Early on Thursday morning, the Argentine Senate voted against legalizing abortion in the majority Catholic nation, bringing an end to a debate that had raged on for months. Like the lower house decision in June that advanced the abortion bill, this one was also narrow. However, the 38 to 31 decision fell on the side of life, signaling a much-needed international victory for a movement that is up against a growing tide.
At the end of May, Ireland’s voters chose to repeal a long-standing amendment to their country’s constitution and moved to legalize abortion. Elsewhere, in places like Iceland, the “victory” of eliminating occurrences of Down Syndrome by using abortion as a medical tool to eradicate “defective” humans nears completion. These are our cultures of death.
Here in America, the topic of abortion is a constant in political discussion. The issue is as polarizing as they come and sharply divided along party lines. Now, as we come closer to the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the debate is reignited. On one side stands the pro-lifers, eager to see our nation move in a different direction where the unborn are granted greater protections. Opposite of them stands those who truly believe abortion is a constitutional right and female freedoms are under attack.
Though Argentinian and American societies are vastly different, the pro-life movement in the United States could learn several lessons from our South American allies.
First of all is the nature of our resolve.
Despite the thirst for confrontation in the public sphere, Americans tend to shy away from the same when it truly matters. Social media interactions are ongoing but taking a real-life stand is serious and consequential. Ahead of Thursday’s vote in Argentina, some of the nation’s medical doctors declared their resistance to the probable legalization.
Perhaps America is so far removed from the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which ushered in a holocaust of unborn, that the acute nature of what that truly means is partially lost on us. It is easy to acknowledge that abortions occur by the thousands each day but still, those horrors seem somewhat distant. In 2018, abortion is an accepted part of American life. In Argentina, the newness of the issue brings a revulsion that pushed pro-life supporters to stand against the modern day move to legalize and normalize state-sanctioned murder. Their boldness is both refreshing and inspiring.
Second, the focal point must also be on women.
With pregnancy, the attention is naturally centered on the unborn child. In the midst of that priority, the pro-life movement can’t forget about the mother. Women facing an unplanned or unwanted reality must be given life-affirming alternatives that support her through childbirth and beyond. It’s just as important to care for females when they are expecting as it is when they are not. Without this consistency, the pro-life narrative truly becomes one of pro-birth only. That not only damages the cause but disrespects the inherent worth of all.
In Argentina, Sens. Silvina García Larraburu and Marta Varela criticized Argentine President Mauricio Macri and other male politicians for their posturing. While professing to be for women’s rights when it comes to the issue of abortion, these men had neglected to address the importance of improving actual health and other services for Argentinian females. As professor Charles Camosy of Fordham University explains, the neglect has been extreme.
“Maternal mortality rates are super important and too high in Argentina (50 in 100,000 live births). But neighboring Chile, which also has restrictive abortion laws, has a rate of only 20.5 and saw this rate *go down* after moving to dramatically restrict abortion rights. This gives credence to the arguments of pro-life female Argentine senators that the push for abortion rights was serving as a smoke-screen for their country’s genuine problems: like corruption and lack of health care and other genuine, non-violent social services for women” [emphasis added].
Men are just as capable of discussing abortion as women. In fact, their involvement should always be encouraged. In Argentina, female pro-life politicians advocated for both themselves and the unborn. That powerful consistency served as a catalyst for a life-affirming conclusion.
Lastly, the vote in Argentina gives us hope for a pro-life future.
In the United States, nearly 60 million unique, unborn individuals have lost their lives since Roe v. Wade. Annually, the federal government gives half a billion in taxpayer funds to abortion giant Planned Parenthood. In spite of all this, progressives try to convince us that American females have limited freedoms and exist during a time of patriarchal oppression. Thankfully, the truth is on our side when it comes to both the origins of new life and this modern era of unlimited freedom.
At the moment of victory in Argentina, the assembled pro-life crowd cheered and rejoiced. The pro-life community craves that kind of reality here in the United States. Even though our histories are vastly different, the matters of life and death do not change. Lives in utero, whether in South America or in the United States, are exactly the same. So too is the mechanism by which we would, and could, create a similar change of our own.
Our nation prides itself on being first in many areas. We lead and we innovate, and we serve as an example for the world at large. While not being perfect, we are free and full of opportunity. But there remains a bloody stain called abortion — and until that holocaust is remedied, we lack a thorough greatness.
America needs to be like Argentina and join a civilized world where the scourge of abortion is considered unthinkable.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a senior contributor at RedState.com.
