Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Lucy T's avatar

I like the idea of a citizen's assembly. It's important to note that the Irish process took a year. I once participated in a process conducted under Quaker rules (lots of listening) that resolved a controversial issue about which beginning positions were entrenched and opposite. It took a full year. What emerged was a creative solution impossible to anticipate and eventually accepted by all. Too often activists, pros, and inspired fanatics dominate the discourse in this country and make reasonable, thoughtful action impossible. A random group of ordinary citizens would presumably include some on either extreme and most at various places in the middle. Common sense, listening, some imagination and good will would likely lead to a resolution, perhaps one already favored by the majority in most polls, perhaps something new. I personally support the 24-week fetal viability standard but feel it's much more important that women continue to have the right to choose abortion if they feel it necessary, even if the timeframe allowed is smaller. The catch I see is that before the random selection were even completed, the usual suspects on both sides would be shouting, "The fix is in!"

Expand full comment
Robert Stockton's avatar

A good summary of the situation, professor -- thank you.

I don't support your suggestion of a citizen dialog to draft a national policy -- I don't believe that there's sufficient recognition of a middle ground on the subject for such an effort to succeed. This forum was founded to be a haven for just such middle ground discourse. But, I expect the reactions to your article to largely fall into two categories: a) it's not possible to compromise because [reasons], or b) yes, compromise is the answer ... and the only satisfactory compromise is [THIS RIGHT HERE!]. I hope I'm proven wrong -- that would be a nice sign.

In the absence of a nationwide consensus, though, our federal system is going to "solve the problem" -- to few peoples' total satisfaction. Roughly 1/3 of states will permit unrestricted abortions up till the moment of delivery. A smaller number will prohibit all abortions without exceptions for rape, incest, or health of the mother. The majority will end up somewhere in a continuum between those extremes. Everyone will have some choices available to them, but people who hold the strongest opinions on both sides will continue to be horrified. I think that the rest of us -- who I pray will be a majority -- will be relieved.

Expand full comment
15 more comments...

No posts