CSUN Survey Results: Organisms, Rights, and the Law

NOTE: For an introduction to these survey results, see my post on 11/12. - SW

The first set of questions in our abortion survey utilized Side 1, Panel 2 of the Justice For All Exhibit and asked when the human organism begins, when rights and value begin, and up until what point is abortion legal. CLICK HERE to view the results.

The sample size is small, so I can't draw conclusions about the public at large, but it's worth pointing out that the majority of people surveyed were mistaken about the actual legal situation with abortion in America. Only one in five people surveyed (20%) came close to the correct answer (legal through all nine months for any reason). About 78% of people thought abortion is illegal after 18 weeks gestation. A full 28% thought abortion is illegal after about four weeks (if this were the case, almost no surgical abortions would be legal). If this small sample is any indication, one of the reasons abortion enjoys an uncanny protection might be because people are simply misinformed about the law.

Note also that about 78% of people surveyed thought the unborn is an organism by 7 weeks post-fertilization and 53% of people surveyed thought the embryo at 7 weeks has equal rights to newborns. Many of those surveyed are simply uninformed about the field of embryology, which confidently places the beginning of human organisms at fertilization. Even while uninformed, most people agree on an early date for the organism's beginning. That's biological common ground most people share.

As I've noted in my upcoming book, Common Ground Without Compromise, when pro-choice advocates claim "no one knows when life begins," pro-life people start debating biology (which usually gets the pro-life advocate nowhere). They assume the pro-choice advocate is making the claim that the unborn is not a living organism. If it's true that 78% of people believe human organisms begin at least by the 7th week, for many the comment isn't about biology. In my book, I clarify the problem and give pro-life advocates one simple question that obliterates the confusion and gets the conversation back on a productive track.

Tomorrow's results: Question Set II -- Should Abortion Be Legal AFTER 18 weeks gestation in _______ situation?

Comments

[Agilius]

I like that pictures were used. I also like that many points along a relevant timeline were available from which to choose.

The stages beginning at Toddler obviously reflected an STR strategy designed to expose the suicidal nature of certain pro-choice arguments (e.g., location, self-sufficiency, etc.)

It looks like these polls will be good for eliciting helpful discussions, more than anything else.

As was blogged before, with regard to polls, there is little or no opportunity to explain any nuances.

[Sean McDowell]

Hey Steve, This is really great research. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. I look forward to reading your book and using it to help kids. Keep it up! Sean McDowell