Should Pro-Life Men be Silent on the Issue of Abortion?

Opinion   |   Laura Peredo   |   Feb 28, 2012   |   4:28PM   |   Washington, DC

I often hear pro-choicers talk about this topic. I recently found this post, and knew it was a wonderful opportunity to write about men and abortion.

Pro-choicers often say that men shouldn’t have input in abortion decisions because it’s solely a woman’s issue. The author of that post even went on to say she wanted to “silence all the male voices in the abortion discussion.” Pro-choicers say the decision should be left up to the woman – it’s her body after all, right? They say that most pro-lifers are men who are trying to control women’s bodies. Apparently, since men can’t give birth to babies, they don’t have any business in what happens to their own children. I beg to differ. Men have every right in the world to have a say in what happens to their children.

The author of that post (named “Not Guilty”) goes on to say:

“The main anti-choice voices for the U.S. are also all men. In fact, the majority of persons in government who are anti-choice, are men.”

Now I’m not sure who she’s naming as the “main voices” in the pro-life movement, but I can name quite a few pro-life women who are integral to our success, and have made a huge impact. Take Live Action’s Lila Rose for example, and Abby Johnson. They have made huge impacts in the pro-life movement, and are both women. There are so many other men AND women who are indispensable leaders in this movement as well. It’s true that most pro-life people in government positions are men, but that’s because the majority of people in government positions are men anyway, regardless of their stance on life.

“And none of them can get pregnant. The people who are making decisions that affect the lives of women, CAN’T EVEN GET PREGNANT!”

Using this logic, if I’m never going to have cancer, I shouldn’t do anything about treating cancer. Since I’m not a dog, I should not have any say about what happens to my pet. If I lived in a place where there were slaves, but I was not one, I should not do anything for them since I would never be one. That’s a bunch of baloney. Yes, that yucky stuff packed with preservatives that tastes like a giant slice of hot dog. Baloney. Just because I am not something does not mean I can’t have a say in what happens to people who are that something.

“I truly believe that if men were no longer allowed to speak on the topic of abortion, every country would be pro-choice.”

This author needs to do a little more research before making these claims, because women are more pro-life than men at this point. According to a recent Gallup poll, 5% more women than men said that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. If you look at some of the largest pro-life Facebook pages, you see that the majority of the fans are female. Take Live Action for example, 78% of their over 300,000 Facebook fans are female. Wow!

And finally our “Not Guilty” friend says:

“It is that rage, that sense of complete and utter anger at a man telling me what I can and cannot do with my body that causes me to write that sentence, that causes me to want to silence all the male voices in the abortion discussion.”

And this brings me to my final point: You’re right that men cannot legally force you to do what they want to your body. BUT fathers should have a right to have a say in what happens to their children.

Ingrained in every true man is the desire to protect his woman and children. Dads have gone off to wars for ages to protect what they love. They work full time to provide food for our tables. Our society has changed quite a bit, but remember hearing stories about knights in shining armor slaying dragons and saving damsels in distress? I’m not saying that us ladies are damsels in distress, but I’m saying that’s how guys are made. They’re made to fight for and to be protectors of what they love. How wrong it would be for us to rob them of their voices as they join us in this fight for life.

LifeNews Note: Laura Peredo writes for the Live Action blog.