I view the abortion debate as a spectrum. One pole is 100% pro-life, against abortion and contraception in all circumstances, and the other pole is 100% pro-abortion at any stage, even after birth. Many Americans take the pro-life end of the spectrum. Few Americans publicly defend the pro-abortion pole. Most fall somewhere in the middle. The “mushy middle” is the pro-life activists’ battleground. It’s where we educate, activate, agitate, and create tension over the issue, pushing people to make a decision. The activist’s job is to polarize.

Survivors’ Campus Outreach activists have dozens of conversations with college and high school students weekly. We see every facet of the abortion debate and we have conversations every week with students who defend the pro-abortion pole - students who say that they think infants and toddlers are not persons.

Here are two conversations from this semester:

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, December 3, 2014
Sam: What do you think about this?
Student: I'm pro-choice.
Sam: What choice?
Student: The choice of the intellectual human.
Sam: What would you consider an intellectual human being?
Student: An intellectual human is a 5, 6 or 7 year old. They don't know anything until 5, 6 or 7 years old.
Sam: So you think it's OK to kill 2, 3 and 4 year olds?
Student: Yes, under that criteria, I guess it would be OK.
Sam: So it's OK to kill kids then?
Student: Yes. I have to go.

Golden West College, October 15, 2014
Josh: What do you think about this?
Student: Well it's not very pleasant but people do what they want.  
Josh: Yeah, it isn't pleasant. As a matter of fact, it's pretty horrible. Do you know what an abortion does?
Student: It kills a fetus.
Josh: Can you define “fetus”?
Student: It's a fetus!
Josh: “Fetus” is just Latin for “child” or “offspring.” Is the fetus a human fetus?
Student: Yeah.
Josh: When is it OK to kill a defenseless human life?
Student: Many times.
Josh: Let's say a woman is in a situation where she feels she can't have a kid, or she can't support her child, or whatever the case, can't we give these children up for adoption?
Student: Well, maybe, but abortion is a better option.
Josh: If a woman had a 2-year-old child and she lost her job and couldn't really afford to take care of her kid, can she drown the child in her bathtub?  
Student: Yes, absolutely.
Josh: So you're OK with killing children...?
Student: Yes.

There is no logical way to disprove the humanity of the child before birth. It is only logical for someone who is truly pro-abortion to argue that the child may be a human being, but circumstances warrant killing him anyway.

The fact that we are seeing students take a staunch pro-abortion/anti-life stance indicates that we are close to ending abortion. We are making people choose to be either for or against abortion. Some are going to choose the ugly extreme of abortion and infanticide. Most Americans, however, are not. Most are going to choose to be 100% against abortion in all circumstances. This trend of accepting abortion after birth is not a failure on our part. It is proof that we are winning, that we are eliminating the middle of the spectrum, and it is a cause for hope in this new year in the battle to end abortion.