By Dave Andrusko
It’s not often that 9—count ‘em, 9—“misconceptions” about abortion are bundled together and respectfully rebutted. However, such is “Two scholars challenge 9 common beliefs about abortion — from late-term procedures to doctor shortages” which appeared Wednesday in Deseret News.
Stephen Cranney teaches at teaches at The Catholic University of America.
Shima Baradaran Baughman is a Distinguished Fellow at Brigham Young University’s Wheatley Institute.
Why did they write the piece?
This November, voters in four states will weigh consequential abortion measures: Proposition 1 in Idaho, Question 6 in Nevada, Question 1 in Virginia and Amendment 3 in Missouri, which would repeal the abortion-rights amendment Missouri voters approved in 2024. As a social scientist and a law professor, we checked the most common claims against the evidence.
Their opinion piece is very useful, well thought out, and articulated in non-academese.
Cranney and Baradaran Baughman begin with “Advocates simply want abortion ‘safe, legal and rare’; end with “Christians didn’t care about abortion until recently”; and along the way dismantle such misleading statements as “Late-term abortions are vanishingly rare and happen only in emergencies”; “Abortion restrictions prevent treatment for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy [This is the most effective fear in the debate, and it is false”; and “Abortion restrictions don’t reduce abortions” [“when elective abortion is restricted, abortions go down”].
After finishing their opinion piece, Cranney and Baradaran Baughman conclude with
Voters will weigh these claims, hopefully against the actual evidence. Let’s work to tell the truth and write clear laws that protect women and unborn lives equally.
We can only help and pray this comes to pass. With your help, and with the assistance of rebuttals such as this, we can make it happen.
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