Discourse around abortion should not be censored, regardless of how offensive the speech may be. In fact, sometimes the aggressive messaging of the pro-life movement can alienate those they want to convert.
Abortion is a touchy topic. Though I personally believe that every person should control their own bodies, people who disagree, like the Genocide Awareness Project that recently came to campus, are entitled to their opinions.
People have the right to voice discomfort towards others’ bodily decisions, it’s free speech.
In some cases, there are groups who are so brash about their stances that it makes arguments repulse people that are willing to hear them out.
Inaccessibility and distaste most often come from these groups distorting facts or straight-up lying, something that’s common in the anti-abortion faction of the discussion.
The ridiculousness of the arguments that anti-abortion advocates offer should be seen by the public, as they are, ironically, one of the best ways to persuade people to be pro-choice.
Long Beach State recently had an example of this, when the GAP presented a tower depicting decimated fetuses. The display dwarfed trigger warning signs that were placed just yards away.
It would have been almost impossible to see the warnings before seeing the disturbing imagery.
Signs showcasing months-old fetuses, and pamphlets comparing these actions to the Holocaust are not going to win people over. All those pictures did was disgust me and make me realize the lack of rational reasoning these people have.
They also are not able to back their beliefs up with statistical information that pertains to society, instead, they base their beliefs on a gut reaction that resonates mostly with religious conservatives.
For those who do not look at abortion through an archaic lense, it’s going to take a lot more than gross photos to convince people. Instead, they will need statistics that give people an incentive to agree.
So far, the pro-abortion rights group has offered the most statistical reasoning, with a 2014 study showing that 75% of abortion patients are considered poor.
What this means is that most patients are aware that they can’t offer a comfortable life for their future children. The anti-abortion argument also assumes that pregnant people won’t suffer abuse. It is not realistic to assume that every pregnant person can safely bring a child to term.
With so many factors stacking up against them from a financial standpoint, I believe it’s perfectly fine for women to make that choice for themselves. It’s their burden to carry.
Statistics offer so much to the discourse in terms of contextualization. Trying to control the bodies of others by claiming that abortions have led to a mass genocide are wild and abrasive actions that erode any authority that GAP could ever have.
Seeing anti-abortionists trying to passionately make decisions on other people’s bodies is seen as nonsensical. It’s because of this that I believe that their voices should be heard loud and clear.