The Wide Divide

Editorial | October 9th, 2014

HPR’s inbox has been flooding with letters on North Dakota’s Measure 1, which states, “The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected.”

Let’s for a moment set aside our concerns about end of life care and in vitro fertilization and discuss an even bigger, more important picture.

How about we start looking at the term pro-life in its most literal, real, tangible and universal sense. Being pro-life and “choosing life” can mean many things. We see it as pro being who you are, pro spending time with friends and family, pro learning, pro treating others with respect and pro taking action and anti compliancy or lethargy. It’s pro living life.

We are 100 percent certain that people’s views on abortion will always be extremely divided if we keep looking at it the same. We will always be divided if we keep point fingers across the aisle.

How can we come together on this issue?

Is it impossible?

Do people even care to come together?

We care.

Let’s talk about it.

Yes, there are certain things that will forever be looked at the same. For example, for a pro-life voter and other like-minded Christians, abortion will always be viewed as ending the life of an innocent human being.

But let’s put it more bluntly, to make it strong point as to why we “pro-choicers” could never change “pro-lifers” minds on abortion: abortion will always mean the “killing” of innocent human beings to a pro-life person. And fighting against abortion will always mean saving lives. No other if, ands or buts about it – ever.

Well, what if we could universally understand that we all want less abortion? And what if we could universally understand that ridding America of abortion is absolutely unfeasible, yet significantly reducing the rate of abortion is – no scaring, shaming, protesting or divisive religious talk necessary.

First of all, yes, let’s encourage pregnant women to give birth. But let’s also support them for when they do make a completely legal and just decision to have an abortion. Let’s also continue caring – truly caring – more about women before and after they are pregnant. There are millions of single mothers struggling to provide for the children. How can we better support them? How can we hold fathers more accountable?

Let’s start caring about children, not just those inside the womb. Let’s invest more money in education and family planning. Let’s make sure teens know the risks of STIs. Let’s make sure women have access to contraception if they are not ready to support a child. Let’s respect and accept people’s religious and non-religious views.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and World Health Organization, abortion rates have significantly decreased because more women have access to contraception and family planning is readily available.

So let’s make sure abortion is always exceptionally safe and increasingly rare. Though, for it to always be safe and rare, it must always be legal. No if, ands or buts about it.

HPR says vote no on Measure 1. Until we see a measure that addresses the immense importance of reproductive rights, family planning and sex education, we see little value in a law that seems to ultimately desire to block women from getting an abortion in almost all circumstances.

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