The new debate on abortion
How the rules are changing under an Obama administration
Talk about change, said Barbara Crossette in The Nation. Fresh off his inauguration, President Barack Obama reversed the global gag rule forbidding U.S. government support for any organization that provided or even advised women about abortion. Just like that, and “one of the most damaging policies ever visited on developing nations by Republican administrations” was gone.
It’s hard to square Obama’s abortion views with the "new era of responsibility" he called for at his inauguration, said Star Parker in Townhall.com. “Mr. President, if you condone a culture that has no sense of awe and responsibility toward the greatest of all miracles and mysteries—life itself—how can you expect responsibility elsewhere?”
That kind of talk won’t get pro-lifers far, said Ruth Ann Dailey in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Obama’s votes on “born alive” legislation “put him to the left of the entire U.S. Senate,” but his popularity blunts any criticism of his “extremist” views. So pro-life groups need a new game plan—such as focusing on getting “compassionate Americans” to protect “sentient fetuses” from pain, or at least to celebrate the fact that the number of abortions is at a 30-year low.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
By all means, let’s have a new conversation that abandons the “old politics” of abortion, said Cathryn Hazouri of the Colorado ACLU in the Boulder, Colo., Daily Camera. But any new debate has to begin “with the understanding that both the decision to have a child and the decision to have an abortion come from a place of profound respect for the value of life and a strong commitment for ensuring a better life for all.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
July 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include an extrajudicial detainment camp, 'alligator Alcatraz', and tax cuts for billionaires.
-
5 explosively funny cartoons about the 4th of July
Cartoons Artists take on liberty and justice for all, a terrifying firework, and more
-
Jeff in Venice: a "triumph of tackiness"?
In the Spotlight Locals protest as Bezos uses the city as a 'private amusement park' for his wedding celebrations
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: which party are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?