Opinion

Hate is no solution to abortion

Richard Whitrock
opinion columnist

Judging from the response to last week's column, this week's could make me even more unpopular. I will continue in my examination of the issues that define our political world in an effort to keep the college campus informed (but remember: this is the Opinion section). Next on my list is an issue that will not see resolution in my lifetime: abortion.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, but to say that the decision was final would be grossly irresponsible. Today, the issue is as heated and divided as it was 30 years ago.

I rarely enjoy getting into abortion discussions for the simple reason that they never solve anything. Period. No one ever changes his or her mind, and rarely does any new information come out. When it does, it is immediately dismissed by the biased passion of the opposing viewpoint. 

In light of this, it would be useless to spend an entire column articulating my stance on this extremely controversial issue. Instead, this has a different message.

That said, it is important to outline my personal beliefs on the subject to offer perspective on the issue that follows it. Therefore, the next few paragraphs will briefly outline my views on abortion. I caution the reader to continue at his or her own peril, as some may consider the following to be highly offensive.

As anybody who has read my columns before could probably guess, I am staunchly against the practice of abortion. I consider it morally reprehensible at the least, and an act of murder at most. I hold the view that no matter where a person comes from (whether that be another country or another body), the idea that one person can own another and decide his fate for him is a crime against humanity. Many argue that a fetus is not a life, but I believe that life begins at conception.

Many people argue that because it is a woman's body, she has the right to choose. I believe that her choice was made before abortion became an option, and that even though a woman has a right to determine what happens to her own body, that right is not completely autonomous. No one should choose to use their body in a way that harms another person, be it through theft, rape, murder or simple assault.

Finally, some would argue that because I am not a woman, I have no place in this debate. I completely disagree, but that is an issue for another article on another day.

Those are my views on the issue, and I believe it is important to know them to get the full impact of what I have to say. Like many others, this issue has not left my life untouched. A few years ago, a person who was very near to me decided to have an abortion. Despite my pleas, urges and offer to raise the child on my own, she did not change her mind.

Considering my views on the issue, it was very difficult for me to reconcile the situation. For a long time, I wanted nothing to do with her. She had committed an unforgivable sin in my eyes, and I could not come to terms with the idea that I would continue to have contact with a person that had done such a horrible thing.

Eventually, I realized that she wasn't the only one that was wrong. I had no place to judge her. I believe that it is God's place to judge. Although she had violated the laws of God in my eyes, I would be wrong to violate them and pass judgement on her. In my view, it was my place and God's wish for me to forgive and love her, and if I failed in that task then I would be held accountable for my own failure to abide by His laws.

I believe in the pro-life message and believe that we should pursue and continue efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade, but I also believe that we should treat each other with love and respect. We cannot let others' failure in humanity be an excuse to fail in our own. Abortion should be protested with civil disobedience, not violence and hatred.

Whitrock, a sophomore architecture major, can be reached at rick_whitrock@hotmail.com.