FROM THE PRESIDENT Wanda Franz, Ph.D. PUBLIC OPINION AND THE MORALITY OF ABORTION.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

A recent survey (May 6-9, 2002; released May 21, 2002) by the Gallup Organization deals with "the state of moral values" in this country.

Abortion is considered "morally wrong" by 53%, is "morally acceptable" to 38%, and is to be judged "depend[ing] on the situation" in the opinion of 8%.

It is revealing to contrast this polling result with the responses to a question posed in the Los Angeles Times poll of June 8-13, 2000. The question was whether the respondent would consider abortion as an option if she (or the female partner, in the case of a male respondent) had an unplanned pregnancy. Overall, 66% said that abortion would not be an option. Accepting it as an option were 23%. A small fraction, 1%, would consider abortion but not do it. And 6% volunteered that their decision would depend on the circumstances. Even "liberals," the group most supportive of abortion (37% considered it an option), rejected abortion as a personal option with a clear majority (54%).

The comparison of the responses to the two poll questions suggests that the respondents make a distinction between "public" and "private" or personal morality.

The most obvious reason for the discrepancy is that the Supreme Court declared abortion a constitutional "right." This has been the law of the land for nearly 30 years; and "the law teaches" and instructs. Given the widespread tendency to consider what is legal also to be "moral" (in spite of personal reservations), it should not surprise that 38-40% of the public consider abortion "morally acceptable" (in a "public" sense, we can suppose), while only 23-25% would consider it as a personal option.

As part of the "what is legal must be moral" phenomenon, there is, especially in this country, a great reluctance to deny somebody else a "right," even if there is personal doubt about the legitimacy of that right. The pro-abortionists have exploited this mindset with their relentless campaign promoting the "constitutional right to choose."

Rejecting "rights" for someone else has become a mark of "political incorrectness." Thus, when one of the two major parties, the Democratic Party, makes the "right" to abortion a major plank in its election platform, then it takes a little intestinal fortitude to tell a pollster that you consider abortion "morally unacceptable."