When you’re asked about your stand on the Reproductive Health Bill what are your options? Usually it’s either “yes,” “no” or “I don’t give a damn anymore because I am sick of this argument” right? I am all for the Reproductive Health Bill but I thought suddenly occurred to me. Suddenly I started asking many different hypothetical questions. Most of these questions involve a “what if” scenario. And I realized that there are more answers to the Reproductive Health Bill than just a simple yes or no. I also realized that most of the opinions of those who are for and against the R.H. Bill were all either black or white. People are either for or against the R.H Bill. And because the arguments are all in black or white, the argument has come to a stalemate and has gone nowhere ever since. Have you noticed that people rant a lot about the issue but it’s still where it is years ago? The problem comes from the viewpoints of both factions. Those who are for the R.H. Bill are usually blinded by their annoyance with the church for, once again, interfering with politics and hindering a possible remedy for poverty. (Technically, I don’t blame them). The beliefs of those who are against the R.H. Bill on the other hand come from their faith in their religion and in the act of preserving life. I came across and article in “The Guidon”, a publication in Ateneo de Manila University.
A critical study of the RH Bill and other sensitive issues is best done when ideas from both sides are exchanged in debate. The RH Bill cannot be seen in mere black and white; when this happens, people form stands either for or against the RH Bill that are not supported by the foundation of a thorough understanding of the issue. In addition, it is important to strike the right balance between the simplification of the issue and the emphasis on the gray areas—both the bill’s very essence and its nitty-gritty must be taken into consideration.
Is it better to keep abortion safe, legal and managed or is it better to risk the lives of several women who go to illegal abortion clinics and die because of medical malpractice? What about pregnancies that are result of rapes and assaults? Do you disregard the life of the woman by acknowledging the life of the rape baby? Yes, maybe life is valuable but is it still valuable when a person is brought into this world hungry and miserable? In the end you can’t really paint a black or white issue in this situation. The problem is both parties are either too stubborn or too stupid to look at both sides of the argument. Why only ask yes or no questions when you can be asking “what if” questions? If you actually think about it, there is a middle ground in this argument if only people stop and look at both sides of the coin.
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