Do you believe that life begins at conception?

Do you believe that every child, from conception to birth should be vigorously defended?

Do you believe that abortion on demand is cruel, evil, sinful, or wrong?

Did you know that you only believe those things because you are a simplistic minion incapable of intelligent, independent thought that has been brainwashed by “evil pro-lifers”?

That is the conclusion of a new book proudly advocating abortion on demand and the book review given by a staunch abortion supporter.

The book is “Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights” by Katha Pollitt. The book has received glowing reviews from the usual sources in mainstream media. But one in particular, Slate’s Hanna Rosin, is particularly excited about the book.

It is Rosin (agreeing with Pollitt) who believes that abortion is still mildly taboo because of the “brainwashing” pro-life activists. She sees pro-lifers as the direct cause for people mindlessly accepting the pro-life position. Apparently only those who are proudly pro-abortion have given any serious thought to this subject. An article at LifeNews.com shares some of Rosin’s thoughts:

“The reason we’re not, according to Pollitt, is that we have all essentially been brainwashed by a small minority of pro-life activists…Pollitt aims her book at the ‘muddled middle’ who have been infected by the awfulization [of abortion] without thinking about it that much. To win them back she’s crafted a lengthy Socratic response dissecting the contradictions on the pro-life side.”

Where to begin…

First, to say that pro-lifers make up a “small minority” in America (or the world for that matter) is patently false. Anyone aiming for intellectual honesty has no other option but to admit that a majority of the world at large is pro-life, while more than half of Americans hold some pro-life positions. (Some support abortion in cases of rape and incest but consider themselves pro-life. Others are self-identified as pro-abortion but want to see restrictions rather than “abortion on demand.”)

That small error in fact aside, the rest of the comment is equally void of honesty and offensive to many people. Countless stories exist of people who at one time were pro-abortion, many having had abortions themselves, but are now pro-life. To say they are “brainwashed” is to minimize their experience. Many of these people, Abby Johnson and Melissa Ohden, for example, are pro-life after giving the issue the greatest of thought, research, study, and consideration. It is unfair, patronizing, and offensive for Rosin to de-legitimize their lives and experience by claiming they are, or anyone identifying as pro-life, is “brainwashed.”

Rosin goes on to admire Pollitt in her defense of abortion on demand by saying that there should be no need for a reason to have an abortion – something as simple as “this is not the right time” should be enough:

“The fog of regret has meant no one is able to confidently defend or even cleanly describe what’s actually going on: Three in 10 American women have abortions by the time they hit menopause. They are not generally victims of rape or incest, or in any pitiable situation from which they need to be rescued. They are making a reasonable and even admirable decision that they can’t raise a child at the moment. Is that so hard to say? As Pollitt puts it, ‘This is not the right time for me’ should be reason enough. And saying that aloud would help push back against the lingering notion that it’s unnatural for a woman to choose herself over others.”

While calling pro-lifers “brainwashed,” Rosin and Pollitt don’t want women to have to think through the issue enough to defend their reasoning for abortion. No, all you need is a simple answer: “it’s not the right time” for me to have a kid. You don’t need to think through the ramifications, the possible side-effects (breast cancer) or any of that nonsense. If you don’t want to have a kid just go down to your local Planned Parenthood clinic and have an abortion. Then get ice-cream.

For Rosin and Pollitt this is an “admirable” decision. I guess that means the single mom working two jobs to provide for her kids is not nearly as admirable as the single woman who gets an abortion. I suppose it means the family that welcomes a disabled child with loving arms is not nearly as admirable as the family that decides they don’t want to deal with that situation. I’m assuming the woman that has an abortion and gets breast cancer is far more admirable than the woman that gives birth and has no ill side-effects.

This is the sad state of the abortion on demand position. Without justifiable reason for their position they have resorted to attacking and name calling of pro-lifers. They are willing to minimize the lives and position of women in order to push their radical, extreme view. They will ridicule the reasons for women holding a pro-life position – even calling them “brainwashed” – while declaring that no one needs a justifiable reason for an abortion.

Maybe Rosin and Pollitt will see the irony in their views and attacks. My hope is that they will see the very real struggle many women have endured, intellectually and emotionally, to arrive at the pro-life position. If they are as “pro-woman” as they claim to be I hope they will support the “choice” many women have made to be pro-life.