Terry Cosgrove’s letter “Choice in China” (Voice, June 18) regarding forced abortion in that country offers a catchy slogan but completely misses the point.
Cosgrove contends that the tragedy in China illustrates the danger of government interference in personal decisions. “A government that has the power to outlaw abortion and birth control today has the power to force women to have abortions tomorrow . . . . Whether in China or the U.S.–it’s either pro-choice or no choice.”
The logical fallacy of that statement becomes obvious if you apply it to other legal issues. If a government bans shoplifting today, does that imply that it might require shoplifting tomorrow? If it forbids marijuana today, is it more likely to force people to use marijuana in the future?
The “pro-choice or no choice” mantra might apply in China, but it doesn’t apply here. In a representative democracy, laws don’t last if they directly oppose the will of the people. There’s only one way that abortion could ever be required in America: It would have to become part of the accepted culture.
And that’s what bothers me about the sloppy sloganeering of people like Cosgrove.
