I’m sure some are pro or anti abortion because of the issue itself, but the issue seems like a proxy to me.
For one thing (as a liberal obviously I’m biased) many of the groups and individuals who are most anti-abortion don’t seem very compassionate or empathetic. Many seem unforgiving, militant and supporters of rigid social atmospheres. The idea that they are motivated by a deep seated empathy for fetuses and zygotes is hard to believe in light of other attitudes. And I’m guessing a lot of the pro-choice momentum is a desire to not have women be subjected to the decisions of groups like that. Either way, I don’t think either prolife or prochoice groups are motivated by abortion itself. I could be wrong though.
I’m guessing the abortion issue is (obviously) a proxy for a war over women’s rights and women being trusted with responsibility and power. But if that is the case why would abortion be chosen as a proxy battleground for women’s rights, power and liberation? Why not women in the military, or women in the workplace or women in politics?
If some on the right are motivated by a oppose women’s liberation and use abortion as a proxy, why are people like Palin and Bachmann leaders of the Tea Party wing (ie why give women power in a movement that wants to deny women power)? That doesn’t make sense, militants on the right seem open to having women in positions of power and responsibility in politics. That seems like a contradiction. Not to mention all the pro-life women out there. If the most extreme pro-lifers are motivated by a desire to control women why are they so willing to give political power to women like Palin and Bachmann, and why do so many women join the movement?
Is there another motive other than it being a proxy for women’s lib? The contradiction is confusing to me.
Not to say there aren’t people motivated by the issue of abortion itself. But by and large it seems like a proxy issue.