Don’t expect intelligent talk on abortion during elections
Kiss any chance of a civilized debate goodbye when abortion is the issue in an election, which it promises to be if state legislative candidates decided to pursue a fight that started over the issue.
Both major parties showed signs in Nashville that they are prepared to engage with vigor to capture the support of voters.
The fight started with a proposed amendment to remove abortion rights from the Tennessee Constitution, which grants women a greater right than the U.S. Constitution.
The amendment, introduced by state Sen. David Fowler, R-Signal Mountain, would have reversed that law. Republicans withdrew their support of the bill, however, when Democrats added an amendment providing for exceptions to the rule in the case of rape or incest and banning a procedure that opponents call partial-birth abortion. The amendment was approved by an 18-15 vote.
Fowler then sent the bill back to the Senate Calendar Committee with the comment that “Everybody made their bed and now they’ll have to sleep on it.” The Senate Democratic Caucus responded with a finger-pointing news release: “Senate GOP Votes Against Partial Birth Abortion Ban.”
“Most everything up here is political,” acknowledged Senate Majority Leader Ward Crutchfield, D-Chattanooga. “The campaign is on.”
The fact is that abortion, as much as it defies consensus, is nevertheless an issue that reasonable people can disagree on without painting the other side as extremists. It’s just that in the political arena few candidates seem willing to do so.
As long as the judicial system interprets abortion as a constitutional right, people deserve to be respected for the position they take on the issue, pro or con.
Don’t hold your breath for a high-level discussion of the issue, though. It’s an election year, and you’ll just be disappointed.