As most here know, I am ardently pro-life. Yet, I can tolerate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s position on abortion, even though he believes the mother should get to make the final decision at any point in the pregnancy.
First and foremost, Kennedy is determined to reduce the number of abortions. He wants to make it easier and more appealing for mothers to choose life. He wants to make adoption easier. He believes that every abortion is a tragedy, that it is never “okay” to abort a late-term baby unless there are compelling extenuating circumstances, and that we should do everything we can, except for a government ban, to decrease the number of abortions.
In addition, he has expressed great respect and sympathy for the pro-life position. He never demonizes pro-lifers as being “chauvinistic” or “anti-women’s health.” He says that pro-lifers have very good arguments, that he respects their position and motives, and that he shares their desire to reduce the number of abortions.
This is vastly different from the standard liberal line that abortion is no big deal, that abortion is never wrong, and that the pro-life view is chauvinistic and oppressive. And, most liberals care nothing about reducing the number of abortions.
We should keep in mind, too, that the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that states can ban abortion after 15 weeks, and many states have already imposed various restrictions on abortion. Thus, any President’s power to influence abortion policy on a national level is going to be limited.
For more information on Kennedy's position on abortion, see his interview with Sage Steele (LINK, 1 : 04: 08 to 1 : 24: 30) and his position paper “More Choices, More Life” (LINK).
First and foremost, Kennedy is determined to reduce the number of abortions. He wants to make it easier and more appealing for mothers to choose life. He wants to make adoption easier. He believes that every abortion is a tragedy, that it is never “okay” to abort a late-term baby unless there are compelling extenuating circumstances, and that we should do everything we can, except for a government ban, to decrease the number of abortions.
In addition, he has expressed great respect and sympathy for the pro-life position. He never demonizes pro-lifers as being “chauvinistic” or “anti-women’s health.” He says that pro-lifers have very good arguments, that he respects their position and motives, and that he shares their desire to reduce the number of abortions.
This is vastly different from the standard liberal line that abortion is no big deal, that abortion is never wrong, and that the pro-life view is chauvinistic and oppressive. And, most liberals care nothing about reducing the number of abortions.
We should keep in mind, too, that the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that states can ban abortion after 15 weeks, and many states have already imposed various restrictions on abortion. Thus, any President’s power to influence abortion policy on a national level is going to be limited.
For more information on Kennedy's position on abortion, see his interview with Sage Steele (LINK, 1 : 04: 08 to 1 : 24: 30) and his position paper “More Choices, More Life” (LINK).
