Latest Read: Achieving Peace in the Abortion War

Rachel MacNair is a longtime activist who has been involved in promoting a “consistent ethic” across a wide span of issues. She is a Quaker, a pacifist, and pro-life. She was president of Feminists for Life of America for ten years  Feminists for Life – Women Deserve Better

MacNair is a scholar, with a Ph.D. in social psychology. I’ve spoken to her several times in the past by phone, but we’ve never met.

Her latest book

 

is very powerful and persuasive. The text is 145 pages long, with footnotes at the back. She makes liberal use of quotations from abortionists, abortion staff, and people who’ve left the abortion business.

MacNair points out that through Democratic and Republican administrations the abortion rate has first leveled off (starting at the beginning of the 80’s) and then been consistently dropping. For several reasons, she believes this is very likely to continue. 

First, the “trauma in abortion staff” problem. Fewer people want to perform abortions or work in the abortion industry.  There is the contradiction between being in a “caring profession” while destroying the offspring of their clients. And they don’t get much support from their professional peers, being frequently looked down upon by them.

 Second, there is dropping demand for abortion. The abortion rate has fallen from 25% of pregnancies to between 19 and 20%. The number of “first timers” having an abortion is also dropping – the abortion rate would be much lower if it weren’t for women having multiple abortions. And without “first timers” where are the “repeaters” going to come from? With fewer women having abortions, it’s becoming more acceptable to speak up against abortion.  

MacNair believes the psychological role of cognitive dissonance now comes into play and a “great switch” is in the making. She outlines this in the last chapter entitled “Collapse” theorizing as to how people thought and think about abortion, themselves, and their country

In the 70’s and 80’s (1) abortion was expanding and (2) we Americans are a noble and virtuous people. The first is a fact, while the second involves our self-respect and self-image of ourselves and “is highly resistant to change … If both elements resist change, than the tension can best be dealt with by deciding they don’t conflict. … Any attack on the first point will be seen as an attack on the second point…” with bad results for American self image.

But now (1) abortion numbers are dropping and abortion clinics are fewer and (2) we Americans are a noble and virtuous people.

So the dynamics of tension reduction for cognitive dissonance, “with the crucial importance of self-respect” are working in favor of prolife people. 

 It’s Rachel MacNair’s feeling that this “great switch” will continue.  

Well, we will see. Without MacNair saying so, it seems to me that  the “great switch” will be speeded up by the number of women who are more and more coming forward and speaking up about the negative effects of their own abortions. Groups like “Silent no More.” If we Americans view ourselves as a “noble and virtuous people”, hearing the voices of people harmed by abortion may accelerate the “great switch.”

Excellent book, highly recommended.