“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” is once again on display, this time in the furor around overturning Roe v. Wade.
Demonstrators are everywhere, “singin’ songs and carryin’ signs, mostly say ‘Hooray for our side!” “Make the laws tougher!” vs. “Enshrine abortion in our state constitution.”
We have forgotten the lesson of Prohibition. An attempt to stop “demon rum” turned millions into law-breakers and greatly expanded the operations of criminal gangs.
The larger lesson: Criminal laws work only when a vast majority of citizens agree the “crime” should be punished. Otherwise, such laws are a waste of words.
I believe intentional abortion is a grave misuse of God’s gift of procreation. But laws won’t stop it. All they do is enlarge the cultural and political divide tearing at our nation while putting the health of some women at greater risk. On the other side, passing laws that favor abortion would needlessly antagonize millions of people who oppose it.
The best answer should be obvious: Eliminate all laws about abortion. No prosecution, no persecution. Of course, it is far from obvious; it is an impossible dream at this fraught moment. But given time, it could be a course we could all agree on, even as the moral debate goes on.
William Richards
Yarmouth
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