Sex: Crime & Punishment

It appears that the U.S. is experiencing a disturbing trend with regard to beliefs on abortion.  According to the Gallup Values & Beliefs Survey, 2009 marked the first year that more Americans self-identified as "pro-choice" than "pro-life."  Remarkably, the percentage of Americans who describe themselves as "pro-life" has been climbing gradually since the mid-90's.

This change over time is so depressing to those of the pro-choice persuasion that it's barely worth talking about.  However, what I find more interesting is another result of the Gallup survey:

Evidently, the percentage of Americans who see the issue completely in black and white, who feel that abortion should be strictly legal or illegal, is relatively small.  The majority of those polled actually believe that abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances.  These "certain" circumstances always boil down to exactly two:  1) To save the life of the mother, and 2) In cases of rape or incest.

First, it is fairly difficult to find someone opposed to abortions performed to save a mother's life (although  the pale green line at the bottom of this graph indicates that these folk do indeed exist).  This is one circumstance rarely (and thankfully so!) subject to public debate.

The second clause is one that has generated a great deal of discussion, particularly recently.  Just this past month, the House got its panties into a wad over the precise definition of "rape," arguing whether federal funds should be allocated for abortions in all cases of rape, or merely for those cases John Boehner deems legitimate.

Biologically, a fetus is a fetus, whether it was conceived through rape, incest, or consensual sex; it is the same entity in question.  However, in these certain cases, an abortion crosses a fine line from the "murder of innocents" to an understandable and necessary course of action.  What is it that sways public opinion in these cases?

Ultimately, it is the willingness of the mother.  If a woman was raped, and presumably did not enjoy the violent act, then she need not be burdened further with bearing and raising a child she did not intend to conceive - she need not pay the price for a crime perpetrated against her.  On the other hand, if a woman had consensual sex, and especially enjoyable sex, then the subtle implication of the "in all cases except rape and incest" argument is that an unwanted pregnancy is the punishment she deserves.

Ultimately, the abortion debate is as much about sex as it is about the termination of pregnancy, because the one act so clearly predicates the other.  To me, this smacks not of sincere people genuinely concerned with innocent fetal life, but rather of those who view sex as a crime, and pregnancy as just desserts for loose women.  If you are going to be truly pro-life or pro-choice, at least be consistent in your arguments.  Either that, or acknowledge that the issue is a thousand shades of gray.