Callous

Brett Kavanaugh, nominee for the US Supreme Court, is a strong opponent of legal abortions. I say legal, because by definition, if you oppose legal abortions, you’re promoting illegal ones.

People who oppose abortions are callous and hypocritical.

People oppose abortion, because they believe the fetus has soul, spirit, and life. It’s empathy for something unimaginable. Because during the abortion-age of less than 10 weeks, clumps of cells are being organized. Neural cells clump in three groups, then five. They’re so simple that no thought could occur. The cortical folds, the seat of cognition, form after 24.

Attributing meaningful existence to the <10 week fetus is akin to giving it to a worm. The 10 week fetus is the size of a grape. Perhaps the worm has meaningful feelings, and using them as fish bait is a crime, but it’s hard to imagine.

There are religious sects, in India, who believe that worms, as well as insects, have souls and feelings like us. They walk bent over, with a fan, brushing the ground before them. Because of their belief, they avoid walking on any tiny creature. They may seem silly, but they’re consistent, not hypocritical. If you believe that simple shaped, brainless organisms are truly important, then it’s hypocritical to kill them because they’re not future people.

But anti-abortion hypocrisy goes farther. These people often believe that Trump’s immigration policies are not immoral. Traumatizing children is OK, because borders are sacrosanct. An American fetus is valued more than a Central American child.

Anti-abortion immorality is unrealistic, too. There will always be abortions, by woman who demand to take charge of their lives, and determine their progeny. If those women have resources, if they have knowledge and connections, they will get abortions regardless of laws. Or rather, they’ll get safe medical abortions. But if those women are poor, if they lack education or connections, they’ll get dangerous abortions. Many will die, or suffer permanent problems.

The abortion pill is not exactly like taking aspirin. It has some pain, involves bleeding (from the vagina), and may take a few days. Potential side effects are rare, but it shouldn’t be taken without medical advice and potential medical support. However it’s been politicized in the U.S., so one can’t obtain abortion pills in pharmacies. The pills are as expensive as the cost of a surgical abortion. They are hard to get in many states.

The pills are available on the dark web. One study, by Vice, sampled 20 sources of combination pills. All contained the advertised product. Many people will lack the capacity, or may not trust, such online sellers. For others, it offers a potential alternative to illegal, dangerous abortions.

The demand for abortion will always be sufficient to call forth illegal providers. Any prohibition increases the role of illegal actors. While they may offer satisfactory products or services, going this route is a roll of dice. If something goes wrong, or someone acts unethically or worse, there’s no recourse.

Anti-abortion activists live in a world of black and white, where they’re on the side of purity. This is unrealistic, hypocritical, and cruel.