Sen. Michael Lee: Let’s find common ground on abortion

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that there was no longer a constitutional right to abortion, it sent any policy decisions on the issue back to where they always should have been — with the people. 

In his opinion, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that abortion “presents a profound moral issue on which Americans hold sharply conflicting views.” 

Justice Alito wrote of two extremes: those who favor a total ban on abortion and those who oppose any restrictions, from conception through the 40th week of pregnancy. But he also wrote about a third group: “Still others in a third group think that abortion should be allowed under some but not all circumstances, and those within this group hold a variety of views about the particular restrictions that should be imposed.” 

As your state senator, it’s important you know where I stand on the issues and why. 

Personally, I fall into the third group. 

What does that mean? It means I am against bans in the first trimester but believe second- and third-trimester abortions – when the baby can feel pain, has a beating heart, ten fingers, and ten toes – are abhorrent and should be restricted. It also means I support exceptions for rape, incest, and to save the mother’s life – as do the majority of Americans. 

My experiences as a husband, father, Christian, and conservative shaped my views on this issue. 

My father is from Taiwan and my mother is from New York. I grew up the youngest of four children in rural North Carolina and went on to start my own business in Wilmington. 

My wife, Heidi, and I are the parents of four children between the ages of 15 and 22. 

Heidi and I witnessed many of our friends experience miscarriages. It devastated them when the pregnancies were not successful. We mourned the loss of their unborn child with them. When Heidi was pregnant with our children, we feared it could happen to us and we grew to cherish life even more as a result.

Because of those experiences, I believe life begins at conception. 

Advocates tend to discuss only one life when arguing their position – either the mother or the unborn child – but it involves two lives, and both must be respected. 

Pro-abortion advocates have shifted from “safe, legal, and rare”  to abortion on demand. For some members of the General Assembly, any restriction on abortion is “extreme.” 

On an issue with such profound moral implications, I think it is courageous to speak publicly about your position even if others disagree. As Justice Alito wrote, those that do not exist within the extremes hold a “variety of views” on how best to protect life. 

We must find common ground on this issue. 

Since the Dobbs decision, a clear consensus is emerging in America. It can be found between the extremes while respecting the sanctity of life and allowing for common-sense restrictions and exemptions. 

Sen. Michael V. Lee represents New Hanover County in the North Carolina Senate.