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Are you willing to sacrifice to save? by Thomas Breyer, staff columnist for The News Record |
I, as for many others have read and waited, but patience runs thin these days and it is now your turn to receive the end of the criticism stick.
To begin, I will be citing quotes from Mr. Palun's article printed Monday, Nov. 24, as it is the most recent publication. This is in no way to be misconstrued as a personal attack,.[sic] and in many ways I hope it will open the minds of many'[sic]
First I find it amusing that one group can point the finger at another group using words "to confuse and muddle what is really happening," only to turn around and do the same things.
Using loaded terms such as "pro-death", "terminated", and "live baby" are words that do just that. Yes by the definition of "terminate," a pregnancy is over upon delivery of the child into the world. but, the problem with it being used in the discussion of abortion is that it means to end abruptly, and/or stop before it is time. Furthermore, the phrase "to carry a baby to term" does not mean delivering a baby. The phrase means to carry a baby for 40 weeks, that is nine months.
It does not matter if the baby is alive or not. As far as "pro-death" is concerned, it should never be used interchangably with "pro-choice." Pro-choice is the movement to protect the natural rights of a woman to choose what is best for her body. A person can be pro-choice, and not be pro-abortion at the same time.
Now, what if carrying the baby to term is harmful to the mother's own life, whose rights come first, mother or baby? Or, why should a victim of rape, whose life is already altered, have to have it altered for the rest of her life? Is it right for this women [sic] to be reminded every day of her life that she was victimized? Will the mother love that baby of will she hate it becuase it represents her victimization? How about babies born with crippling diseases? Is it right for them to suffer for a lifetime? These are all unanswered questions that must be answered in order to take a true stance against abortion. If these questions are not answered, it makes pro-life a flawed theory since they can't determine whose life is more important.
Look, pro-choice, as I have said before, does not mean pro-abortion. A women's body is the only thing she owns completely. No one has the right to tell her what she can and cannot do with her body. No one has the right to tell a man either. How would men feel if they had to have testicles removed, or a vasectomy performed in the event they accidentally got a women [sic] pregnant? Does anyone truly believe that people would just accept that one? Think again.
I have many friends that are pro-choice. and [sic] hold on to your seats, many of them have children. They decided that they wanted what they were given others do not. For those that do not, they should have the ability to decide what to do. After all they must carry it, wake up to feed it, stay home after the delivery.
But what about adoption? Yes, adoption is a great idea. but [sic] it is an idea largely overshadowed by the debate over abortion. In addition to that, many young women and girls feel that abortion is the only option. This has to do with family, relationships, etc. After all, part of human error is to cover up mistakes quickly and without thought to the repercussions. Still more importantly, perhaps people are steered towards it because they feel there is no other alternative.
Maybe if pro-lifers worked with counseling services more than they do, stopped calling women who choose abortion murderes, opened up their arms and said, "Here let me help you through this. Let me show you that there is a good home for your baby if you can't do it." maybe then things would be better.
Look, pro-lifer scare tactics only work to make pro-lifers more disgusted with what abortion is. Maybe it influences a small majority of people out of doing it, but in the long run it will just drive people deeper into their shells.
Some people will not listen, some will not understand, either you're not a women, [sic] you are not a man who has had to suffer through an abortion with his girlfriend, or you are not a women [sic] who has been forced with this issue.
The bottom line is, before you point the finger, are you willing to find a pregnant woman thinking about abortion, and tell her you would adopt? Would you do that, would you sacrifice yourself, or council her to find someone who would? Would you hate a friend who had one?
Put your money where your mouth is or else don't blow your hot air in my ears.
This article was taken from the University of Cincinnati Student Newspaper, The News Record December 3, 1997.
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