I believe any opinion worth holding is debatable. I came to this
conviction reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X, where Malcolm X, in
prison, joined the debate society. It was through debate that he
formed most of his political opinions–not through solitary research,
though he did a lot of that. Trying to follow in his footsteps, I
advocate my position on issues as strongly as possible, and see where
other people find holes.
Many of my beliefs (whether on race issues, religion or abortion)
originated from solitary research and observation. I think of these
initial opinions as lumpy rocks. One can be formed of the best
sediment (the most well-reviewed journals or smartest mentors) but
until it has entered into agitator of debate, it is impossible to know
what of it is true and what is trash.
My initial opinion on abortion was formed in the kind of echo-chamber
described above–I learned my beliefs from my parents and my friends,
who all pretty much believed the same thing. I can say with some shame
that my opinion could have been summarized by some of the
bumper-stickers you see on cars: Woman’s Right to Choose! Her body,
Her Choice! Come Back When You Have a Uterus!
A lumpy rock indeed. And a weak one, not because the core of it was
weak: I still hold firmly a basic abhorrence of forcing a woman to
bear a child she does not want stronger than an abhorrence of ending a
potential life. My opinion was weak but because it was un-nuanced;
un-subtle; un-debated.
With the efforts of many friends, particularly my Karate teacher who
patiently and kindly challenged my bumper-sticker-quoting lumpy
opinion, I now have a more complex opinion on abortion. My commitment
to debate cannot stop there, because then my opinions would develop
new lumps if I let them lie and I would never know their value. In the
process of honing my opinion on abortion, I spent some time
interviewing the incoming Aimee, President of the Respect for Life
Club of CMU.
Ostensibly, our interview was part of a project I designed in my
Humanities Scholars Program class to study the performance of protest
outside of the Allegheny Women’s Health Center in East Liberty,
Pittsburgh. But the project itself was itself part of my commitment to
having a strongly composed opinion on abortion.
In listening to Aimee, I discovered new trash and underdeveloped
portions of my opinion–I did not honestly believe anyone at Carnegie
Mellon would argue that contraception was un-natural and unacceptable,
as part of a pro-life stance, much less that this was the belief of
all of the members of the Respect Life Club at CMU. This was ignorance
on my part, and a weakness in my opinion.
Without this kind of exchange of information, our generation will be
stuck in the same bumper-sticker flinging contest of our parents. Our
opinions will remain lumpy, and we will never stand together on the
common group which we share.
post contributed by Jessica Dickinson Goodman, a well-respected pro-choice CMU student and vigilant observer of the CMU Respect Life Club.
June 2, 2009
Categories: Campus Activities, for the students, Things to ponder . . Author: oathkeeper24 . Comments: 2 Comments
