Today it has really struck me as to just how many in our country view abortion as a freedom. It is viewed as a right of womanhood to disallow the birth of a child. Yet the majority of Americans abhor the deaths of humans in any other form. I wondered how my grandchildren and their children would internalize this subject. I decided to incorporate my thoughts on the subject into a book that I am writing, a sort of letter to my children called “Don’t Lose My Marbles”.
This subject encompasses all varieties of underlying beliefs and feelings, as well as creating new moral and ethical dilemmas for our society and as individuals. Abortion has given rise to both political and religious groups on both sides of the issue. Here are my thoughts and my beliefs on the subject and they are directed, as I mentioned, to my family. If any of the rest of my extended family, “mankind” wishes to think along my path you are welcome. If not, at least keep an open mind.
In 1973 our Supreme Court legalized the practice of abortion based on the plaintiff’s plea to abort her unborn child due to her perceived inability to provide for that child. The other portion of the decision came as part and parcel of her acquisition of an illegal abortion which in general has been proven to be quite unsafe for the mother of the aborted child. The argument used by her attorneys was that a woman’s right to privacy includes the right for her to choose to bear a child to birth or not. McCorvey wrote that she had "wanted to terminate my pregnancy because of the economic hardship which my pregnancy entailed, and because of the social stigma attached to the bearing of illegitimate children in our society." Since she could not afford to travel to another state for a legal abortion, she said: "I fear that my very life would be endangered if I submitted to an abortion which I could afford."This subject has been hashed over and rehashed millions of times, and that is not an exaggeration. I can’t really imagine that it has not been mulled over by at least half of those who have chosen to terminate their pregnancy. The basic questions are simple, it is the definitions that come into play and increase the complexity.
Our society has increasingly become “me “orientated over the last century and our ethical moral sensitivities have adjusted accordingly. This is not unusual and is something that has occurred many times over the course of history. Our society is no different. The question will eventually boil down to who and what comprises human decency towards another human, and at what point does the human animal come into being. Humans as societies have, for the most part, stood against the unjustified taking of another human life. The terms of justification for that action have fluctuated during the course of history but have generally tended toward the restrictions of such justification, i.e. the elimination of death penalties as a form of penalty for certain acts. The political and societal position against nation’s acts of war against each other is another example. It seems that our position regarding abortion has taken a turn against the trending tendency of protecting life. The subject also encroaches into areas of education, legality, personal choices, physical and mental health as well as what is passed on to our children.
I have many good friends and acquaintances with all facets of agreement and disagreement of how to deal with this subject. It is one of the most critical underlying subjects facing our society today. I don’t see that changing soon. Our current political and law making factions tend to go with the easy choice of agreeing with those that can make noise and against those who are unable to speak because of their lack of formation inside the womb of their mothers. Abortion is a subject we each need to make a choice on as individuals; a choice that defines us as a person and jointly as a society. There is no other subject since the inception of time that is more critical to our species with the possible exception of war as a method of total extinction. There has never been, in the course of humanity, any scourge or war inflicting the number of casualties equal to that caused by abortion. That some may be justified to insure the safety and life of the mother is a given, but allowed as a matter just for choice is morally corrupt. I don’t state that as a Christian, I state that as a human being.
Our nation today is more polarized on more subjects than at any time I can remember in my life. I have tried to understand both those I agree with and those I don’t. I have to admit failure in many instances. I do not understand how someone can disagree with violence to protect the life of their neighbor if force equals force. I do not understand how any faction of a society can stand against their nation’s history, and I certainly can’t understand the taking of an innocent life as justified because of inconvenience.
I do understand that abortions have been taking place for most of our history, and that most of those prior to the twentieth century were extremely dangerous to the childbearing mothers. Something had to change in that regard. There is no way the numbers involved prior to “RvW” were anywhere in proximity to the numbers that have occurred since.
We as a society have taken a role and position of total permissiveness sexually and that has driven the numbers of abortions to the high numbers we now see. This permissiveness is exacerbated in our educational system by trying to treat the symptom of pregnancy as a matter of prevention rather than a matter of responsibility that should be part of parenting. As those children move into young adulthood choosing sex as a recreational activity because they have the ability and the right to do whatever is also than a matter of responsibility that should have been taught them by their parents as a part of parenting responsibilities. Our children need to be taught that it is not ok to do everything and that the things they do have consequences. If you have sex when you can’t afford to give up your life for your children’s food, clothing and lodging, don’t have sex. It’s not ok just because you can take time off school to have an abortion and no one will be the wiser. At some point in time the reality of your action will come back to slap your psyche. The taking of your child’s life will be a hurt that bandages can’t cure for you. If you decide to keep the child your young life will never be the same. The loss of freedom that having a child while you are a child is monumental and no matter how much you love your new baby, resentment is right around some dirty diaper or some missed dance or party. Having a child is a responsibility that makes having sex a responsibility. Having sex just this one time, with or without protection, is like eating one piece of candy it’s not going to happen that way. We could eliminate a good portion of unnecessary abortions by the reinstatement teaching responsibility to both parents and children. The fact that our society accepts termination of life as an alternative form of contraception is a terminal sickness that should not be condoned by any of us. If you have a unwanted child inside your body give it to someone who cares. Adoptions are a much better solution and it gives your child a chance at greatness and the new parents an opportunity for unimaginable love.
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