Can Pro-Life and Pro-Choice People Find Common Ground?

PITTSBURGH – Abortion is one of the most emotionally-charged and controversial issues plaguing the citizens of the United States. It is the process of terminating an unborn child, most commonly in the gynecological procedure of vacuum Aspiration or in the form of pills. Pro-Life activists, people against terminating an unborn child, and Pro-Choice activists, people who support women’s right to an abortion, fervently debate its legality. These impassioned debates create a looming question: 

“Can Pro-Life and Pro-Choice Activists Find Common Ground?”

    I walked around Pittsburgh and asked locals if they believed homogeneity and unity were possible. Overall, the public was split on the prospect. 

    Mason Goats, a 20-year-old Pittsburgher, is adamant that he believes a compromise is possible.

    “Frankly I think if everybody just sat down and agreed upon the welfare of children they’d come to a common answer and agree,” Goats said. “I just think people should be able to do what they want with their bodies.”

    Other Pittsburgh passersby agree that women should have a right to their bodies; many mentioned the abolishment of Roe v. Wade as evidence of a lack of agreement. Roe v. Wade, enacted in 1973, granted women the right to an abortion. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court voted in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade, causing 18 states to immediately ban or restrict the right to an abortion. 

    Lois Bennett, a 19-year-old student at Duquesne University, thinks that because of these Supreme Court decisions, an agreement will never be reached.

    “Being in America they say we're church and state separated but I truly don’t believe that,” Bennett said. “Since politics nowadays are just so heated, once you pick a side you can never listen to another opinion.”

    John, a 61-year-old property manager, like many others, referenced the tumultuous timeline, from Roe v. Wade to the present day, as he remarked on his hopeful skepticism. 

    “I guess with the track record of 50 years (1973-2023), maybe it’s not too encouraging, John said. “But I do think it’s a possibility.”

    Religion was a common speaking point for many citizens in the unofficial poll, as Drew, an 18-year-old passerby, felt that it was the strongest separator between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice activists. 

    “I feel like religion is the main issue that’s dividing,” Drew said. “And when it comes to religion, I don’t think there’s ever going to be common ground.”

    Religion and politics play a crucial role in the debate, as most people who are Pro-Life are Evangelical Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, or Catholics. These religions are typically aligned with the Republican Party, which strongly campaigns against abortion. Most non-religious people, Jewish people, Hindu people, and Buddhist people align with the Pro-Choice activists. According to pewresearch.org, a majority of adults who say religion is important to them are against abortion.

    Some Pittsburghers were personally affected by abortion, causing a strain on their relationships with friends and family. 

    Misty, a 46-year-old director from Cheswick, was raw with emotion as she spoke from experience. 

    “I’ll be honest," Misty sighed. "I had abortions. I'm friends with a lot of people who are pro-life and they’ll never bend my way at all.”

    No clear answer came from the informal poll, perhaps reflective of the current state of the abortion debate.