In writing this most controversial column, I do so out of great concern for the firestorm in which many I suppose will lash out through angry emails. I am not writing this one particular column out of judgment but how I feel personally concerning the issue of abortion. For all of my adult life, I have been pro-choice when it comes to this issue, but these past few days, I have had an awakening of sorts and have switched my beliefs. I am now pro-life.
I think this new way of thinking is consistent in how I have spoken out against the war through column after column in which I only scream for the killings to stop. I have always been against capital punishment. So, in those two instances, my previous belief system was not consistent when it came to being pro-life. I asked myself; how can I defend other’s right to life but not innocent babies?
For quite sometime, CNN has been airing a commercial in which a health care provider asks of herself, how she can hold steadfast to her belief of being pro-choice when through the advance of medical science some premature babies can undergo surgeries to save their lives and where others are aborted. I can personally identify with that one.
On February 2, 1989, I gave birth to twins. One was deformed who I never saw but named Scott and Sean who lived for three days. I gave birth to these twins prematurely since I was not feeling the viable twin, Sean move. I noticed in his brief life, how the doctors and nurses tried with all their might to keep him alive, but to no avail he died. Sean was of the same gestational age as some third trimester babies who are aborted each day. So, while we mourned both of them and buried them in the same casket, other babies who through no fault of their own are aborted and discarded.
Through the gift of adoption, a family member came into our lives nineteen years ago. I have often prayed for her birth parents for giving us this precious gift and at her sweet sixteen party, she invited them to be a part of it. I often wonder had her birth mother decided not to give birth to her, we would never have come to know her. In fact, I do pray for her on a daily basis thanking her for her decision to allow this wonderful young woman to be a part of our lives.
In previous pieces in which I have spoken out against the war in Iraq and Israel’s pummeling of Lebanon, embedded within those pieces are the horrors in which the most innocent have been killed namely Iraqi and Lebanese children. In this feed called The Truth about Abortion, I just do not see the difference. I have watched similar feeds and have broken down sobbing for these children.
I even decided to watch the entire 27 minute presentation called The Silent Scream in which one can see through a sector scan a child trying to get away from the suctioning catheter. His/her movements were so violent trying to get away from it. That suctioning catheter tears apart a child piece by piece. The only part that is not able to be suctioned out is the head which an abortionist takes a polyp forceps and crushes the head of the child. He/she then removes the remnants of the head piece-meal.
Now here is where I will become judgmental. Those that are pro-life and have supported this war in Iraq which have killed innocent people especially babies are not consistent with preserving life. Many will approve spending billions upon billions for these unending wars, yet they are not activists in speaking out for health care for all so that babies saved from abortions can have quality of life after being born. That is inconsistent thinking. You cannot be an advocate for a child unless you demand they get health care after they are born.
Many will support abstinence only programs and quite frankly these programs do little to prevent unwanted pregnancies. What they should be doing is getting behind the rest of us who do believe in birth control. If you have a daughter who has just started her menstrual cycle, teach her how to put a condom on and demand that anyone she does have sex with wears one. If you have a son upon reaching puberty, he should be taught to respect women and if he chooses to have sex, he too must be taught how to put a condom on and carry them with him at all times. It all boils down to, no condom, no sex.
For those who are pro-choice ask yourselves; what choice did an aborted baby have? I have seen some emails sent all over calling for a moratorium on capital punishment in which some will try to save the life of a murderer. In fact, an email came into my email box as I was writing this column in which Amnesty International is calling for all to save the life of Troy Davis. Where are their voices when it comes to aborted babies?
Some will even scream out against gun violence, and yet many more lives are taken by abortion. On the day that Seung-Hui Cho took the lives of 33 innocents at Virginia Tech, thousands more were taken by abortion on that day. As those victims at Virginia Tech screamed out in horror, victims of abortion scream out in silence.
If you find yourself or someone you love faced with an unwanted pregnancy there are alternatives instead of facing an abortion. One such group is called, Birthright International. As you will see in going to their web site, they offer a range of support systems so those in distress can see the light at the end of the tunnel. They are not the only group that delivers alternatives to abortion.
There have been many cases of people selling babies over the Internet preying on those who cannot bear children on their own. Perhaps if we were to help women in crisis see the merits of adoption over abortion, these couples would not find themselves falling for many of these schemes.
One must be asking how I feel concerning militant anti-abortion groups such as Operation Rescue and as of right now, I cannot answer that since I came to this awakening a few days ago. I would say that they are as passionate as those who protest the war in Iraq. Both groups of people do want to save lives.
In that feed embedded within this piece called the “Truth about Abortion”, they clearly state that this issue is a serious one and in doing research of both my conscience and this issue, I could not believe how some see it as being humorous.
Last night, I sent this notice out to many, “I came upon two feeds titled Extreme Abortions and Home Abortion Kitt. Words cannot adequately describe the anger along with the bile rising in me as I viewed these. What have we as a nation become when joking about the deaths of babies can be joked about? Over these past few days, I have been watching the most horrific feeds concerning abortions and the babies that have been killed and those who make these sick videos should be made to watch them with their eyes taped open.” I have often said that of those who mock the taking of lives over in Iraq they should have to view feeds and pictures in which one will clearly see man’s inhumanity to man or in many instances innocent Iraqi babies.
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