The debate over abortion rights is ugly, the gap between pro-choice and pro-life too vast for meaningful dialogue, the differences too fundamental for compromise. Which means, of course, that it's a perfect issue to be exploited by politicians on both sides of the aisle. This tempts all of us to tune out the abortion rights debate, but behind all this noise and demagoguery is the very real and very important issue of balancing personal rights with potential new life.
Understanding the Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice Debate
The abortion rights debate is commonly misunderstood, with advocates on both sides attributing false motives to many good, deeply conscientious people. In order to understand and effectively communicate your own position on abortion rights, it is essential to understand why some people disagree with you.
Gonzales v. Carhart (2007): The Supreme Court and "Partial Birth" Abortion
The Supreme Court's ruling in Gonzales v. Carhart is without question the most widely misunderstood of the Court's 2006-2007 session, as activists on both sides have exaggerated its significance in an effort to stir up more interest in the Supreme Court. The truth is that the narrowly-constructed ruling has no demonstrable effect on any woman's freedom to choose to have an abortion, and seems to be entirely consistent with Roe v. Wade.









