There’s Gotta Be a Better Way to Say That

Sometimes you see a sign and know exactly what it means. Sometimes you see a sign and are left guessing. And sometimes you see a sign and know exactly what it means, knowing also that the makers of the sign mean something completely different.

A Pro-Choice Message

For me, the natural way to read this sign is to read the obvious topic, “Abortion,” and then the text in black. “Abortion stops a beating.” A heart is included to make the sign endearing. Or to state that the message is one of love. It could very well be a sign stating the Donahue-Levitt hypothesis, popularized in the 2005 book Freakonomics. This hypothesis states that legalized abortion in the United States in the mid-70’s was a main, causal factor in bringing down crime rates in the early and mid-90’s.

I don’t mean to claim that the Donahue-Levitt hypothesis is an endorsement of abortion, or even a pro-choice agenda. The authors state as much in their 2001 paper.

But it’s not out of the question to use the evidence their work presents as an argument in support of pro-choice policies. When abortion was declared to be a decision made by a pregnant woman and her doctor, in other words, lower crime rates followed. This held true both in the United States and abroad. And lower crime rates are probably about as close to a universal goal as any in politics.

In this way, the sign is commenting on the fewer beatings nationwide that occurred as part of a drop in crime (including violent crime).

But it could also refer to other types of violent encounters that can result from unwanted pregnancies. For example, when a man beats a woman for her audacity to get pregnant. If a woman finds herself in such a terrifying relationship, it’s not hard to understand why she may choose to undergo an abortion rather than face such violence. It is an impossible choice that any man would be hard-pressed to understand fully.

Whichever way you look at it, though, it seems that when women get to make decisions about their own bodies, the results are usually better for everyone.

A Pro-Life Message

But context argues for a contrary reading of this particular road sign. It sits outside St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ellis, Kansas.

The male-run Catholic Church makes their position on abortion clear. It is a grave evil (except in cases where Double Effect applies). Even in cases of rape or incest, the Church’s stance is that abortion is a far inferior option (although forgiveness may still be possible).

This specific Catholic Church, St. Mary’s of Ellis, includes on their website a link to Ave Maria Mutual Funds, a Catholic mutual fund that allows people to invest in portfolios that represent their Catholic values. A January 2017 Ave Maria Mutual Funds article by Elizabeth Graham makes a very clear Pro-Life argument. She celebrates the election of Pro-Life Donald Trump and calls for the defunding of Planned Parenthood and other organizations that provide abortion options to women.

With this information in mind, one can read the message on the sign as the creators intended.

“Abortion stops a beating heart.”

While the ambiguity in this sign is impressive, it does not appear to be intended. Regardless of your political opinions about women’s rights in general or access to abortion in particular, I think we can all agree that some clarity of message wouldn’t hurt anyone one bit.