Let’s restore abortion policy to the political process. Once that’s done make the humane case for the unborn state by state in the legislatures and on the campaign trail. In the process, avoid any suggestion that your morality compels you to treat young women in difficult circumstances as serious criminals. Ending abortion will involve changing many hearts and you can’t do that if you portray yourself as viciously censorious.
Anyone who tries to claim that abortion should be criminalized as a form of manslaughter is hurting the pro-life cause. Most Americans, even in the reddest states, if forced to choose between abortion on demand and a strict regime of criminal penalties for anyone who has or performs an abortion at any stage of pregnancy, will opt for the former. Whenever the abortion debate becomes a battle of the extremes, we lose. We can’t let it be that kind of battle.
Listen to Fred; follow Fred; on abortion and on nearly every other issue he is far and away our best hope.
Thanks!!! You’ve just written what I have been searching for the words to express. The very LAST thing we need to do is to look like the guys bearing pitchforks and torches.
exactly my point as well
Well put. I hope the bitter enders among us do not stay home (thereby electing Mrs. C) because the nominee is not pure enough for them.
It's fascinating to me, that a signed-up-yesterday FReeper, can precisely describe the pro-life political path we have been traveling steadily for the past decade to overturn Roe v. Wade, and yet there are Compuservers on this thread who suddenly feign amnesia, merely because they support someone else besides FRed.
Fred enumerated the fundamental principles of federalism vs. state's rights more clearly and more efficiently today than anyone since Reagan.
Anyone who doesn't believe Fred Thompson would seek out the next Nino to be on the Supreme Court will likely meet the same fate as paleo*****le Buchananite Arator-type disruptor.
Very sensible post and I am glad to see you using Abortion-On-Demand as distinguished from Abortion.
Abortion was always legal to save the life of the mother or the child or both. Abortion-On-Demand is the moral equivalent of murder where a woman ‘chooses’ to terminate the life inside her for reasons other than her health.
Abortion is a medical procedure to save a life. Abortion-On-Demand is what the Pro-Choice movement backs, a decision not to save a life but to unnecessarily end a life.
And not only does Fred Thompson showing the path, he is also illuminating the true culprit for many social ills of the last decades, that would be an overreaching federal judiciary that federalizes many issues that are best dealth with at the state level.
You might also add: we should adopt the "incremental" approach the Dems use for change. Nibble from the outside in; win small victories until public opinion begins to change. Look how the Dems go after smokers: first ban smoking advertising, next ban smoking in workplaces, next ban smoking in private homes, next ban smoking outside, etc.