I do not like abortion. I like taking away a woman’s control of her own body even less. I guess one could say I am pro-life and pro-choice.
With the recent Supreme Court vacancy, Roe v Wade and abortion is once again a hot topic. It is the reason a quarter of Trump voters supported a candidate that they found less than appealing. It is one of the most divisive issues in our fractured American society, one that leads to both sides vilifying each other with sanctimonious venom. Yet why must it always come down to a binary choice?
Education is the solution to reducing abortions and maintaining a woman’s right to choose (less often). High-quality sex education that does not rely solely on abstinence is the most effective way to support both sides of this debate by empowering our young people and future adults with critical knowledge.
Please, if this issue really is important to you, let’s raise our voices for education, understanding and compassion rather than getting stuck in the same old trap of blind division and vilification that doesn’t really seem to help either “side” and definitely isn’t helping solve the problem regardless of how you see it.
Jared Buhanan-Decker, St. George