One of the key reasons that protection to the unborn has not yet been restored in law, and that public officials are not making the case persuasively to their colleagues that protection has to be restored to the unborn, is that the problem continues to be presented as a matter of viewpoints rather than victims.
Whether they are pro-life or not, too many elected officials talk about their "views" on abortion or their "beliefs" about life. That's all well and good, and we hope they have the right views and beliefs. But none of that solves the problem.
The problem is not one of beliefs, but of bloodshed. It's not one of viewpoints, but of victims. There are victims being killed by the thousands each day, and not a finger is being lifted to stop the bloodshed, because we're too busy expressing (or arguing about) our viewpoints and beliefs. The whole topic has become too abstract.
If the abortion war in America were just about different beliefs and viewpoints, then the role of the public official would be simply to defend each person's right to hold and express his or her beliefs, and to keep peace in the process. Those who were more courageous might go a step further and, as public officials, express their own belief that life is sacred.
But if the abortion war is about victims being killed each day, then the role of the public official is to protect the victim. This is what law is meant to accomplish. We work to protect the victims of child abuse, of crime in the streets, and of terrorist attacks. In these contexts, we're not simply asking people to adopt particular viewpoints or beliefs. Rather, we're exercising the responsibility to protect the victims despite the beliefs of those who think they should be killed.
Several practical steps have to be taken to refocus the discussion about abortion, both on the national and personal levels.