How do you respond to the argument that if abortion was illegal then women would just get unsafe illegal abortions anyway?

This is just a specific application of the general argument that people will do whatever they want regardless of what the law says and possible criminal penalties. It is obviously ridiculous on its face.

Do you think having a speed limit of 65mph and cops pulling over people and citing them for exceeding that limit reduces the number of people driving faster than 65? Of course it does. Without that limit and enforcement, everyone would be driving 80mph, as some people still do regardless.

Do you think the death penalty and life in prison reduces the number of murders? Of course it does. If there was no penalty for killing someone, we all can imagine situations in our lives where things might have played out differently. There's a famous scene from Cheers where Diane, after years, finally convinces Sam to propose to her and when he does, she says no. We see a flash forward to Sam being walked by a priest from his prison cell to the room with an electric chair. Sam shakes away the dream and comes back to the present and Diane says, "Silly, Massachusetts doesn't have the death penalty," and immediately lunges forward to strangle her but is held back by his friends.

So while it is true that some would seek abortions regardless, the vast majority of abortions today are done simply for the sake of convenience. Make it inconvenient, and those abortions will not be sought.

/r/prolife Thread