When it is women’s genuine well-being at stake and the right to life of all humanity, everyone needs to have an opinion.
The (in)famous phrase "no uterus, no opinion" is one that men in the pro-life movement hear all too often. It is a mantra that is typically used to try and silence any man who is willing to hold that abortion might be wrong. The abortion movement relies on such sound-bites to avoid genuine thought on the issue and unfortunately many men feel nervous to respond once the "no uterus" card has been played lest they be accused of sexism. However, as I will explain, abortion isn’t just a women’s issue; it’s a human issue and its effects are devastating to men and women.
For a start, every abortion kills an innocent human being. When it comes to any case of injustice, men and women alike are morally obligated to stand united in opposition. Wrong is wrong regardless of sex and to suggest otherwise seems to create its own form of sexism.
Indeed, when an innocent group of human beings is targeted, as it is in abortion, and many millions exterminated, it is an injustice of such proportions that no atrocity in history compares with its scale.
One aspect of "oppression" is denying a group of people their voice. So, when any pro‑abortionist attempts to deprive men of their right to speak out against abortion, they engage in their own form of sexist oppression. This is significant because pro-abortion feminists are constantly crying out that they are "oppressed by men." Their assertion is hypocritical, when they see nothing wrong about oppressing those who disagree with them on this issue. This is particularly relevant when we consider the liberal mainstream who preach to us constantly about tolerance and equality.
Rather than keep silent on abortion, I propose four reasons why men have a right and duty to speak out against abortion:
1) Men are Responsible for a Pro-Abortion Culture
Negligent men/fathers are a huge factor behind the enormous abortion rates, and so shoulder much of the responsibility for abortion. Men play a role in abortion, insofar as they fail to commit to and support the children they have fathered and thus push many women to feel as though abortion is their only option. (Even those men who think they are being supportive by saying "it's your decision" are in fact being unhelpful, as even women who've had abortions say). These men should "man up" and take more responsibility for their children and the mothers of their children. It is interesting to note that on the one hand society expects a man to take responsibility for an unwanted pregnancy and give the mother financial help and emotional support - and rightly so; yet on the other hand, the same man is told that abortion is none of his business. The point women taking the latter line miss is that, ironically, abortion allows and even encourages men to sexually exploit women without the fear of having to take responsibility for any children that are conceived.
2) We Were All Once in the Womb
Men are not simply "male". Their maleness is only one aspect of their identity. Males are also: fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, children, adults, and former foetuses. All men were once in their mother’s womb. All males were once potential victims of abortion, and many abortion victims are male. Therefore, every male in society has a duty and right to speak out against abortion.
3) Ending A Life Is a Human Issue
Should only the enslaved have spoken out against slavery? Should only the Jews have spoken out against the Holocaust? Should only women speak out against FGM? Of course not! That which is unjust is wrong regardless of who you are or what your circumstances may be. History is filled with examples of individuals who spoke out against oppression on behalf of others not deemed worthy of equality before the law. We should continue to do so today — and every day — until abortion and all other oppressive practice is eradicated
4) Abortion Affects Men
Slightly over half of all pregnancies involve boys in the womb, and abortions are often committed without knowledge or regard to the gender of the child. Thus, abortion affects not only the female population but the male population also. Not only does abortion affect the unborn baby boy, but also the countless fathers and male relatives of abortion victims. Their stories are rarely told; their hurt typically remains unrecognised by the public. These silent victims of abortion are the broken fathers. Indeed, recent findings from the charity Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline (ARCH) found that 10-15% of those calling for help are male.
In the UK today, a father does not hold any legal rights over his unborn child, nor does he have any legal say in the mother’s decision to abort his child. It’s an undisputed scientific fact that both a man and a woman are equally involved in the creation of a human child, and they are both equally the biological parents of that child. Yet, fathers don’t even have to be notified, should the mother decide to have an abortion.
Speaking to ARCH, one can find out the reality that abortion can hurt and even destroy men’s lives. A typical call might sound something like:" I’ve only been dating my girlfriend for a few months. She just told me she is pregnant. I want my baby. But she scheduled an appointment for an abortion. What can I do?" This is the tragic reality for many men when they find out that their girlfriend/partner or even their wife is pregnant.
For some, the trauma is so bad they end up taking their own lives. A journalist for the Australian Daily Telegraph wrote an article on the link between abortion and male suicide, and was forced to conclude that the effect abortion has on men "is a heartbreaking ocean of pain I had no idea existed".
It has suited abortion campaigners to try make the issue of abortion a so-called rights issue of interest only to women. It is a strategy which betrays women who are the greatest victims of abortion, both in terms of aborted females and suffering mothers. The strategy has to be opposed and men need to take their place in this struggle for justice. When it is women’s genuine wellbeing at stake and the right to life of all humanity, everyone needs to have an opinion.
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