The abortion debate has been framed over the last decade as a matter of pro-life vs. pro-choice. But, is this distinction productive? 

Here at UNC, students engage with important social topics every day in and outside class. A college campus is supposed to be the marketplace of ideas, but what preconditions are required for civil discourse? In the abortion debate, it seems that we're lacking a common ground. Students have to wrestle with morality, religion, biology, and federalism when discussing abortion with their peers, although a majority of students we spoke to seemed to skip straight to "choice."

We ask, however, if a pro-choice mindset presupposes that abortion is not murder? And, do students understand the assumptions they bring into their discussions?

Today's episode begins with a short history of the abortion debate in America with a focus on social control. Then, we examine several possible solutions to the chaotic nature of abortion discourse, looking at a website worked on by UNC students (https://www.respectpeople.org/) and a research report produced by Dr. Timothy Ryan (https://fecdsurveyreport.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/22160/2022/08/FECD_Report_8-21-22.pdf).

We end with a question: how do we move forward?

We'd like to thank Professor Timothy Ryan and Professor Jillian Hinderliter for their insights and support. Also, thanks to Jesse Ainslie for this episode's music. His work can be found here: jesseainslie.com 

EDIT: Dobbs v. Jackson was decided on June 24th, not June 4th.

Pit Perspectives is a student-run podcast. We record your candid and anonymous opinions in The Pit, add commentary and supplementary materials, and create episodes on relevant social issues facing college students at UNC and across the country.

Find us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pitperspectivesunc/) and online (https://www.pitperspectivesunc.com/).

Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WjrRfURWmor2oMcLjKick0Zhx-AXJRLQG8Ml9CUSOfk/edit?usp=sharing 

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