They aren’t our bodies, but we pass laws that control them. Congress, a predominantly male body, has in the last month passed a law concerning partial-birth abortions. On Oct. 24, the Washington Post article described the law: “It subjects doctors who perform ‘partial-birth’ abortions to civil suits by the biological father and the woman’s parents, if they do not consent to the procedure and the woman is not yet 18.” This decision has somewhat brought the issue up in the public’s conversations concerning the issue of abortion.
Congress has made partial-birth abortions illegal. This means that there is now a limit to when an abortion can take place. Whether or not you agree with this law, you must still recognize that men are mostly those who put this law into action. And while recognizing this, women must wonder what the real male opinion on abortion is.
As a male, I have a different view on abortion than most women. It is not my body. Therefore, it doesn’t directly effect me in that way. However, I do have an opinion on the issue itself. I think it is wrong to have an abortion because the mother is choosing to take away a life that has no choice in the matter. But, because it is not affecting my body directly, I also think that the woman should have the choice on whether or not to go through with an abortion.
Based on interviewing 20 males at the University of Massachusetts, this is what I have found most men believe. This is because most males these days are aware that women should have a right to choose what they want to do with their lives. Most men these days are no longer ignorant that women have feelings too.
But there are other opinions that exist among males.
According to my interviews, there are other men who, because they find abortion to be morally wrong, feel the need to have control over the fact that women do not commit it. Some of these men can also be found in Congress and other government positions trying to pass laws banning abortion. This is the only way these men can put any control over this situation. Making abortion illegal of course does not put a stop to women having abortions, but it does put a negative light on it.
However, a man who is not involved in government can feel just as strongly about abortion being morally wrong. Yet, he has no control over it for the obvious reason that it is not his body. The only way men have control over the issue is through the power of persuasion. A woman’s boyfriend may try to convince her not to have an abortion, but in the long run, it is still the woman’s decision. Lastly, there is the man who doesn’t see abortions as a sin or even as negative. He feels that it is 100 percent the female’s choice on whether or not to go through with the procedure.
Abortion does affect men indirectly. Whether or not the man likes it, if a woman gets pregnant, it is because of him. Although it does take two to tango, the male is often the one blamed for the unwanted pregnancy. It is because of this that one would think the male would have a more influential role in the decision, but he does not. One can only wonder what would happen if the male wanted to keep the baby and the female did not. In that case, he is nearly helpless; persuasion is his only power.
Another issue many couples face, resulting in the abortion controversy, is what to do with the baby if and when he or she is born. Most couples considering abortion usually choose it because of their financial situation. Couples have to take into consideration what would happen if they were to become parents. Here is also where the man and woman tend to disagree. The man might feel he will be able to support a family, while the woman might think an abortion is necessary. Again, even if the roles are reversed, the male takes the back seat in the actual decision-making. He can only state his opinion and attempt to convince her to agree. The woman has the upper hand in the situation; she has the power and the responsibility.
Because men feel like they have no control over the issue of abortion, they usually back away from it. Those men who feel so strongly about it are the only ones who do get involved and try to bring about change. No matter what the man’s opinion is on the subject, he must realize that he isn’t the one with all the power anymore. Especially in the case of abortion, women carry the torch.
Chris Kane is a UMass student.
