Student Group Finds Common Ground (Results of Portland Survey, 3/26/08)

Look at the results of an abortion survey a small group of Oregon Right to Life students helped me conduct on March 26, 2008.

In just under two hours, the students surveyed 43 people. Obviously, we can't make any claims that the poll is representative of the general public. The sample size isn't large enough and the poll wasn't any more randomized than walking up to people and asking them to participate. Still, the results were in keeping with two claims I made in Common Ground Without Compromise:

1. There is genuine common ground on abortion. For example, most of those surveyed agreed abortion shouldn't be used as birth control, the numbers of abortions should be reduced, and most thought women who are considering abortion should be encouraged to consider adoption.

2. When polls ask specific questions about specific times in pregnancy and specific reasons for abortion, people are much more against some abortions than typical polling reveals. In our survey, we gave people the chance to see an in utero picture of an 18-week fetus (not an abortion picture) and asked about seven reasons for aborting that fetus. 65-74% thought the abortion was wrong in four cases: not enough money, doesn't want to give birth, not feeling emotionally ready to care for a child, and having enough children already. 63-67% went further and said these abortions should not continue to be legal.

Now, compare these reasons to the list found in Table 3 in Guttmacher's study of reasons for abortion. It appears the reasons most women have abortions are precisely the reasons a strong majority of people surveyed here are most against. (Note, we asked about second trimester abortions and Guttmacher's study didn't differentiate specific times of pregnancy.)

The survey leaves me with two questions:

1. How would the results have changed if we asked about first trimester abortions for specific reasons?

2. How would the results have changed if we had shown what the unborn looks like after the abortion (caution: link includes graphic pictures)?

Even if most people turn out to be against second trimester abortion, common wisdom says similar majorities think first trimester abortion should be legal. I suggest you ask your friends. I predict that if you ask about specific reasons and specific times of pregnancy, you'll find their opinions are situation-dependent. If that's true, my next question is, "How are these different situations significant enough to change whether abortion is right or wrong? What is it about some of these situations that leads you to believe abortion should even be illegal, but others don't?"

(Poll Respondents: Welcome to the STR blog. Please feel free to post your comments on these questions or the poll experience in the comments section!)

Comments

[Laura]

The pictures make all the difference! EVERYONE should see the destruction of a human being...and pause to consider. My niece is having her first child in July..and what joy we all feel. In America, in this day, there is no reason to have an unwanted child. The women who are having abortions have been deceived. Let them see the aftermath of their abortion, and I am SURE they will change their minds.

[Brett]

More and more, everyday, I see the importance of finding common ground. Just the other day in a small class of mine, the topic turned to abortion, and the class got "heated" quickly with everyone coming up in arms. I brought up my objections and arguments with too much passion. No one really gained anything from the "discussion." We all just left frustrated on why the other side couldn't see our correct point of view.

[JamieC]

Steve said,"In America, in this day, there is no reason to have an unwanted child." This made think - and I came up with this question: Why are women not wanting their children?