Leaders Fix Abortion, IIlegal Immigration and Other Issues (6/8/07)
By Dean Hartwell
We will never get to the point where everyone agrees with one side of controversial issues. But we may be close enough on some of them to know that their current status will never change.
Take abortion, for example. Since Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in every state in 1973, those who support abortion rights have praised it and those who oppose abortion rights have derided it. Despite some relatively minor conditions since placed on abortion through subsequent decisions, the basic premise of the decision remains the same: it is legal to get an abortion anywhere in the United States.
And that’s just the way the two opposing sides want it. This idea may sound strange, but consider the following:
The opponents, first of all, know that the case will not be overturned. Numerous justices to the Supreme Court have had several opportunities to overturn it, but have failed to do so. Though there are some current justices who say they want to throw it out (like Clarence Thomas), people like them cannot become a majority without upsetting the other justices on other issues.
Second, the opponents want it to be kept legal because they can tell their constituents that others (like liberals) are at fault for the system being the way that it is. Blaming others is easy to do and requires no plan to solve a problem. And, if targeted at the right people, complaining about abortion can bring in lots of money.
Third, the supporters of abortion rights don’t have to map out strategy to pass laws at the state level with Roe in place. They can instead talk about what would happen if abortion were to be illegal and go into a long speech about certain states that would force women to go to back-alley doctors. They can always point to how close the Supreme Court is to overturning this decision if they want to scare their own troops into coughing up some money.
Fourth, the intricacies of the issue of abortion keep both sides occupied. It is not just about its legality, but about sub-issues like whether girls must get an adult’s consent, whether women can be subject to waiting periods, whether certain procedures should be allowed, etc. Neither side has any reason to focus exclusively on legality, but rather can raise money and sway voters by discussing these other matters.
Look at other issues: will we ever hear the end of immigration policies? The issue hits a nerve with just about everyone and is used by our politicians to manipulate us by appealing to our belief in upholding the law or to our sensitivities about letting some people break the law because of perceived benefits to society.
What if Congress decided to actually enforce the laws in place and step up deportations? Some businesses that are making good money by hiring illegal immigrants “under the table” would stop funding politicians (via political action committees and individuals) who favor this policy.
And one more – will anyone ever get it straight as to what the Second Amendment means? No, the push and pull of what a firearm is, who may purchase one legally, waiting periods, etc. serves the leaders of both sides of the issue because solving this issues will dry up support. Issues are clearly meant to be debated because those who debate would falter otherwise.