The need to compromise

The topic of abortion has divided this country for more than half a century. And while the imminent March for Life in D.C. this coming Friday bears witness to a civic activism that is peaceful, both sides of the debate on abortion have tended to add to national divisiveness.

A consensus based on compromise seems unlikely in the near future. On both sides of the debate, the most vocal activists are entrenched in their positions. We are called upon either to prove our "pro-life" bona fides by opposing abortion under all circumstances (including rape and life of the mother) or else demonstrate that we support a woman's unfettered right to abortion on demand (paid for by the taxpayers) through the end of the third trimester.  Indeed, many a defender on either side of the spectrum will separate friend from foe according to the litmus test of abortion absolutism. It seems that both sides have managed to pitch woman against child, mother against baby.