What We're Reading About Abortion

America is in the midst of fracturing. For years now, many have been warning about a coming national divorce. The optimists predict a slow slide apart. Others warn darkly of civil war.

With Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, it’s hard not to imagine that that divide—between states, between liberals and conservatives—will grow. Red states for open carry. Blue states for abortion rights. Law firms that exclude members of the Federalist Society. Others that welcome them.

This Politico tracker shows what abortion laws are right now, state-by-state. It’s striking to see what reality is like for women in New York versus women in South Dakota, where there are no exceptions for rape or incest.

For the foreseeable future, I think states and institutions will continue to polarize. And it will be ugly, as Americans increasingly self-segregate and burrow deeper and deeper into their echo chambers. Not just online, but also in real life.

But this division will belie the reality of where most citizens actually fall on this particular issue.

While the extremes hog the microphone, polling consistently shows that most Americans fall somewhere in the middle on abortion—open to restrictions, but wanting it to remain legal in the first trimester. (Check out 538: What Americans Really Think About Abortion or WSJ: Upholding Roe v. Wade Is Supported by Most Americans.) The most comprehensive and detailed poll about where we fall on abortion comes from Pew and it’s worth your time:

Read: America’s Abortion Quandary.

Common Sense reflects that Pew poll. We are a vanishingly rare phenomenon: a community with writers and readers who hold a vast array of beliefs on this topic and so many others. A community of people who is able to hear, in good faith, those we disagree with.

Today we’ve gathered some of the things we are reading on this subject that we hope challenge you and inspire you to greater empathy.

We’d love for you to include in the comments any articles, podcasts, or books that you think elevate this conversation.

This post is for paying subscribers only

Already have an account? Log in

May 19, 2021

our Comments

Use common sense here: disagree, debate, but don't be a .

Welcome to The FP Community!

Our comments are an editorial product for our readers to have smart, thoughtful conversations and debates — the sort we need more of in America today. The sort of debate we love.

We have standards in our comments section just as we do in our journalism. If you’re being a jerk, we might delete that one. And if you’re being a jerk for a long time, we might remove you from the comments section.

Common Sense was our original name, so please use some when posting. Here are some guidelines:

We have a simple rule for all Free Press staff: act online the way you act in real life. We think that’s a good rule for everyone.
We drop an occasional F-bomb ourselves, but try to keep your profanities in check. We’re proud to have Free Press readers of every age, and we want to model good behavior for them. (Hello to Intern Julia!)
Speaking of obscenities, don’t hurl them at each other. Harassment, threats, and derogatory comments that derail productive conversation are a hard no.
Criticizing and wrestling with what you read here is great. Our rule of thumb is that smart people debate ideas, dumb people debate identity. So keep it classy.
Don’t spam, solicit, or advertise here. Submit your recommendations to tips@thefp.com if you really think our audience needs to hear about it.

Onwards!

Close Guidelines