Redefining the Abortion Debate

Nassau County, NY executive Thomas R. Suozzi is a pro-choice/anti-abortion politician who is earnestly pushing his party to embrace a more thoughtful and caring position on abortion. As reported by E.J. Dionne Jr. in The Washington Post, Suozzi has a position on abortion we hear too rarely: Suozzi says:

As a Democrat, I do not often find it easy to talk with other Democrats about our need to affirm our commitment to the respect for life and how we need to emphasize our party's firm belief in the worth of every human being. As a Catholic, I do not often find it easy to talk with other Catholics about my feeling that abortion should and will remain safe and legal, and that we should instead focus our efforts on creating a better world where there are fewer unplanned pregnancies and where women who face unplanned pregnancies receive greater support and where men take more responsibility for their actions…

Anyone who really wishes to reduce the number of abortions has an obligation to help those women who choose not to have an abortion yet find themselves alone.

I have long felt we’ve been having the wrong debate on abortion. This isn’t about some noble exercise of civil rights or some damnable act of evil. This is about ensuring the vitality of life—both for the babies and for the mothers. Simply banning abortion would just drive the practice underground. We need new, more realistic ideas.

What we should be doing is affirming our respect for life by working to reduce abortions through programs that help mothers and through initiatives that inspire fathers to stay involved. Suozzi should be commended for his willingness to find real solutions to the abortion issue.