Case of Life: Should Men even get a say?

As we continue our series on the topic of abortion, I’m aware that any male attempting to do this would immediately be shut down for being a man. Today we will look at whether this is a reasonable reaction or if men should in fact be allowed a voice in this issue…

Ronald Reagan once said, ‘I notice that everyone who is for abortion has already been born. Something which is easily overlooked in the abortion debate is the fact that every man was once a foetus. Yes, maybe they can’t get pregnant or give birth, but every human being whether male or female has a direct stake in this issue. 

But perhaps even more important to realise, is that humans don’t need direct personal experience in an ethical issue to have a stance on it. William Wilborforce is a great example of this. He was a white man who was never going to own slaves or be a slave himself. And yet he dedicated his whole life to the abolition of slavery. 

The reality is that any issue involving the life of a human being is relevant for all humanity. The direct and indirect consequences of abortion do not just impact women but they affect all of society. While it’s easy to write men off with catchy slogans, we need to allow men to have a say in an issue which is literally a matter of life and death.  

I’m Becky Gillespie from Thinking Matters and this has been your Thought for the Week. 

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