An interesting thing about human nature. People will follow the rules until they run across one that they don't believe in. You can pass and enact all the laws in the world, but if people don't agree with them, they won't follow them. The only real way to get people to follow what you are trying to change is to change people's attitudes and beliefs.
An example of this is abortion. Currently there are few restrictions on abortion as opposed to many years ago when there were many more laws restricting the act. This has created lots of debate about whether or not how much or how little should abortion be allowed. But one point is constantly missed, no one believes that abortion is a good thing. There may be argument over whether or not it is necessary, but no one embarrasses it as a positive thing.
No woman has ever found out that she was pregnant and with great excitement decided how terrific it is to now go and get an abortion. No sane woman that is. I cannot imagine what the thought process is and what emotions and feelings a woman has when she finds out she is pregnant. If a woman has made up her mind to have an abortion, no laws will stop her if that is what she wants.
A better solution than trying to repeal or pass more laws is to change people's mindset. If adoption is promoted as an alternative to abortion, there is a chance that the mother may not abort her child. Through education and promoting a choice of allowing your child to be placed with a loving family, more women my opt for adoption. The most common reason why women consider abortion is that they don't believe they will be able to raise their child. Showing them that open adoption works and that their child will not disappear after she gives birth may help them change their mindset about abortion.
As a society we need to promote adoption as another way for people to have a family or expand their family. When we removed the negative stigma of adoption it will become a viable solution for an unwanted pregnancy. This will not work in all circumstances, but for every child that is adopted is one less that is aborted. This is how we can change the mindset of abortion one pregnancy at a time.
You may ask is this a concept that everyone can get behind? I truly believe so. If you are pro-life then you would support open adoption to help save the life of the child. If you are pro-choice you would support open adoption since the child will have a loving family and it doesn't force the birth mother to raise a child she wouldn't have been able to. Solutions are forged when common ground is found between two conflicting beliefs. In the case of abortion the solution is open adoption.
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