New York's Outrageous Abortion Rate

A recently released study (pdf) from the New York Department of Health revealed that 41% of all pregnancies in New York City are terminated by abortion.

41% of all pregnancies.

In the black community, the number approaches 2/3 of all pregnancies.

Clearly this is a Bad Thing. How bad? It's so bad, that even pro-choice people agree it's bad (H/T: FRCBlog):

A group of clergy, including staunch abortion opponent Archbishop Timothy Dolan, last week cast a spotlight on the phenomenon. Dolan called the abortion count "chilling." One need not agree with his position to find the description apt.

The rate reflects an epidemic of irresponsible sexual behavior that has serious social and economic impacts. ...

When you consider that nationwide, about a quarter of pregnancies end in abortion, it's clear that New York City has too many men and too many women who are engaging in sex without thinking through the consequences.

... there must also be a revolution in personal responsibility. A culture in which sex just happens and pregnancies end as casually as they begin is not healthy.

What I find to be missing from this opinion piece is just why the author believes that so many abortions are such a bad thing.

I know why I think so: abortion is the intentional taking of an innocent human life, and that's always a bad thing. Not only is it cruel and unjust to the child being killed, but it's also harmful and dangerous to the mother, cruel to the father, and serves to generally devalue human life in society at large.

But when pro-choicers start wringing their hands about the abortion rate, one must question their commitment to "choice". If it's just "choice" they're in favor of, why should the result of that choice be alarming?

Unless, of course, not all options to be chosen among are equal.

(Crossposted to Thoughts of a Regular Guy)