Even the Doctors Are Confused
Cristina and Owen’s debate over the starting point of life for a fetus displays just how controversial the topic of abortion is in the United States. The debate has been present since the 1970s and the argument seems to intensify as time goes on. For example, the recent #ShoutYourAbortion campaign launched in response to attempts at defunding Planned Parenthood (Markens 15). The two movements, pro-life and pro-choice, have been active since this debate started. Part of the abortion backlash, as seen in the Twitter campaign, is due to “abortion’s threat to traditional families and women’s primary identity as mothers and caretakers” (15). This idea correlates extremely well to Cristina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy. As an empowered female who never wanted kids and focused on her career goals, she exemplifies an untraditional woman. Yang and Hunt’s abortion predicament is just one instance of the individual moral debate over abortion.
Even though abortion is clearly a decision made by individuals, abortion has become more than solely an individual level decision. According to Drew Halfmann, “abortion is at the margin of politics in most other rich countries” (Halfmann). Unlike those countries, abortion is a central part of U.S. politics. Part of this reason may be due to the fact that the United States gives states, federal legislatures, and city governments a say in the laws (Halfmann). These governmental branches have been impactful too. For example, laws have been passed for ambulatory surgery center standars, privleges requirements, waiting preiods, and pre-abortion ultrasound viewing laws (Kimport 16). The anti-abortion movement takes advantage of American federalism. For example, “they test the legislative waters and defend the constitutionality of each new wave of abortion limits all the way to the Supreme Court” (Rohlinger). Whether pro-lifers are lobbying state officials or pro-choice activists are starting Twitter battles, abortion is consistently a topic of discussion in the United States.
