Introduction
The Abortion Divide, a Frontline PBS program, illustrates how, in Darby, Pennsylvania,
attitudes toward abortion have remained divided between pro- and anti-abortion sentiments
throughout the 1980s. After the case of Roe vs. Wade, the Americans raised different conflicts
over the abortion issue. Forty years later, the Darby clinic returned to Pennsylvania to research
on the same issue. In their documentary, The co-producer, Obenhaus, and the producer, Leiter,
both recognize the tremendous work done by pro-life activists who continue to gather outside the
Darby clinic every day, indicating a growing split between pro- and anti-abortion activists over
time.
The Opinion Gap Between Abortion and Anti-Abortion Support
The first part of the previously stated documentary confirms that, despite the disagreement over
abortion being subtle, it is nevertheless very apparent. This movie compares and contrasts the
views on abortion put out by pro-life and pro-choice organizations. Pro-choice advocates, for
example, call for government restrictions to be seen as hypocritical since they believe pregnant
women shouldn't be regarded as being incapable of making decisions about abortion. Advocates
of life, on the other hand, contend that carrying out or endorsing abortion represents barbarism in
the contemporary world."Chopping up a baby, putting it in a small canister, taking it out, and
counting the pieces is barbaric," said one of the leading pro-life advocates. That is their
obligation. In what type of society do we live in that allows us to treat our kids like this?
Divergent ideologies held by pro-choice and pro-life advocates also contribute to the division in
the movie. In light of this, pro-choice advocates believe that since a fetus is an undifferentiated
tissue, the mother's option to abort the child should not raise any ethical issues. Pro-lifers, on the
other hand, consider a fetus to be a living human being since they feel that life begins with
conception. Thus, pro-lifers think that expecting mothers should never consider having an
abortion since doing so would be the same as killing a human being with a heart1and a soul.
The film The Abortion Divide, while illuminating the progressive widening of the gulf between
pro-choice and pro-life advocates, does not resolve the ethical quandary surrounding abortion.
To highlight the opposing viewpoints on what to do when one finds out they are pregnant,
Obenhaus and Leiter employed women from the Amnion Pregnancy Crisis Center (pro-life
advocates) and the Darby Abortion Clinic (pro-choice). The documentary's interviews make
mothers' conflicted emotions over finding out they are pregnant clear to viewers. The ultimate
choices pregnant women make about whether to keep or terminate their pregnancy are greatly
influenced by the emotions depicted in the movie. The moral justifications for both pro-life and
pro-choice positions are now clear to viewers.
One moment in the movie The Abortion Divide, for instance, challenges pro-choice advocates.
Rose, a single parent of eight children, is shown in the scenario with five of them already in
foster care and the remaining two living with her sisters. Furthermore, Rose confirms that she is
impoverished, presently housed at a homeless facility, and recently overcame a drug addiction
issue. Nevertheless, despite all of the difficulties she is facing, she is content to retain her current
pregnancy and is determined to raise and live with her newborn baby."Now we're trying again,"
the woman says. "He's kind of unique—who's taking this one?" Rose claims that she does not
support abortion, and her entire family shares her belief.
A scene that contrasts with the one above is when Christine, a lady who appears to be about
thirty years old, attends the abortion clinic. Christine also appears to be married, well-educated,
and financially secure. When she finds out she is expecting twins, though, she expresses her
embarrassment and her disinterest in carrying the pregnancy to term. Christine states, "I wasn't at
all prepared for that when she revealed that they were twins. I didn't even entertain the idea.
Because of her son's non-specific autism and dislike of social connections, Christine claims she
has considered terminating the twins.
Christine also acknowledges that she wasn't expecting to become pregnant after having
unprotected intercourse just once. "I'd get some sort of grace period on that, I'm sure of it," she
remarks. Insofar as the twins will come to terms with her choice to abort them, Christine wishes
them well. "Thank you, and I'm honored to be given this gift of life," she says in an enacting of a
conversation. Unfortunately, I'm not able to accomplish that at this time. Christine regrettably
never allowed the twins to voice their opinions during the decision-making process.
Relevance of the Documentary to the Class
In America, there has been a heated discussion about abortion's morality for a number of
decades. Regretfully, American culture is still unable to agree on what is appropriate for
expectant mothers to do. In American history, the government had kept silent on the subject for a
considerable amount of time, which contributed to a rise in the number of abortion cases. An
anti-abortion movement emerged in an attempt to limit and eventually eradicate abortion in
America, pressuring lawmakers to pass legislation governing the practice. The Amnion
Pregnancy Crisis Clinic, which was featured in the movie The Abortion Divide, is only one
example of the notable progress pro-lifers have made in putting a stop to abortion.
Thus, in educating students about the historical disparity around abortion and its present status,
this documentary makes a substantial contribution. The movie also highlights how moral
judgments are subjective, demonstrating how what one person views as moral can be sinful to
another.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a number of things that students can learn from the documentary The
Abortion Divide. For example, it becomes clear from this movie that there are a number of
legitimate reasons why a parent would choose to abort their kid. Even though abortion is
sometimes criticized as a social evil, women occasionally make choices out of love or under
pressure from their partners or other family members. But regardless of their situation, women
who think abortion is inhumane refuse to consider it a possibility. Because of this, students can
easily comprehend that the mother has a major say in the decision regarding what to do during a
pregnancy.
