OH, THE CONTROVERSY OF IT ALL...
I wrote this as a response to True American (TA) at www.republicanpower.blogspot.com and thought I might as well put it here too. TA posted about how he had attended a pro-life rally at an abortion clinic. I tend to steer away from this topic, but felt like I had to say some things:
TA,
I think “thou shalt not kill” should apply to more situations than just whether or not to abort a fetus. I believe it also applies to the killing of innocent Iraqi civilians, for example. I also don’t believe in the death penalty; if we believe God is indeed the one to make final judgments, why do we insist on playing God… by killing?
Pro-life agitators need to be able to walk the talk by helping to support the unwanted babies that aren't aborted. Programs the pro-lifers despise, like welfare programs or Medicaid, can help unwanted babies born into poverty or bad situations find their way up through the world. I for one don’t mind my tax money going to help those kids, because I think helping them will only make our nation stronger. I also believe pro-lifers should be willing and ready to adopt as many unwanted babies as they can. If you have adopted some of these babies, my hat is off to you. I know of an avid Republican blogger whose family has provided a home for numerous unwanted children. I know a couple of pro-CHOICE families here in my town who have adopted kids. To them and others like them, I say “Bravo”!
I don’t like abortion either, TA. I don’t know of anybody who does “like” it. There is a certain circumstance where I think it should be allowed, though: If your wife were going to die in childbirth, would you let her die in order to save the fetus? That’s an awful question, but I know what I would do. I would save my spouse. She had a very difficult time during the delivery of our first child, and it nearly got to the point of crisis. I’m afraid that if pro-lifers have their way, there will be a dramatic increase in the number of deaths of pregnant women. If you had a teenage daughter who became pregnant, I would bet that you would encourage her to have the baby, you would assure she had good health care during pregnancy, and then you would help her raise the child. You know what? I’m a Democrat, I have two teenage daughters, and that’s exactly what I would do.
There are many Democrats who don’t like abortion. There are many of us who could take or leave it. There are many who would find abortion distasteful but who believe it should be the choice of the woman, not the government, as to what happens to the fetus they are carrying. I don’t think you will find any Democrats who “like” abortion, though.
Abortion is a fact of life in the US, that is, it’s legal. I could tell you to “just get over it” the way many Republicans tell Democrats to “just get over” the fact that Bush is still in the White House, but I won’t say that to you. You are doing what you think is right in order to end the practice of abortions in the US, just as many of us Democrats are doing what we think is right to get the Republicans out of the White House. Both of us do what we think we need to do to increase the quality of life in the country we love.
I only ask you to consider which political party is more likely to help a fetus both before AND after it is born. I think that has to be the Democratic party, which wants to help look after these kids while they are still in utero (i.e. making good health care available to all Americans, including pregnant women who are without health coverage) and once the babies are born into the world (programs like WIC, Early Start… they work!) Why not help make sure the babies are born healthy, and then once they’re here, why not give them some help if they’re born into bad situations or into abject poverty? Why not take a look at the big picture?
Just working to make sure babies aren't aborted isn't enough. That seems to be the Bush focus: just make sure the babies are born. Why not work to make sure that once they're born, their lives aren't a hell on earth?
TA,
I think “thou shalt not kill” should apply to more situations than just whether or not to abort a fetus. I believe it also applies to the killing of innocent Iraqi civilians, for example. I also don’t believe in the death penalty; if we believe God is indeed the one to make final judgments, why do we insist on playing God… by killing?
Pro-life agitators need to be able to walk the talk by helping to support the unwanted babies that aren't aborted. Programs the pro-lifers despise, like welfare programs or Medicaid, can help unwanted babies born into poverty or bad situations find their way up through the world. I for one don’t mind my tax money going to help those kids, because I think helping them will only make our nation stronger. I also believe pro-lifers should be willing and ready to adopt as many unwanted babies as they can. If you have adopted some of these babies, my hat is off to you. I know of an avid Republican blogger whose family has provided a home for numerous unwanted children. I know a couple of pro-CHOICE families here in my town who have adopted kids. To them and others like them, I say “Bravo”!
I don’t like abortion either, TA. I don’t know of anybody who does “like” it. There is a certain circumstance where I think it should be allowed, though: If your wife were going to die in childbirth, would you let her die in order to save the fetus? That’s an awful question, but I know what I would do. I would save my spouse. She had a very difficult time during the delivery of our first child, and it nearly got to the point of crisis. I’m afraid that if pro-lifers have their way, there will be a dramatic increase in the number of deaths of pregnant women. If you had a teenage daughter who became pregnant, I would bet that you would encourage her to have the baby, you would assure she had good health care during pregnancy, and then you would help her raise the child. You know what? I’m a Democrat, I have two teenage daughters, and that’s exactly what I would do.
There are many Democrats who don’t like abortion. There are many of us who could take or leave it. There are many who would find abortion distasteful but who believe it should be the choice of the woman, not the government, as to what happens to the fetus they are carrying. I don’t think you will find any Democrats who “like” abortion, though.
Abortion is a fact of life in the US, that is, it’s legal. I could tell you to “just get over it” the way many Republicans tell Democrats to “just get over” the fact that Bush is still in the White House, but I won’t say that to you. You are doing what you think is right in order to end the practice of abortions in the US, just as many of us Democrats are doing what we think is right to get the Republicans out of the White House. Both of us do what we think we need to do to increase the quality of life in the country we love.
I only ask you to consider which political party is more likely to help a fetus both before AND after it is born. I think that has to be the Democratic party, which wants to help look after these kids while they are still in utero (i.e. making good health care available to all Americans, including pregnant women who are without health coverage) and once the babies are born into the world (programs like WIC, Early Start… they work!) Why not help make sure the babies are born healthy, and then once they’re here, why not give them some help if they’re born into bad situations or into abject poverty? Why not take a look at the big picture?
Just working to make sure babies aren't aborted isn't enough. That seems to be the Bush focus: just make sure the babies are born. Why not work to make sure that once they're born, their lives aren't a hell on earth?
7 Comments:
I think abortion rights are a lot like womens' right to vote. A lot of people take it for granted because they weren't around when it was unavailable.
One thing I really wish the Dems had brought up in this last election was that even if you make abortion illegal there will still be abortions. The rich will make their special arrangements either here or in another country and the poor will take whatever desperate measures the poor take.
A bumper sticker I saw sums it up best: Against Abortion? Don't Have One.
We are absolutely on the same page! I believe that the time has come for the two main political parties to "compromise" on Roe v. Wade....a shocking idea for both sides, but democracy is based on constant compromises. I am a liberal evangelical....a pro-life Democrat...anti-death penalty, anti-abortion, anti-war, anti-violence. No one likes killing babies. It's beyond me how a party can celebrate the right to abort babies and expect to win any part of the religious vote. Democrats need to approach this subject from an entirely different angle. That is...we detest abortion, but think limited abortion rights are necessary in today's world. Will be writing much more about this in my blog, http://HeartSoulandHumor.blogspot.com . (Thanks for the kind comment about my blog entry re: Billy Graham stating he is a Democrat.)
Thanks for the good comments! I agree that whether or not abortion is legal, it will still happen... and that the left wingers won't garner much support from more "religious" sectors of the US until they take a different approach to the issue.
Snave, that was beautifully written. I especially liked what you said in the first paragraph. If the pro-lifers are really pro-LIFE, then why aren't they against the death penalty? I guess they aren't pro-all life.
When it comes to this issue, many people don't understand what it's truly about. It's not about whether you would have an abortion, or not. It is about if you want someone that you don't even know telling you what you can or can't do with your own body.
Firstly thanks Snave for allowing us to address this issue in public, also thanks for the well informed lead in post. I have been passing this site, watching the comments. So I decided finally to apply my own. I'm commenting from the heart, please excuse any grammatical errors.
I have made one faith based assertion of divine right. The point of departure from a faith-based argument should be apparent, and is necessary. Let me state with clarity “A women’s right to make informed choice takes primacy”. There are vast scenario’s which can be played out prior to abortion, I will not attempt to address them here.
My assertion is simple enough as to appear callous. Freewill is divine by edict; an unwilling conception is not.
That is not just a willingness to conceive, but a willingness to provide a safe and caring lifetime environment. Willingness, that is subverted either by rape, or abuse circumvents all moral or faith based arguments.
All rights in society are imposed. Although the fetus cannot accept, or interpret those rights, it does unknowingly apply the most basic right of life. I believe that the issue of viable life now comes into play, at the moment that threshold is 24 weeks [I believe a lower threshold of 22 weeks may be introduced in the UK]. 22 weeks is the absolute biological limit to the potential viability of life. The medical limit would lie between 22-24 weeks. Biological viability is the absolute barrier. Again freewill and informed choice apply. Late term abortions are extremely rare events, yet appear in most conservative arguments.
Abortion is not a rock, paper scissors moral debate. There are only two final absolutes, a life that is realized or one that is not. My argument does not extend to multiple abortions as a final act of contraception. I shall leave that argument to someone who can write through experience or knowledge.
TA,
If you would be willing to let your wife die during childbirth in order that the baby might live, that's up to you.
"you people are just sick. you all need to read your bible."
I have studied the Bible quite a bit during the course of my life.
"have any of you ever seen what an abortion looks like? have you seen the feetus? its horible!"
I've seen plenty of photos.
"and you people think this is ok? what kind of sickos are you?"
I don't think you bothered to read what I originally wrote. I guess I must have touched a real nerve, because all you're doing is attacking rather than addressing points I made.
"abortion is moraly wrong and its against gods will."
Never once in my original essay did I say I liked abortion.
"the only reason you want to keep it legal is so you sickos can have all the wild sex you want to and not worry about the consicuences."
That's all some of you conservatives seem to be able to think about is sex. You obviously don't understand why some of us would want abortion to be legal in cases of the mother possibly dying during childbirth. Abortion as a matter of convenience? Did I ever say I liked that? I don't think so.
"these women need to keep there legs shut! that would solve a lot of the worlds problems!"
Yeah, right. Blame it on women. Blame it on Democrats. Blame it on Bill Clinton. You seem to always take the easy way out, TA. Always. If the world was really as black and white as you seem to think it is, it must truly be a colorless, lifeless world in which we live.
Thanks, Ms. L. I know what you mean. I find it amazing how many people who call themselves "pro-life" are in favor of a death penalty. It also seems like a lot of them just don't give a hoot about how well people live in our country... just so long as the babies are born. If they really want to support the fetus, they will do a lot more to support it after it's born, not just before it's born.
I hear some of them want to give all the fetii social security numbers. Someday they will probably want to name federal buildings after fetii, and some of them will probably even want to put a fetus on Mt. Rushmore! Right up there next to Lincoln! Heh! 8-)>
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