An all-male Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in the landmark decision Roe v. Wade. But when male legislators vote to restrict abortion and protect the unborn child, they are labeled misogynistic and cruel. According to the polls, nearly half of American women are pro-life, yet apparently these women are the marching soldiers in the “war on women.” This logic makes complete sense to the pro-choice lobby.
Identity politics may be fulfilling for some, but in the words of Geoffrey Chaucer, “all good things must come to an end.” As the president of Vita Saxa, Georgetown’s pro-life club, I know that the majority of our club is female. I know that every year we host Feminists for Life on campus. I know that the majority of pro-life organizations in America are run by women, and even our nation’s earliest feminists, like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, were devoutly pro-life. I also know, however, that men are as much involved in sex and a child’s life as women. The vast majority of abortion doctors are male, like half of the babies aborted by those doctors every year in the United States.
The line popularized by Gloria Steinem —“if men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament”— reaches down to the lowest rung of our public discourse and offers no meaningful addition to the abortion debate other than wild assumptions and baseless accusations. To me, in fact, being pro-life is even more important as a male student. All my life, I was told to side with the vulnerable, fight for the abused and raise a family built on conviction and values. My Christian faith implores me to reflect, and the chivalrous values on which I was raised compel me to speak out on behalf of those with no voice in the debate.
When I see so many pro-choice students disregard those with opposing viewpoints and harass fellow students who are pro-life at conferences and around campus, I cannot help but wonder what drives them to hate more than to love. My father, a Muslim immigrant from Pakistan, has a large, loving and deeply religious family. His brother Jawad and his wife Aneela unexpectedly birthed their fourth child, Ali Khan, late in life, more than a decade after their last.
Sometimes, the surprises in life are all the more fulfilling of our human purpose. What life would be like without Ali is unimaginable. The idea that every baby deserves to live, grow and earn a chance at life is not a punishment for women, but is rather a liberating course of action for both a new family and a new human life. Even if women choose adoption, they will find comfort in the fact that, according to studies by the Department of Health and Human Services, adopted children fare the same and often even better than other children. I should mention that Ali just turned seven, and I am happy to report, amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City life, second grade is going swell.
Yes, I am male, but I also believe in the value of every human life. If, based on science, life begins at the moment of conception, should it be the case that we make our judgments based on our gender rather than on the facts before us? What is morality if not the guiding principles regulating good and bad behavior?
The Blessed Mother Teresa famously said, “Abortion kills twice. It kills the body of the baby and it kills the conscience of the mother. Abortion is profoundly anti-women. Three quarters of its victims are women: half the babies and all the mothers.” Recently at the Council of Advisory Boards Fair, a pro-choice female student told us that abortion is a “women’s issue” and that we should not have men tabling. Truthfully, she may be half right. Those most affected by the issue should be at the table — so, logically, I asked her about the unborn child. Funny enough, she kept on walking.
Witnessing all the rhetoric and hearing all the hate displays the cruelty of so much of the pro-choice movement in the United States. Viewing the recently leaked Planned Parenthood tapes proves further that this issue is more than just about abortion; it is about how we, as a society, treat fellow human lives — and even how we talk about them. Our callous disregard should make future generations look back at us with disgust — at the men and the women the same.
Michael Khan is a sophomore in the College. Mr. Right appears every other Tuesday.