McArdle's Provocative Post on Abortion

I take issue with a few of the claims she makes in this post, but one of them is undeniably true and very insightful:

Listening to the debates about abortion, it seems to me that really broad swathes of the pro-choice movement seem to genuinely not understand that this is a debate about personhood, which is why you get moronic statements like "If you think abortions are wrong, don't have one!" If you think a fetus is a person, it is not useful to be told that you, personally, are not required to commit murder, as long as you leave the neighbors alone while they do it.

Frequently within the article, McArdle analogizes the abortion debate to the slavery debate, something which may, at first, seem absurd. But at the heart of the debate lies the issue of personhood and human rights. I believe that African Americans are people, and so it doesn't matter that I don't own African slaves. The act itself is immoral so I condemn it, regardless of who is performing it. If you believe that a fetus is a person, regardless of whether this belief is a religious one or based on a scientific understanding of fetal development (something to which we are becoming more and more privvy), then aborting a fetus is murder. Now, just because I understand the logic of whackos like Tiller's murderer doesn't mean I condone it, or any other violent manifestations of religious fanaticism, for that matter. This guy deserves to go to prison for a long time.

But I can't ignore the fact that the issue of personhood is a fundamental one when it comes to the abortion debate. I am against abortions being made illegal primarily because, like McArdle, I believe doing so what impede upon a woman's autonomy and a couple's autonomy, in cases like this and this. A woman should have the right to terminate a fetus when the woman's health is in danger or when a fetus is the result of a rape. Likewise, a woman / couple should be able to practice that same right if the prospects for the fetus reaching maturity or surviving past birth are extremely low, or if the fetus's condition is such that its short life will be one filled with pain and suffering. It's an agonizing decision, but it is not one that a court should make on someone's behalf. Of course, the latter scenario spills over into a euthanasia-type debate, in which I would put forth similar arguments.

The underlying point here is that both sides of the debate have valid points, but we should recognize that a (note, not the) central issue in this debate is that of personhood and the rights associated with it. As we gain a better understanding through scientific advancements of fetal development (e.g., when a fetus begins to feel pain, make memories, etc.), I see support for abortion decreasing nationwide. But I guess we'll have to wait and see.