Even more horrified
I just read on someones journal that they declare themselves as vehemently "pro-life and pro-bush". Now, I know that here she meant pro-life in an ant-abortionist way (she lives in Alabama and goes to a Christian College), but I don't know if I've ever seen such an extended oxy-moron
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Women and men have argued that abortions should remain safe and legal in all 50 states, and there have been moves to ensure that these women/girls have their privacy protected. If this is taken away from them, this is not going to stop them from having sex, or going to parties where they MAY get raped, or whatever else a free citizenry has the right to do in their own free time which may result in an unplanned pregnancy. They are going to still consider abortion an option, even if it means going to Mexico to get a (potentially deadly)abortion. There has been a precedent of this happening in the past. The women who endured this had to make very difficult choices. More to the point, these very scared females only turn to abortion as a last result.
I know of a family friend whose mother had her in 1939, and then got pregnant three years later. The father swore he would leave her if she brought the child to term. [He had not taken the resonsibility to use a condom] This dear shy sweet innocent woman who knew very little Spanish went to Mexico in the middle of the Second World War to get an abortion performed on her. This was her only way to save her marriage, which she valued even more than having another child. The result was that she got a terrible infection which left her weak and sickly for the remainder of her life. If abortion had been legal in California in 1942, she would likely have lived a fairly normal life, perhaps strong enough to leave her insensitive husband. But she became very dependent upon him, and died a very frail woman. This is just one of many examples of where making political decisions in the court about a woman's life is wrong.
I had to walk the walk of shame to Planned Parenthood at the age of 19. My boyfriend's condom fell off when we finished making love [and I did love him]. My period was exceptionally late- by a whole month. I got tested, and it was a false positive. Either that, or God listened to my prayers, and I miscarried naturally two days before getting a second pregnancy test. I shudder to think about what COULD have happened otherwise. I was not equipped to be a mother at that time, and had gone to proper lengths to see that I would not get pregnant. Would it have been fair to that child to force me to bring it to life unwillingly, and not be able to provide it with a loving stable home with a support system around me? Would it have been just for me to pay the price for an accident and not be able to go to University, or teach school, or touch the many lives I have touched in my work with older people? This is the social aspect to these decisions which are just as important as the health considerations.
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An unloved child is a terrible thing, and they can go on to do terrible things themselves. Some psychologists have traced anti-social behaviour etc back to a feeling of not being valued. Look at the social and economic costs of too many children - and this is now, with abortion widely available. I understand that having a baby that you adore could change your feelings about abortion, but imagine for a second, this child that you love so much and all that she could be, being wasted, ruined, spoiled. Physically abusive families, long term psychological scarring. In my opinion, some things are worse than death. This doesn’t mean that I don’t value babies. On the contrary, I think they are one of the most wonderful things in the world! All that potential, all that growing to do. They’re precious things, and often taken too lightly.
If a woman falls pregnant and doesn’t want the baby, for any reason, I think she should have the option of a safe abortion, without prejudice. The earlier the better. Falls pregnant - sounds like a painful accident to be avoided. I will not fall pregnant. When the time is right, if all goes to plan, I will become pregnant. The wording that people use can be so significant: trying for a baby. That’s how I’d like it to be, something to achieve. A prize.
It makes me feel a little ill sometimes to hear people talk about how no, they’re not ready for marriage, and gosh isn’t it a responsibility, but oops, I’ve accidentally had two children. Marriages can end, children really are until death do you part. Even if the unwanted child is adopted, chances are they’ll know that fact and have to live with the knowledge that someone didn’t want them. That’s a hell of a burden. For the mother too, there’d always be the possibility of a knock at the door and the appearance of a face with your own features. I couldn’t live with that. Personally, I have had to deal with the fact that my biological father doesn’t want, and doesn’t love me. Just the fact that that’s present tense indicates that it still gets to me, sometimes more than others. I can’t imagine having two parents who didn’t want me. But in my case, one loving parent has been enough. I was her choice, and I will always be grateful that I was wanted.
If I found out tomorrow that I was expecting a baby, I’d be straight down to a clinic. I’m not ready to have to switch the priority from me to someone else yet. Of course, I’d have the added moral weight that I was terminating the Messiah, but at least the Gospel would be brief…
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