People on the side of pro-choice and people on the side of pro-life demonstrate the idea of group polarization. Group polarization begins with a conflict and their different ideological sides emerge. Once, they come together to voice their opinion on the idea they believe in, their ideas grow and become more extreme. The good side of group polarization is that, it unit people for the belief that are common among them. In the example of Abortion, people on both sides argue over when life begins, and no one really knows it. But, as group polarization emerges, people continue to argue about it.
People on the side of Pro-choice want women to have access to safe and legal abortion when they needs it. Pro-choice people don’t want the government to involve in making decision when it comes to women issue. They believe that politician don’t belong in women’s personal medical decision about their pregnancies, because these decisions should be made between women and their doctors. They believe that a fetus is not a human but an organism that grows in a woman’s womb that becomes a baby. By legalizing abortion, they could reduce the back alley abortion which is more dangerous and unsafe for women. Recently in Texas, a senate democrat named Wendy Davis performed an 11-hour-filibuster for a strict abortion law signed by the Governor, Rick Perry.
Wendy Davis Filibusters Texas Anit-abortion Bill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P6hm3ofEe4
Pro-life also known as anti-abortion derives from many religious ideology or people who believe the right of a fetus. They believe that “life begins at conception”, and a fetus is a human and should have constitutional rights; therefore, abortion is a murder and should be illegal. Religious groups such as Catholics and Pro-life Republicans believe that abortion should be banned in all states. They want to defund abortion clinics such as planned parenthood in all states. Texas, for example, wants to close down all and defund all abortion clinics across their state that recently, Governor Rick Perry signed a strict abortion law in Texas which include banning abortion over 20 weeks.
2012 Vice Presidential Debate over Abortion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N9x1ONbGzU
Discussions and debate about abortion, demonstrate Karl Popper’s theory of an Open society. In Popper’s understanding, an open society, people are encouraged to express their opinions, and to make changes without violence. In the issue with abortion, women in many state had speak out publicly about abortion. In 1960, women organized a women’s liberation movement. They fought, marched, and lobbied to make abortion safe and legal. At speak-outs, women talked publicly for the first time about their illegal abortion experiences. The women’s movement, joined by sympathetic allies within the medical profession, made visible the millions of women who were willing to break the law and risk health and life to obtain an abortion. The movement also connected abortion rights to gender equality.
In the YouTube video “Abortion Debate Scott Klusendorf vs Nadine Strossen”, Klusendorf had provide both scientific evidence and religious view of why women’s should not go through abortion. On the other hand, Nadine Strossen explained women’s right to their body and explained abortion will endanger mother’s life when the mother had a medical problem. Both party had backup their reasons to support abortion or to stop abortion by providing examples and scientific report.
In many cases of illegal abortion, women’s life treated for health complications due to botched, unsanitary, or self-induced abortions; many died, or were left infertile or with chronic illness and pain. These extreme abortion methods perform by unlicensed physicians and self-abortion brought up laws and regulations to protect women’s life and health. These connect to Karl Popper’s idea of Paradox of Intolerance, because we should not tolerate the unsanitary and self-induced abortion methods that endanger women’s life.