Eighth debate could follow example of marriage referendum
A recent opinion poll revealed a large proportion of the voting population, roughly 20pc, is still undecided on the upcoming referendum on repealing the Eighth Amendment.
A number of articles have attributed this to uneasiness over the legislation proposed to replace the amendment should it be removed.
The issue of abortion is not an easy one to discuss, but what’s important is that we are discussing it.
The great success of the Marriage Equality referendum in 2015 was that there was a national debate which changed people’s minds about how we define marriage and civil rights in Ireland today.
The proposal to legalise abortion up to 12 weeks is about choice. It’s about a specific set of circumstances that you or your loved one may find yourselves in that does not fit squarely into the tick-boxes on a survey, a set of circumstances that morally, emotionally and realistically can never and should never be decided for you by someone else.
Many voters will agree with the provision of abortion in some cases and not in others. And while I know it is a difficult thing to do, I believe we should try to put that way of thinking aside.
The provision of a service does not compromise your beliefs or your behaviour, but its restriction can greatly impact others.
If you’re uncomfortable about the issue of abortion, that’s OK. What the marriage referendum taught us is that empathy can be more powerful than moral codes and norms.
Citizenship sometimes means thinking outside of what we would normally do and putting our trust in each other.
It’s not always easy but let’s talk about it. Lola Boorman Monkstown, Dublin