Tuesday, April 29, 2014

"The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" in Real Life

I've never liked the "The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" trope [Google it] that pro-aborts use to accuse pro-lifers of hypocrisy.

For one thing, every movement has its hypocrites.

Accusations of hypocrisy are often meant to undermine the substance of an argument-- that whatever is being proposed is wrong or impractical because its own advocates cannot even live up to the standard.


And oftentimes this is fallacious.

But what really bothers me about the trope is that it is, in itself, a form of hypocrisy.

Women who get abortions should not be judged, it is said.

Why should it be any different with hypocritical pro-life women?

I don't wish to diminish the personal responsibility of those who seek an abortion, even though they know it's wrong.

But neither do I want to drag them to an inquisition on their actions.

The case of Lisa, who opened up about having four abortions, in spite of thinking they are wrong, lacks the salient feature of pro-life activism.

Does it make her statements against abortion any less hypocritical?

It seems to me to be very self-serving for abortion activists to tell pro-lifers not to judge women who've had abortions, then denounce those pro-life women who've had abortions.

I've even read of activists who demanded that such women give back all that they've earned because of such abortions: degrees, careers, and other achievements.

Compassion and understanding is only for those women who've toed the party line, or at least, not opposed it.

Women who fail to live up to their own "anti-choice" standards? No understanding for you!

This is just another reason why I consider feminism to be about some women, not all women.

And it never can be.