Three Questions for Maggie Little - by Christine Snyder

1. During her talk, Maggie Little brought up many great points supporting a more “nuanced” view of abortion, including the moral status of the fetus, motherhood, and responsibility of creation. However, even in addressing responsibility associated with creation, the focus was on the idea of responsibly bringing a human being into the world at the appropriate place and time in one’s life, and not on so much on the responsibility associated with the original sexual act. Little seemed to suggest that consenting to sexual intercourse did not automatically commit a woman to carrying the conceptus to term, meaning that she has not necessarily consented to becoming a mother. While I understand her point of view, it seems to me somewhat irresponsible to suggest that using contraception is the extent of responsibility one takes on when engaging in sexual acts. Therefore, one question that I would have liked to ask Maggie Little is to what extent do the participants of a sexual act, at the time the act takes place, have toward the potential conceptus that may result?

2. Maggie Little also commented on “Partial-Birth” Abortion as a somewhat overblown issue by the media and conservative pro-lifers that is intended primarily to handle cases in which the fetus has severe developmental issues or the mother’s health is at serious risk. I agree with her explanation of the use of “Partial-Birth” Abortions and the misconceptions some may have about their use. However, Little did not touch upon the nature of the method by which this surgical technique is performed and moral issues that surround it. It would be interesting to hear her opinion on the morality associated with this form of abortion.

3. Maggie gave a good deal of attention to the prerogative of the mother to make decisions about providing the resources of her body to a fetus, but did not greatly discuss the role of the father in pregnancy and prerogatives that he may have in decision making as half of the fetus’s DNA is his own. Although Little specified that this view of decision making in abortion seems harsh, and even provided further explanation, it would be interesting to hear her thoughts on the rights and roles of the male parent.