Response to Greg: The significance of abortion lies not just in numbers

Much as I sympathize with the frequent appeal to the high numbers of abortion deaths to galvanize us to action, I think that such appeals actually distract from abortion’s full significance.

To take the life of one’s own child is destructive of our core humanity in a way that killing strangers cannot be. Abortion involves the betrayal of a dependent by a natural guardian.  Furthermore, abortion is emblematic of wider lethal betrayals of radically dependent persons, like Terri Schiavo. All these betrayals are rationalized precisely by the victims’ lack of autonomy-based dignity. 

“All power to the autonomous!” is monstrous and frightening. Like “Non serviam!”

(My thoughts on this are developed in greater detail in the November 2005 issue of New Oxford Review.)