This isn't a topic I write about much, but sometimes inaccurate or half-true statements just need to be corrected somewhere.

Andrew Sullivan

Writes:

America is one of the few Western countries where the legality of abortion is still ferociously disputed. It's a country where the religious right is arguably the strongest single voting bloc, and in which abortion is a constant feature of cultural politics. Compare it to a country like Holland, perhaps the epitome of socially liberal, relativist liberalism. So which country has the highest rate of abortion? It's not even close. America has an abortion rate of 21 abortions per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 44. Holland has a rate of 6.8. Americans, in other words, have three times as many abortions as the Dutch. Remind me again: which country is the most socially conservative?

But what Andrew isn't telling his audience is that, like many European nations, Holland has much more restrictive abortion laws than the US. Whereas here, judges have "discovered" a "right" to partial-birth abortion -- the termination of a child's life even after it has emerged partially from the mother's body -- Holland places many limits on abortions.

Contrary to the picture Sullivan gives, the International Society of Abortion Doctors comments (emph added):

Politicians were about equally divided in conservatives, against, and progressives in favor of abortion. A safe and reliable Abortion Service, initiated by a small group of medical pioneers, was well established when at last in 1981 the Abortion Act was passed.

The Act allows abortions to be done in Hospitals and dedicated Abortion Clinics. A hospital or clinic may be licensed for first trimester abortions only, or for both first- and second trimester abortions (up till 23 weeks).... At this moment there are some twenty Abortion Clinics in the Netherlands. By law abortion up till 23 weeks is available on demand to every woman in the Netherlands. The doctor should confirm the women's emergency situation, check if the women considered other options, and comes voluntary.... A minor (under 16 years) needs approval of one of her parents or her guardian.

Andrew leaves the impression there is no serious debate about abortion in Holland, that they have more lax laws, and that this "progressive" stance results in fewer abortions. Wrong. There are much stricter laws, abortion is limited to 23 weeks (not here), parental notification is required (here, that is "unconstitutional"), the doctor must confirm that the situation is an emergency and is required to ask the woman consider other options.

Summary: The Dutch have much more restrictive laws and thus there are are fewer abortions! Imagine that. This holds true even in a country has legalized prostitution and drug use, and boasts a museum devoted entirely to sex.

Moby

Moby makes a similar point on his blog, implying that it is Christians and political conservatives who are having all the abortions:

the christian right wing in america are INSANE and, fyi, very dangerous, because currently they are running the country.

(as an aside: please, please, please, can we please re-instate the mason-dixon line? please? any sane and progressive southerners will be more than welcome to move north. we'll give you a donkey and 40 acres and it'll all work out swimmingly. and, in the process, we in the north can stop pouring our tax dollars into the 'christian' south, where the abortion and crime rates are considerably higher than they are in the 'godless' north. just fyi).

First, I think Moby would be embarassed by this statement if he would look into the topic a little bit. (But when has research or accurate information ever been required before political liberals dispense radical advice?) What he's missing is that the biggest determiner of who has an abortion in the US is not so much political preference, but race:

According to the Center for Disease Control:

The abortion ratio for black women (503 per 1,000 live births) was 3.0 times the ratio for white women (167 per 1,000 live births). Additionally, the abortion ratio for women of other races (329 per 1,000 live births) was 2.0 times the ratio for white women. The abortion rate for black women (30 per 1,000 women) was 3.1 times the rate for white women (10 per 1,000 women), whereas the abortion rate for women of other races (22 per 1,000 women) was 2.2 times the rate for white women.

Basicly, by saying that the "Christians" who keep having abortions need to locate in the South, and stop receiving federal funds, Moby is unintentionally advocating a form of racial apartheid. Whoops!

(Also, at least in terms of voting, these high-abortion-rate groups tend to vote the same way Moby does. So he's denigrating his own political support base. Whoops again!)

Finally, let's note that Moby's argument is utterly factually wrong as well, as best I can see. Here is data on state abortion rates from the Alan Guttmacher Institute -- basicly the research arm of Planned Parenthood.

Want to guess which states have the highest rates of abortion? Look for yourself: it's Washington DC, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Nevada, and Massachusettes -- hardly the "deep south", most being strongly "liberal" states! (And look for low rates and you'll see Utah, South Dakota, Idaho, Kentucky, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma...) I mean, look for yourself: New Hampshire's rate is 21, and Mississippi's rate is 15!

So, ummm, according to Moby I'm personally INSANE and very, very dangerous. All I can say in my defense is that I at least try to do a little bit of research before telling people how to restructure the country and reverse the outcome of the Civil War.