Book Review: Tearing us apart: How abortion harms everything and solves nothing
With the recent decision by the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the issue of abortion has found itself front and center once again in news coverage and political conversations. Despite the extensive coverage, much of the reality of what abortion is medically and what Dobbs and Roe entail legally has been missing from the media’s attempt at analysis. Turn on any news channel and you will see the discussion has devolved into talking points and spin from pro-abortionists who find themselves scrambling to justify the heinous procedure.
Fortunately, for people wishing to learn more about the topic of abortion and its detrimental effects on society and women, there is Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Everything and Solves Nothing. The book, written by scholars Ryan T. Anderson and Alexandra DeSanctis, is a thorough examination of the nearly 50 past years of legalized abortion and the effects it has had on women, men, children, and our culture at large. As the authors put it, legalized abortion has resulted in “decades of broken hearts and broken homes, dissolution, destruction, and despair.”
While some in the pro-life movement will be familiar with the research cited in the book, there are likely to be casual observers that will be spurred to learn more as the abortion issue remains headline news. For those individuals, the breadth and depth of Tearing Us Apart will serve as a welcome and enlightening resource.
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Anderson and DeSanctis take their subtitle “how abortion harms everything” seriously and break down abortion’s harmful effects into several detailed categories. These categories cover the gamut, from national poverty rates to women’s physical and mental health, to even the democratic process as a whole. Although the authors go in-depth on a variety of technical topics, the information they present remains accessible to the layman or woman throughout. Anderson and DeSanctis take great care to avoid overly wonky or scientific explanations, so even readers without extensive medical or legal backgrounds can appreciate the research being discussed.
In addition to providing this information, the authors also take considerable time to examine various arguments in favor of abortion and analyze why these arguments have failed to hold water over time. Most notable, and one of the pro-aborts’ favorites, is the argument that abortion is something women need in order to be successful in life. Those in favor of abortion on demand have long argued that women need to terminate pregnancy whenever they wanted to in order to be successful in their careers, academia, or life in general. Over time, it has been shown that this is not the case. The authors cite a study by Wharton School researchers that, since the 1970s, women’s “subjective happiness and well-being has declined both absolutely and relative to men” and go into extensive detail as to why this is the case. After all, what progress can be had if women are getting sadder?
Despite the best efforts of abortion advocates, the truth is most people still get excited when a baby is on the way. Social media today is rife with videos of “gender reveal parties” where couples cut pieces of cake or pop balloons to see if their unborn child is a boy or girl. These videos amass millions of views and likes. Anytime a celebrity announces she is pregnant, she gets a glowing magazine cover with the latest details about how she is designing the nursery and picking out couture baby clothes. These happy pop-culture images don’t jibe with the abortion-on-demand mantra of hardcore pro-abortion advocates, which is perhaps why the left has been forced to change the conversation. After Dobbs, they didn’t even want to discuss abortion. The talking point became “ectopic pregnancies,” as if the left couldn’t confront the reality of the subject.
Some people will never believe that life begins at conception, or they will maintain a stance in the middle. “Public opinion does not determine truth” as Anderson and DeSanctis adroitly point out. Seeing the long-term negative effects laid bare is thought-provoking and anyone with an open mind will find this book a must-have resource.
Charles A. “Chuck” Donovan is president of Charlotte Lozier Institute.
