More is “lost” than just a human life
In the song “Lost Ones” by J Cole, Cole explores and speaks on the effects of an unintended pregnancy from the perspectives of two young adults. The first verse is sang from the man’s point of view as he tries to justify an abortion, referencing their strained financial situation and the additional complications caring for a child would add. However, in verse two the female quickly retorts that he has “got some nerve to come up to [her] talking about abortion,” further stating that its her body and she can do what she wants. In the third and final verse, Cole narrates from an outside view and questions the morality of getting an abortion.
Abortion has been a central topic in American politics for centuries, with the battle between pro-choice and pro-life symbolizing more than just the possible loss of a fetus. Furthermore, the politics of abortion have largely played off of how individuals believe abortion affects the status of women in society. In “Lost Ones,” the woman reinforces Susan B. Anthony’s argument “centered on concerns that abortion allowed for men’s unfettered sexual access to women” (Markens 14). While not a contemporary argument, pro-life suffragists would use this story as a justification against abortion. To more contemporary standards, most pro-choice activists believe that “legalized abortion symbolized woman’s ability to free themselves from an identity solely based on motherhood” (Markens 15). However, years of legal actions in favor of pro-life views based on the political system of the United States have served to reduce the autonomy of women in politics as well as retain abortion as a central topic in American politics.
Katrina Kimport observed four regulations passed on abortion, noting that two “impede[d] women’s access to abortion care” and the other two had “troubling discursive implications about women’s autonomy” (Kimport 16). It is clear that the politics of abortion significantly impact the status of women as well. In Halfmann’s article, he compared how the political system in the United States has allowed for abortion to be a more prominent issue than in Canada and Britain. He found that because of the immense power possessed by the Supreme Court, the lack of power amongst party elites, and the power-hungry physician class, abortion will remain a focal point in American politics. To combat this, many pro-choice supporters are “highlighting ways in which economic inequalities undercut optimal health care and reproductive freedom for many women” (Rohlinger). The pro-life/pro-choice debate is one that has existed for centuries, and likely will continue to for decades to come. Political arguments regarding abortion concern not only the loss of a life, but also the ideologies reflective of what individuals believe the status of women in society is.
