In his very first act as President of the United States of America, Barack Obama issued a proclamation calling on all Americans to "serve one another and our common purpose."

Proclaiming today a "National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation", Obama writes:

On this Inauguration Day, we are reminded that we are heirs to over two centuries of American democracy, and that this legacy is not simply a birthright — it is a glorious burden. Now it falls to us to come together as a people to carry it forward once more.

Are there ways in which the anti- and pro-choice movements can find places of reconciliaton? If so, where are these places and how can we find them? Clearly, Obama has called for this common ground for months now. The official White House website has a section devoted to women’s issues in which his agenda and positions on a host of women’s health and rights issues are thoughtfully articulated – only one paragraph of which is devoted to safe, legal access to abortion because there is so much more to ensuring women’s well-being and equality in this nation and abroad. But that one paragraph is conciliatory:

Supports a Woman’s Right to Choose: President Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Adminstration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in that case.

Can this common ground be anchored in successful pregnancy prevention methods and comprehensive sexuality education that includes an abstinence message and clear, medically accurate information on contraception, how to navigate one’s budding sexuality and develop healthy relationships with ones’ self and others?