that killing babies is wrong and should be illegal?

I think the prolife movement has won the educational battle. I think people (for the most part) know that abortion kills a human being - that's why even pro-choicers want less abortions. Yet because of their circumstances, moral relativism's dire effect on their thinking, and our society's acceptance of abortion - countless people think that killing an innocent human being should remain legal.