abortion and extremism
TRANSCRIPT
ABORTION AND EXTREMISM
Mr. Richard Geib
Bioethics
December 2, 2014
ABORTION: AMERICA DIVIDED
“If you want to spoil the conversation at a
dinner party, bring up abortion and watch
the discussion degenerate!”
THE ABORTION DIALECTIC
“If you want to spoil the conversation at a
dinner party, bring up abortion and watch
the discussion degenerate!”
“Pro Choice” vs. “Pro Life”
RADICAL FEMINISTS • Roe v. Wade as
woman’s control of biological destiny – Matter of privacy
– All the mother; nothing the fetus
– Part of larger feminist struggle for justice
• Abortion as a “reproductive right” – Settled by courts
– Not a matter for political debate!
A conspiracy of men and control!
FORCEFUL STAND BY CATHOLIC CHURCH
"Not all moral issues have the same moral weight as abortion and euthanasia.
There may be legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about
waging war and applying the death penalty, but not... with regard to abortion
and euthanasia."
Pope Benedict XVI
POLITICAL GOAL: OVERTURN ROE v. WADE
Importance of presidential elections and
appointment of Supreme Court Justices!
OPERATION RESCUE
• In wake or Roe v. Wade
• Civil Rights movement
tactics
– Public protests and
civil disobedience
– Denial of access
• More violent fringes
– Holocaust metaphor
– Bombings,
assassinations
Leader Randall Terry
LARGER CRITIQUE OF MAINSTREAM CULTURE
America as a “sinful” country based on
selfish expedience and sexual immorality.
Role of media in “sexualizing” youth!
VERY DIFFERENT VALUES OF EACH CAMP
Values of opposed extremists not likely to be easily
bridged!
These are fundamental disagreements….
DIRECT VIOLENT ACTION
To commit murder to prevent murder?
ACTIVIST PAUL HILL
July 29, 1994 in Pensacola, Florida
PAUL HILL SENTENCED
For murder of physician John Britton and
his clinic escort, James Barrett, and serious
wounding of Britton’s wife.
PAUL HILL EXECUTED
Paul Hill died by lethal injection in Florida
State Prison on September 3, 2003.
PRACTICAL EFFECT…
Many fewer doctors going into abortion training,
many fewer abortion clinics…