Let’s be clear, while “coat hanger” abortions did happen, I’m sure 99.9% of these were done, not with coat hangers, or in “back alleys,” but in unsanitary, ill-equipped, rooms by people who far too often had less than adequate knowledge about how to safely do an abortion, or an interest in safety.
”But, Ken, it’s not safe for the baby!”
Well,that’s OK, because you can’t abort a “baby.” It’s a fetus. And we have been making choices about life and death since humanity became sentient. If you want to stop all killing: executions, self defense, stopping extraordinary means, over medicating at the end of life, etc. …OK, I disagree, but I understand your position. Otherwise, what choices we should have is the argument, not “life.” We’ve already agreed there are circumstances where life can be taken by individuals, or the state.
But, for philosophical, and argumentative, reasons let’s go where Trump went.
If the law is to be changed and abortion considered murder, Trump was right. For rule of law to apply legal consequences should apply. I obviously disagree with the whole premise to begin with, but that’s not my point here.
So let’s envision this kind of America. Folks on the right are often fond of painting the left as supporting big, oppressive, over regulating, wasteful, intrusive government. What the hell would this be?
Um, unless all this is just for “show,” “…big, oppressive, over regulating, wasteful, intrusive government.”
We could make it as complex as all those “complex” laws/regulations righties moan and kvetch about; creating thousands of pages of caveats that soften, offer multiple exceptions. But wouldn’t that just create the same kind of overwhelming, complicated, bureaucracy they claim only the left wants?
So what’s the other option? Abortion is murder. Period.
Now we consider the task of catching these criminals, and making the private prison industry and lawyers richer. Let’s further burden a burdened justice system. Since abortions are performed inside we’d have to make deals with snitches, millions of stakeouts, cameras and law enforcement dedicated to this task. Let’s make it real effective: since abortions can be done anywhere let’s go all 1984/Fahrenheit 451: Big Brother watches all and millions of mechanical dogs wait with sharp teeth for ripping doctors and patients to shreds if they dare run, or resist.
Not even a little of this could be considered “a small endeavor.” And why do “little?” Don’t you treasure life? Don’t you care about that little papoose who was popped out before its time?
Obviously taxes would have to be raised. I suppose they could simply raise existing fees, or create new ones. You know, how pols raise taxes without calling it that?
Or, we could simply leave abortion legal.
I really feel “the abortion police” a bad idea, don’t you?
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Inspection is a column that has been written by Ken Carman for over 40 years. Inspection is dedicated to looking at odd angles, under all the rocks, and into the unseen cracks and crevasses, that constitute the issues and philosophical constructs of our day: places few think, or even dare, to venture.
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Ken Carman and Cartenual Productions
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