Yes, I realize there are areas where one cannot get an abortion. I do not have a good way to balance that against the right of an individual not to be forced to commit what he or she believes is murder.
I'd add that hospitals should have conscience rights too because some are organized and run by groups of individuals with these sorts of values.Catholic hospitals have been around a lot longer than abortion has been legal. To require such hospitals to offer elective abortions would be to compromise their values to the point where they could not continue. I do not think that hospitals that oppose abortions should be forced either, both as a moral matter and because I honestly believe we'd suddenly end up short a good number of hospitals.
I can't say that making something legal should be a guarantee of availability. I can think of lots of things that are legal that are restricted by income: housing and education come immediately to mind. These are positive goods and things that I wish were more available, but we can't simply mandate that everyone have them (school is mandatory until a certain age, but private schools cannot be forced to take everyone). Abortion is not something I wish were more widely available, as you can tell—but even I did wish it, I can't say for sure I'd put it in the category of things that should be legally mandated.
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Date: 2009-11-04 01:43 am (UTC)I'd add that hospitals should have conscience rights too because some are organized and run by groups of individuals with these sorts of values.Catholic hospitals have been around a lot longer than abortion has been legal. To require such hospitals to offer elective abortions would be to compromise their values to the point where they could not continue. I do not think that hospitals that oppose abortions should be forced either, both as a moral matter and because I honestly believe we'd suddenly end up short a good number of hospitals.
I can't say that making something legal should be a guarantee of availability. I can think of lots of things that are legal that are restricted by income: housing and education come immediately to mind. These are positive goods and things that I wish were more available, but we can't simply mandate that everyone have them (school is mandatory until a certain age, but private schools cannot be forced to take everyone). Abortion is not something I wish were more widely available, as you can tell—but even I did wish it, I can't say for sure I'd put it in the category of things that should be legally mandated.