I’ve become friends with this columnist over in Chicago. There’s a lot that separates us. Emily Heist Moss is liberal, shows up religiously for Pride Parades, and if she got pregnant right now, Emily believes she would probably have an abortion.  But, there’s also a lot that unites us, we are both vocal feminists, writers, we both care about humanizing the debate across the aisle, and let’s not forget our penchant for handicrafts (cross-stitch for Emily, knitting for me).

By our friendship alone we are representing a challenge to today’s “argument culture.”

Emily Heist Moss writes regularly over at RoleReboot. I loved her “Why It’s Not OK to Objectify World Cup Soccer Players (Even Though You Really Want To)” post this year. You can follow her at her blog RosieSays or @emilyheistmoss.

A few weeks ago, Emily got raked over the coals by a conservative journalist (Robert Stacey McCain). While I may line up ideologically with McCain, he flunked civility in his arguments toward Moss. Let’s show Emily and her friends how we talk about sticky, difficult topics at RubySlippers.  A reminder to those who want to comment of our rules for loving discourse.

In this Emerald City, Emily and I go into the most terrifying place for a conservative and liberal to lock horns: abortion.  Lions and Tigers and Bears, indeed.  For example, this two minute clip:

We agreed. This was our most difficult debate, more challenging than gay marriage and the definition of sex. Abortion is one of those “Get-on-the-party-line-or-else” places. You must be for or against the rights of the unborn, for or against the rights for women. And we both felt nervous that we’d fail our people.

Watch the full debate.

If reading on email, click here to watch video.

Judith Jarvis Thompson’s violinist argument

A response to the violinist argument.

More from Emily on abortion “On This 40th Anniversary Of Roe v. Wade, Here’s Why It’s More Important Than Ever“. One of her favorite recent articles on abortion “There’s No Such Thing As a ‘Bad’ Abortion“.

More from RubySlippers on abortion. Here’s where I play the pro-choice feminist opposite Christian apologist Josh Brahm who coached me in several arguments for this debate with Emily (thanks, Josh!). For more see Josh Brahm’s organization Equal Rights Institute: Clear Pro-Life Thinking and his talks on Responding to Bodily Rights Arguments and “I’m Pro Life But . . .“

Emily and I are already talking about an Abortion: Part 2. As you’ll be able to see, we had to rush at the end.

In the comments, I’d like to hear what arguments you wish we had talked about more and what you would have liked to clarify or add.