With 2014’s March for Life in Washington, D.C., approaching on January 22nd, I ask: Will many libertarians attend? A recent Cato Institute study said 37% of libertarians are pro-life, versus 31% of Democrats, 45% of independents, and 68% of Republicans. Many libertarians believe the false claims that unborn babies are parts of or can be “trespassers” in their mothers’ bodies. Also, most libertarians oppose nearly all government interventions in society. However, I believe two libertarian principles command that libertarians oppose all abortions.
For one, no unborn babies agree to abortion, violating libertarianism’s principle that individuals’ decisions about their lives should be voluntary. Of course, it’d be impossible for abortionists to ask eight- or nine-weekers to “Sign here,” but this absurdity’s the point. If unborn babies’ lives become unbearable after birth, these unborn babies could unfortunately commit suicide. The U.S. Libertarian Party’s platform says, “People should not be forced to sacrifice their lives…for the benefit of others[,]” including mothers.
Also, abortions can adversely affect others besides the consenting mothers1 and aborted babies, thereby violating libertarianism’s principle that all persons have an “equal right…to live in whatever manner they choose.” Abortions often result in medical problems for the mothers’ future children. As the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’s The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion (2004) documents, relative to children of mothers who’ve never received an abortion, children of mothers who’ve received an abortion(s) are about twice as likely to die in utero and have low birth weights and up to three times as likely to have premature births. As another adverse effect to others, abortions, aside from rape cases, violate fathers’ natural right to be fathers.
While violating these libertarian principles dealing with voluntary decisions and adverse effects to others, abortions destroy unborn babies’ liberty. In the womb, unborn babies kick, yawn, play with their noses, smile, learn languages, recognize their mothers’ voices, and if twins, play pushing games.
C’mon, libertarians! Y’all should be pro-life, and pro-lifers welcome y’all to 2014’s March for Life. Especially pro-life anarchists, who oppose laws that could protect the unborn but could help change hearts and minds by “speak[ing] out for the unborn.”
Danielsmyth.org published this article’s original version.
1 After abortions, mothers can endure such complications as cervical scarring and Post-Abortion Syndrome.
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