Pro-choice groups should go on the offensive and push for social safety nets for new parents as a way to reduce instances of abortion

by Diet_Coke

I didn't have a stance on these issues - as a male, I figured it wasn't my business - until my state (Virginia) sought to attempt to drastically undermine a woman's ability to look after her own reproductive health. This lead to the largest protests at our Capitol since Massive Resistance, the movement against desegregation. Clearly, there's a lot of passion on both sides of this issue. It's also something that people will very rarely change their minds on, once they've decided a position for themselves.

That's why, instead of keeping the fight about 'abortion should be legal,' I think pro-choice groups should go on the offensive and begin pushing for extended paid parental leave, daycare assistance, infant nutrition assistance, pre- and neonatal care. Basically, reducing the costs of having a baby will reduce the need for abortions.

This puts pro-life groups in a bind, because they're usually right wing and this is socialism. However, if they're against these measures, they would then be clearly not 'pro-life' but 'anti-choice'. If they're against these measures, then it becomes clear that they want to make abortions illegal to punish women, and not because they have any care for possible babies. This would cost them support, especially the truly compassionate.

On the other hand, if pro-life groups were to embrace these ideas, it could open the discussion towards strengtheningother social safety nets as well. It could lead to a new era of sanity in our politics.