It is undeniable that Ireland is a nation in desperate need of a change when it comes to its stance on the legality of abortion. From the Magdalene Laundries right up to the failure to provide proper care for people such as Savita Halappanavar and the latest shocking discovery at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home, the country has a shameful history when it comes to protecting the rights and health of its citizens. The eighth amendment to the constitution in its current state is one of the remaining remnants of this track record. Recently, the campaign to repeal the eighth amendment has made huge strides both in online spheres and out on the street in raising awareness and support for this issue. However, recently there has been a shift in focus – particularly online – as to why this part of our constitution should be repealed. This shift, in my view, is a departure from the real roots of the campaign.
Walking around Dublin it is clear that the campaign has taken up the baton from the marriage equality referendum as the the next big social issue in this country, especially among young people. The positives of this are obvious. Firstly, it is more acceptable than ever to talk about abortion, which was previously very much a taboo topic, and secondly, awareness towards the issue is also at an all-time high.
Although the message is out there, it is very specific and seems to have shifted from “everybody should have a choice in regards to their own reproductive and mental health” to “legalise abortion or else”
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The campaign has reached such heights that it has now become a brand and something that is often seen as cool. There are Facebook groups, club nights, badges and artwork that promote the campaign’s cause and the black and white “repeal” jumpers that have become extremely popular. This, in my view, has reached a saturation point. Although the message is out there, it is very specific and seems to have shifted from “everybody should have a choice in regards to their own reproductive and mental health” to “legalise abortion or else”.
Generally speaking, this message only resonates with those who already support the campaign. This, however, is not the group that needs convincing on which way to vote. Their minds are already made up. The unwavering opinion that the eighth amendment needs to be repealed now, without question, is having the effect of polarising those who are undecided or veering toward a pro-choice stance. This harsh and demanding narrative has come from banners, pictures, tweets and posts which contain slogans such as “Repeal the Eighth, No Debate” or “abortion on demand without apology”. This is even more present on social media. But very little of this has leant itself to a proper discussion on the issue.
Last week’s Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll makes for some worrying reading for those who support repealing the eighth amendment. It shows that a plurality of those polled support reforming the eighth amendment to allow greater access to abortion over fully taking it out of the constitution. Indeed, only 28 per cent responded saying that they want the eighth amendment repealed, allowing the Dáil to decide the legal framework for abortion. This is the strongest indictment of the campaign advocating for a full repeal of the eighth amendment to date. For well over a year, there has been an active campaign calling for the eighth amendment to be withdrawn from Bunreacht na hÉireann. This poll shows, however, that its message is failing to resonate with the wider Irish electorate.
In order to convince those who are undecided which way to vote in a referendum, proper discussion has to be had. For example, health risks are central to this debate. The recent case of Amanda Mellet, who was forced to either bring an unviable foetus to term or go abroad for an abortion, highlights the problems with our current legislation. The foetus was not going to survive either way, so why should she have to go through the mental and physical struggle of either of these situations? She shouldn’t have to. In fact, the UN decision on this case was that the treatment she received was inhumane and discriminatory. These are the sort of stories the campaign should be disseminating, rather than exclaiming “Repeal the Eighth, No Debate”, which only serves to alienate potential supporters.
Only 28 per cent responded saying that they want the eighth amendment repealed, allowing the Dáil to decide the legal framework for abortion
Indeed, the “pro-life” campaign is no better in this regard. It often ignores these points of the risks to a woman’s health and regularly refers to abortion as “murder” or “loss of life”. However, their presence on social media is not nearly as strong as that of the repeal campaign which has a near monopoly on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter when it comes to abortion. If the culture of refusing to consider that the pro-life side may have interesting or even valid points continues – or even just abusing people who don’t support repeal – discussion is going to come to a complete halt. Without a dialogue between both sides, a resolution is much more difficult to foresee.
In order for this campaign to be successful, people need to start talking and stop blatantly shouting down any post, picture or interview that is not strongly in support of repealing the eighth amendment. The campaign now has a real opportunity to stand out and appeal to a much broader section of society than it currently does. The point of being “pro-choice” is that everyone has a choice and an opinion.
