Eroding Unborn Rights: The Contemporary Abortion Debate in Australia
A few years ago, before I even held an opinion on abortion, I made the decision to observe a pro-life rally. Spectating from afar, I watched as a series of doctors began climbing the stage to give speeches outlining the experiences which had shaped their pro-life convictions, detailing how a career dedicated to gaining an unrivalled understanding of the human body had led them to their views.
Then all of a sudden, without warning, a swarm of wild social justice warriors appeared, proceeding to hurl a stream of abuse at the speakers. Apparently the doctors were ‘uneducated’ and ‘ignorant’ because they weren’t aware that it was the current year. The ‘protest’ continued to drag on even after the doctors had left the stage, as the next speaker — the mother of a disabled child, became the newest target for the brave revolutionaries.
With her handicapped son standing alongside her onstage, the woman was informed that making use of a coat hanger would have been a better alternative. Witnessing a group of purple-haired 19 year olds screech inaudibly at some of the community’s most highly esteemed medical professionals, before proceeding to then direct death threats at a disabled 6 year old, was around about the time that I became a staunch pro-lifer. I have been one ever since.
Heartbreakingly, the contemporary abortion debate within the mainstream of Australian political discourse has now descended to the point where defending unborn rights is considered crude and uncouth. Having capitulated to the twisted demands of the nation’s BuzzFeed writers and peppermint latte baristas, conservatives are framed as ruthless totalitarians, driven by a misogynistic urge to crush women’s rights. It is, well and truly, the current year in Australia.
With Queensland and New South Wales now the only states in which abortion still remains a crime, resistance to the seemingly inevitable may seem futile. Our opposition, which interestingly also includes many ‘cuckservatives’ from the supposedly conservative Liberal Party, have been highly successful in framing the debate within the context of individual bodily autonomy. To their credit, obnoxiously shrieking one dimensional catchphrases such as “my body, my choice” and “no vagina, no say”, has ultimately proven to be highly effective, with national polling suggesting that the majority of Australians support the pro-abortion movement.
However, not all hope is lost. Recent polling indicates that, despite most Australians supporting first trimester abortions, the overwhelming majority of the population still believe that abortion should remain unlawful in the final trimester. Given that the broader Australian public are opposed to late term abortions, the question therefore isn’t so much a matter of personal morality, but rather, one of scientific consensus. Hence, in order to claim victory in the abortion debate, the public perception concerning the science surrounding the argument will ultimately need to be reframed.
Worryingly, much of the degenerate propaganda which we see promulgated throughout the mainstream in regards to abortion, is based on the outdated ramblings of baby boomer feminists. In reality, the science has in fact moved on from the 1970’s, and disproven theories regarding the absence of fetal personhood no longer hold the same clout as they once did. With this in mind, conservatives will go a long way in winning the hearts and minds of the Australian public, by exposing the intellectual dishonesty of the pro-abortion movement in framing the debate as one of bodily autonomy.
Thinking back to the rally that I attended all those years ago, I am reminded of the fearless conviction of the medical experts who spoke on that day. As the public discourse surrounding abortion grows increasingly hostile towards those who defend the rights of the unborn, the courage and tenacity of those doctors should offer a source of inspiration for all true conservatives. In order for the unborn to maintain a voice, these experts must continue to provide a shining beacon of reason and wisdom in what has sadly become an increasingly deceitful debate. For a society which chooses not to value human life, ultimately, values nothing at all.
Tom Pirrone is a postgraduate student from Melbourne, Victoria.