(AP/Mike Hutmacher, Wichita Eagle)
Since I am pro-life from cradle to grave, and with progressive leanings, I decided to take on the pro-life movement in this piece. First, I would ask those who oppose abortion if they support capital punishment. I would also like to know how they feel of the Iraq War; a war of lies that took the lives of countless and innocent Iraqi citizens; including babies. If you oppose abortion while supporting the latter, you cannot be pro-life. In my opinion, you are selective pro-life where one group of human beings are valued over others.
The man who took the life of George Tiller; Scott Roeder as frustrated as he was with Tiller in performing late-term abortions, he crossed the line. He took a human life and that is not being a pro-life advocate. As much as he and others thought of Tiller as a murderer, once any pro-life activist takes the life of another, they too become a murderer. There is no un-ringing that bell.
I do hope the same fate awaits Roeder if a jury convicts him since it will send a message to these pro-life activists. The message being, one does not take the law into their own hands to try and prove a point. While Roeder and others vehemently disagreed with Tiller, they forgot the innocents meaning Tiller's wife and daughters.
Even though I am pro-life, I am still a believer in the rule of law which means that women do have the right to make this personal decision. Yes, even I realize that I have no right to control the actions of others even if I disagree with them. To me, that is the American way of handing disagreements. My approach would be towards any woman who finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy to think of adoption. That is all that I can do, but the choice is up to her given the law.
Never would I even consider becoming part of any radical pro-life group if they intend to target abortion clinics by bombing them or targeting any doctor for assassination. To do so, I would not be pro-life. I am one who believes the pen is mightier than the sword.
Another point of contention I wish to bring up to these pro-life activists and politicians who believe in their cause, is our health care system or lack of it: do we presently have a health care system to support the babies you wish to bring into the world? Absolutely not! Our health care system is in shambles with 47 million people presently uninsured. How many of them are pregnant? During this economic crisis, millions upon millions have found themselves without jobs, millions have lost their homes as well as health insurance. Again, how many of these millions were pregnant when disaster struck?
While the pro-choice movement reminds us all of back-alley abortions should Roe V. Wade be overturned, now let me remind the pro-life advocates of something that has occurred in this country; women who are homeless giving birth to babies. It has already happened as one reads this article dating back to 2006. As you will read, this homeless woman, "gave birth, cut her own umbilical cord and passed out." For a former president, namely George W. Bush who once stated, "Leave no child behind", in this case, he did.
In reading this March 25th, 2009 article, Is There a Doctor in the House?, you will clearly read: "Fresno and Madera counties have cut mobile immunization clinics for children and teen pregnancy prevention services." Why isn't the pro-life movement and politicians who believe in their cause doing everything humanly possible to help these children and teens? You do not like abortion, then it is up to you to get with the program to prevent unwanted pregnancies instead of heralding anyone who would end the life of one who performs them.
To further the health care debate as it relates to this issue: Christina Romer wrote an explosive op-ed piece: "Health care reform is an economic necessity", in it she opines, "Without health care reform, American workers and families will continue to experience eroding health care benefits and stagnating wages caused by the pressure of escalating health insurance premiums." Where exactly is any support system for women who find themselves pregnant? What happens to those babies after they are born? Babies need constant medical attention such as being vaccinated against mumps, measles, rubella, chicken pox and they can be expensive. Trust me as a mom when I have seen how much these inoculations cost.
Romer goes onto state: "about 46 million Americans lack health insurance coverage today, and this number is predicted to rise to 72 million over the next three decades." Now let me ask the pro-life movement: Will we as a country see an escalation of abortions when we are hit with such an astounding number? We are a country of roughly 300 million people and to think that 72 million of us will not be insured. It is a sobering number.
I would get into capital punishment and the war in Iraq, but I think you get my point. If you are part of the pro-life movement, you must be from cradle-to-grave. Instead of heralding a man who took the life of another, become part of the solution to get women the prenatal care they rightly deserve and to make sure that babies born to even the most impoverished of us all have health care. To do none of that, you are still part of the problem.
One more point, I would bring up is you want to lessen the rates of teen pregnancy, then it means sex education within our schools. We must arm our children with the facts of how to use contraceptive methods. I am pro-life and I taught my children. Are you teaching yours or burying your heads in the sand praying it does not happen?
Author's email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net
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