The Ground that Common Ground Can Stand On

My colleagues over at RHReality Check have begun a new section of their blog dedicated to writing about common ground on abortion. I spoke to its moderator, Christina Page, yesterday, and she has invited me to share my thoughts on the forum. I'll let you know when that happens.

I told her that I believe in people of diverse views and good intentions coming together to seek genuine areas of overlapping concerns through careful dialogue and engagement. However, I am skeptical about the current calls for common ground as a way of developing public policy. As I wrote last week for the Women's Media Center, I firmly believe that the only common ground on abortion I can stand on must begin with an agreement that we must reduce the numbers of women who become unintentionally pregnant in the first place -- because of a lack of information or a lack of services or a lack of opportunities in their lives. As comments on this blog and the WMC site attest, I was criticized by people on all sides for that position.

More than a decade ago, I was part of an intense, two-day common ground initiative at the Wye River. Religious leaders across the spectrum participated, and we did agree on where common ground could be sought. I encourage you to read the paper that emerged from that dialogue at the website of the Religious Institute. I reread it just a few minutes ago and believe it is as applicable today as when it was written. At that common ground meeting, we agreed that there were seven opportunities for common ground dialogue:

* Promoting sexual responsibility
* Fostering equality and respect for women
* Strengthening parent-child communication about sexuality
* Working to reduce teenage pregnancies
* Improving prenatal and maternal care
* Supporting the choice of adoption
* Working together to reduce the conditions that lead to unplanned pregnancies

The common ground on abortion has already been carefully laid out. As Scripture teaches, there is nothing new under the sun. If people who oppose abortion are ready to talk about empowering women's moral agency and providing sexuality education and contraceptive services to teens and young adults, I believe real common ground can be found. After all, those of us who are pro-choice are already advocating for prenatal and maternal care and adoption as real options.

Is it cynical, or realistic, to believe that today's calls for common ground, whether in the blogosphere or at the White House, are going to come up with a pretty similar list? And can you blame those of us who have been part of these conversations for, say, 20-30 years for not being so enthusiastic about another round that starts at ground zero?

Has Dr. Tiller's murder changed the terms for common ground?

I'm happy to report that the Women's Media Center asked me to write an exclusive piece for their web site.

My article begins,

On Sunday, May 17, in his speech at Notre Dame, President Obama called for all sides in the abortion debate to tone down the rhetoric, recognize that we will never fully reconcile our views, and agree to work together where we have common aims. On Sunday, May 31, Dr. George Tiller was assassinated in his church. In the escalation of words and the threats of violence that followed, the President’s counsel seems both inadequate and naïve.

You can read the rest here.