The Abortion Debate—More Heated, More Divisive Than Ever
Violence, anger and argument tear at the country's soul over the unresolved issues surrounding abortion. Can we refocus the debate on more fundamental determinants?
by Cecil E. Maranville
One of the hottest issues before
the U.S. Congress is the so-called partial birth abortion bill, previously
vetoed by the President. Congress voted to override the veto and sent
the measure to the Senate where the final outcome is uncertain. What
is certain is that the overall issue of abortion with its numerous
debating points is going to be one of the hottest ones before the American
electorate in the imminent and subsequent elections.
Dominating the headlines and capturing
the imaginations of thousands is the ongoing FBI manhunt in North Carolina
for fugitive Eric Rudolph. Rudolph-a virtual folk hero to some and
the embodiment of evil to others-is accused of bombing an Alabama abortion
clinic in January of this year, killing a policeman and injuring a
nurse.
In July, other extremists dumped
butyric acid at three clinics in Houston where abortions are performed.
This "terrorism in the name of morality" mimics similar attacks on
abortion clinics in Florida and Louisiana earlier this year.
An egregious act committed at a
Phoenix abortion clinic in late July fueled the already complex controversy
as Dr. John Biskind attempted to abort a fetus that was 37 weeks along-nearly
full term. The baby was delivered alive, but with skull fractures and
lacerations.
