Go Ahead, Make My Day…
By E M Barner | Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 | Policy
…Call me a fanatic, a fetus-lover (h/t Dr. Jocelyn Elders), whatever you can throw at me — just don’t call me silent in the face of injustice.
OK, those are strong words. If you might be getting a little riled up, its worth recalling that both sides in the abortion debate have been known to use rhetoric that generates more heat than light. I’ve probably done a little of that myself at times. It’s a debate that tends toward passion and – without a conscious effort – toward polarization.
So, let’s make that conscious effort. I suspect that most of us don’t like the thought of a woman being forced to mother a baby she didn’t plan on or be forced into an abortion she doesn’t want. When it comes to an unplanned pregnancy, the bottom line is that there are no easy options left.
Honest people on both sides admit that abortion hurts women. Statistics from the research arm of the largest abortion provider in the U.S. indicate that some 30% of women who have abortions felt pressured into their decision. Forced, coerced and otherwise unwanted abortions are more common than anyone wants to admit.
Honest people on both sides admit that a young, poor single woman choosing parenthood is likely to face a lot harder life than if she didn’t parent – and adoption, though a third way, is rarely chosen.
As I type, the clock has turned to 1/22/2009 – the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Some celebrate. Others mourn. I can’t stay silent.
Because true compassion helps a woman when she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant — it doesn’t give her taxpayer dollars for an abortion and tell her to get lost.
Because its totally unfair that a black woman is 2.6 times more likely to suffer an abortion than a white woman. Is it not an extraordinary social indictment when 22% of Virginia women between the ages of 10 and 44 are black but these women had 46.8% of all abortions in 2007 (VA Dept of Health Statistics)?
Because being inconvenient shouldn’t be punishable by death.
Because no woman should have to choose between her child and her future.
Because life is beautiful and life should be possible.
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About the author
E M Barner, the blogger formerly known as DCH / De Civitate Hominis (“concerning the city of man”), writes from a Northern Virginia perspective. Barner has been active in Republican politics and policy since 1994 – as a grassroots volunteer, party leader, and professional.
Comments
11 Responses to "Go Ahead, Make My Day…"
DCH,
Are you arguing for the return of the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program then? Or perhaps you are calling for an increase in the current Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program?
Or are you going to say something like: “Well, I’m not if favor of welfare, but…”.
[...] Continued here: Go Ahead, Make My Day… [...]
Yes, it is an extraordinary social indictment–of Republicans, who continue to oppose commonsense measures to reduce unintended pregnancy such as increased access to family planning. Right now, as we mark this anniversary, there are no less than four proposed amendments to the state budget to strip funding for family planning programs that serve low income and young women.
People who are really interested in lowering abortion rates will support the things that reduce the need for abortion–birth control and comprehensive sex education.
P.S. Y’all should really stop with this straw man idea that Virginia is paying for women’s abortions willy nilly. Federal and state funding for abortion is prohibited except in cases of rape, incest, threat to the life of the woman, or severe, incapacitating fetal abnormality.
Jess33,
While I doubt you will find complete agreement with me in all of my opinions on this subject, here I will support your point at least partially.
If we are going to restrict availability to abortions, then we need to explode the availability to birth control.
Of course the argument against this goes like this:
1. Increasing funding for birth control to groups like Family Planning only allows them to save spending money on it, giving them more money to fund abortions.
2. Most forms of birth control are actually abortions anyway, they just involve abortion at an earlier stage.
I have considered these arguments and I find them lacking. While human life begins at conception, even St Thomas Aquinas seemed to think identical twins do not each end up with half a soul.
DCH excellent post
You should post more.
LittleDavid,
Re your comment:
“Most forms of birth control are actually abortions anyway, they just involve abortion at an earlier stage.”
You seem really far out there on that one … and I thought I was way to the right.
John Harvie,
That was not my own opinion, only the opinion of the genuflecting Republican pro-life leadership.
Do you disagree?
No matter how you slice it. Abortion has been a slap in the face to my generation. Since 1973, 50 million children have lost their lives due to abortion. In the mean time teen suicide rates have risen and the value that young people place on themselves has overall fallen.
How do we know that we haven’t killed the cure for cancer, cure for diabetes, or the next great leader.
It is a myth that cultural conservatives do not care about the pregnant mother. In Lynchburg, Virginia, Jerry Falwell started the Liberty Godparent Home. This center has provided help and hope to pregnant mothers, even when they have no one else.
To those who say that this issue is “divisive” and shouldn’t be discussed. Perhaps if you were seeing firsthand the effects that abortion has had on the youth in America today, you would join me in calling for action.
[...] view this video from CatholicVote.com (H/T to Bearing Drift for bringing this to our attention). On this anniversary of Roe v. Wade . . . something we all [...]
LittleDavid,
I’m thinking of addressing your opening query in a new post and inviting reader input.
The bottom line is that I think life is beautiful enough – and women valuable enough – to warrant our investment. I’m not for dumping money into ineffective welfare programs BUT effective education to reduce abortion or help make the choice for life feasible could well be warranted and acceptable to most life-affirming conservatives.
[...] commenter on my earlier post suggested that true compassion for women facing an unplanned pregnancy might [...]
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