Morality and pragmatism in abortion and gay marraige debates

This Times piece sort of states the obvious - that the best way to prevent abortion and keep those from all sides of the political spectrum happy is to prevent unwanted pregnancy - but it's well put, and touches on the same type of pragmatism in gay marriage issues.

Bits I found important/interesting:

"Mr. Obama, like many other pro-choicers, doesn’t like to preach on these issues. He talks about family planning purely in terms of access and affordability. Overseas, that’s a huge challenge. But in this country, the principal cause of abortions isn’t that we can’t get birth control. It’s that we don’t use it...This isn’t a shortage of pills or condoms. It’s a shortage of cultural and personal responsibility. It’s a failure to teach, understand, admit or care that unprotected sex can lead to the creation — and the subsequent killing, through abortion — of a developing human being...Birth control isn’t a sin or an offense against life, as so many girls and Catholic couples have been taught. It’s a loving, conscientious way to prevent the conception of a child you can’t bear to raise and don’t want to abort. It’s an act of responsibility and respect for life."