On Wednesday, Joseph R. Biden was inaugurated as 46th president of the United States, and there was much talk of unity, faith, and the goodness of America. It was all boilerplate stuff — the clichés presidents are required to utter before going ahead and implementing the ideological agenda they had planned all along. To the victor go the spoils, and all that. So far, the progressives have gotten a sweeping executive order on LGBT rights and the rollback of the Mexico City Policy. Unity for me and not for thee, says the Biden-Harris Administration.
There has been much mouthing of platitudes about turning down the temperature as polarization reaches its worst levels in decades and the storming of the Capitol shocked many to their senses. But if there is to be unity, then the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade is an opportunity to reflect on the fact that almost nothing has radicalized and polarized American politics like the top-down imposition of legal abortion on all fifty states — a short time after state legislators in New York had even voted to repeal decriminalization.
One thought on “Roe v. Wade has been ripping America apart for 48 years. It must go.”
Sam says:
I both do and don’t agree with this article.
I agree that abortion is a wedge issue right now and pro life voters have become an exploitable voting bloc, contributing to the “politics as a team sport” polarization gripping America. In that respect, yes, removing the abortion debate would cool the temperature.
However, I don’t think that will end the disharmony. I think the next wedge issue will come along right on abortion’s heels and the country will stay divided.
Rather, I think, the answer is people talk to each other, listen to each other and craft policies to be as inclusive as possible.
For example, perhaps the compromise is abortion remains legal, but there are significant investments into childcare, etc. that incentivizes having children.
I both do and don’t agree with this article.
I agree that abortion is a wedge issue right now and pro life voters have become an exploitable voting bloc, contributing to the “politics as a team sport” polarization gripping America. In that respect, yes, removing the abortion debate would cool the temperature.
However, I don’t think that will end the disharmony. I think the next wedge issue will come along right on abortion’s heels and the country will stay divided.
Rather, I think, the answer is people talk to each other, listen to each other and craft policies to be as inclusive as possible.
For example, perhaps the compromise is abortion remains legal, but there are significant investments into childcare, etc. that incentivizes having children.