"Don't like slavery? Don't own one"

Kevin DeYoung perceives a great similarity between the 19th century debate over slavery and the contemporary one over abortion in today's post, "Lincoln's Legacy and the Unborn":

Lincoln understood what many politicians hope we will miss, that "declared indifference" is often "covert real zeal." "Don't like slavery? Then don't own one" is not a nice morally neutral position. Such bumper sticker logic gives implicit approval to the appropriateness of slavery and the legitimacy of those who seek its expansion. Popular sovereignty is a beautiful philosophy, but only when we are acting as sovereigns over ourselves. "When the white man governs himself," argued Lincoln, "that is self-government; but when he governs himself and also governs another man...that is despotism."

The connections with the pro-slavery argument and the pro-abortion argument should be obvious. Both argue for choice. Both, at least in their more civilized forms, pretend moral neutrality. And both rely for their inner logic on strikingly similar propositions: blacks are not human persons with unalienable rights; and neither are the unborn. .... [more]

The President [a professed Lincoln admirer] took office promising to find "common ground" on the abortion issue. Given his background and record, it always seemed unlikely that he would seriously try to do so, and thus far—apart from rhetoric—he has not. Echoing Cardinal George's disappointment, Frank Page, past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Obama supporter, and member of the President's Faith Council, hasn't lost hope — yet:

I've been disappointed that instead of looking for what he has often said, he's looking for some middle ground, some common ground I don't think he has really sought that.

I have not been surprised by anything our President has done but I have been surprised at the rapidity with which he has done what he has done, removal of what few protections there are for example regarding innocent unborn babies. This has happened quickly.

By and large I have not been very encouraged by our President's first 100 days in regards to pro-life issues, in regards to sensitivity to the Evangelical community. ....

"I would say that I am cautiously optimistic because indeed it's been a short time at this point. There is hope that yet there may be some policies enacted that might indeed reduce the number of abortions and that might indeed help responsible fatherhood in our nation, etcetera. So I do have hope. I have not lost all hope yet though it's difficult to sit back and see policy after policy changed, executive order made or removed that affects the life of the unborn." [more]

DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed: Lincoln's Legacy and the Unborn, Dr. Frank Page "Disappointed" in Obama's First 100 Days - The Brody File: David Brody Blog - CBN News