Who should intervene?
Simon: So, you engage in the direct actions – the sit-ins at the clinics that try to stop abortions from taking place?
Alicia: I do.
Simon: I’ve got to tell you, I don’t agree with what you are doing. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m as convinced as any pro-lifer that abortion is wrong. But how can you try and override a woman’s rights by sitting in front of the doors of an abortion clinic and not let her in?
Alicia: Could you tell me please, do you believe that abortion should be illegal?
Simon: Yes, of course.
Alicia: And why is that?
Simon: Like I said, it is terribly wrong. Every abortion takes the life of an innocent child and nobody should be allowed to legally end the life of a child.
Alicia: So if there is a law against abortion you think it would be alright for the police to prevent abortions from going ahead?
Simon: Ah .., yes, that would be correct.
Alicia: Let me get this straight then: you say it is wrong for me to directly intervene to try and override a woman’s decision to end her child’s life by abortion, but it would be quite acceptable for the police to do exactly the same thing?
Simon: Well, I suppose that is what I am saying.
Alicia: So you accept that a pregnant woman does not have an absolute “right” to choose to have an abortion, after all?
Simon: No, she doesn’t.
Alicia: In your view then a woman can be prevented from having an abortion. But for the prevention to be done rightly, only certain people can do the preventing? And I’m not one of those people who have the right to so act?
Simon: That’s right.
Alicia: But what if the police will not intervene to stop the killing? What if the parliament will do nothing to ensure the preborn children are protected? What if our society in general either wants to retain access to abortion or simply doesn’t care what goes on inside those places of death? What then?
Simon: Ah ...
Alicia: As you acknowledged, every abortion takes the life of a fellow human being. If those whom you believe should be the ones saving the lives of the babies will not do it, do we then just have to allow the lives of these children to be taken?
When it comes to human lives, which is more important: that preborn babies be saved only by the “right” people (and, given the present circumstances, that is highly unlikely) or that they be saved by anybody at all who is willing to try and help them?
Simon: Hmmm.