It’s Not All about You
(I began writing this essay concerning abortion several years ago, but could never bring myself to publish it. From time to time, I would revisit the essay to edit it. In light of the recent Supreme Court decision, I’ve decided to publish it without further revisions reflecting the recent Supreme Court decision invalidating Roe v Wade.)
In January of 1973, I was a little surprised by the Supreme Court's decision to support women's termination of pregnancies.
Up until that point, the general rule for abortions was that it was acceptable in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother. That seemed reasonable to me.
In 1973 I got really quiet when it came to this subject. There was no point in disagreeing with the decision: after all, it isn't called the Supreme Court without cause, and it wasn't worth making a bunch of women angry---never a great idea.
Yep, I decided that my best course was to shut up and move on. Now, fifty years later, folks are still arguing about the decision, and, being that I'm old and really don't give a damn what anyone thinks of me, I've decided to let you in on my thinking. Enjoy.
I think the silliest argument in support of abortion goes something like this: “Oh, the children of drug addicts, the perpetually poor, the ignorant, and stupid don't stand a chance in life; therefore abortions are the best for all.”
Well, you're probably right that abortions in these cases might be best for society. However, I really doubt that killing the unborn gives them a better chance in life. I think an abortion just reduces their chances to zero.
I think the silliest argument against abortion goes something like this: “Abortions are sins against God.” Although we are far from being a godless nation, our Constitution is God neutral. You know, that phrase “separation of church and state.”
So, what can we turn to to determine the value of abortions?
I suggest we turn to Judeo-Christian values. By that I don't mean the Bible, but I do mean the values derived from the Bible.
These values include valuing human life. Sure, we kill folks in wars; we kill folks back who kill other folks;, and we often accidentally kill folks, but it is a major no-no to intentionally kill innocents, the unborn.
961,000 abortion were performed in the U. S. in 2021, and the number seems to be rising each year. That's a lot of new people with a zero chance in life.
Why so many abortions? We're not a poor nation. We're not a nation at war on our shores. We're not a nation starving from lack of food. I suspect not many of these abortions are the results of incest, rape, or the mother's health.
Well…what are the motivations for all of these abortions? Hmmm…could it be self-interest?
What's the old saying? I believe it's from the Bible, and I'll just paraphrase from memory: "The greatest gift a man can give is to give his own life so another may live." Let's turn that around and apply it to those who favor abortion: “The greatest gift a woman can give to herself is to sacrifice the life of another so that she may live the life she chooses.”
I'll give it to you ladies. I agree you have the right to kill your child. The Supreme Court validated this right, but don't' expect me and many others to be happy about it. Legal, yes: moral, no.
Not too long ago, a woman chastised me for being supportive of a conservative agenda. In her outrage she said, “Why, they (the conservatives) want to tell me what to do with my p****.” I didn't laugh, but I thought, “Lady, I hate to tell you this, but NO ONE is interested in your p****.”
And, guess what, most folks don't care what other folks do with their genitalia, but we do have an interest in the survival of the unborn who have no defense.
Now, many of you folks will say that I have no heart. Nonsense. I just want folks to take responsibility for their “mistakes.” Of course, this applies to the males as well as the females. I fully understand the young do foolish things, but they need to make personal sacrifices instead of killing the evidence of their mistakes.
As for the legal future of abortion rights, I don't think much will change. About the most damaging thing that the Supremes may possibly do is to turn this decision over to each state to determine, and, even then, most states, I suspect, will continue to allow abortions. About the worst thing that will happen to those seeking abortions is having to travel across state lines---not too big a sacrifice when you're planning a murder.
Now, on a related note, why is the Federal Government still funding Planned Parenthood which is an abortion factory. Come on guys. Abortions have always been with us and always will be with us, but do we really need an express lane.
As for you ladies who favor abortion without restrictions, remember our opposition to your beliefs is not personal. Believe it or not, it's not all about you: it's about the children.
enough