Progress for the Unborn

Fridays are so wonderful, are they not?

Not only is the weekend knocking at our door, it's also the day Amy hosts Finer Things Friday. I LOVE a post (and all those linked up!) that celebrates the simple joys of life.

This week? Well, my kids are still cute, my recipes still yummy, and Spring still very welcome. ;) But...

The finest thing I can think of to celebrate today?

A Wave of Anti Abortion Bills Advance in the States

What does this mean? Well, here are just a few things:

• In a number of states, lawmakers are considering bills that would ban elective abortions after 20 or 21 weeks of pregnancy.
• In Ohio, there's been a hearing on an even tougher measure that would outlaw abortions after the first medically detectable heartbeat - as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.
• In Texas, a bill passed by the House would require that pregnant women have an opportunity to view a sonogram image, hear the fetal heartbeat and listen to a doctor describe the fetus.
• In more than 20 states, bills have been introduced to restrict insurance coverage of abortion.
• In Virginia... lawmakers last month passed a bill requiring abortion clinics to be regulated on the same basis as hospitals. Abortion-rights group said this could entail higher costs and force several clinics to close.

For me, and many other pro lifers, this is, of course, nowhere near enough.

But it IS progress.

And THAT, my friends, is a finer thing, indeed.

The Sanctity of Life: Convicts vs. Babies

A month or so ago, I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with my childhood best friend, her wonderful husband, and their beautiful baby girl. Once our four collective kiddos were all tucked in for the night, we settled down in the living room for some music, chatting, and laughter. It was delightful... so delightful, in fact, that it was nearly 2 AM before we all stumbled up to our own beds!

One thing I really like about my friend's hubby- I'll call him Joe- is that he's not afraid to debate and discuss. He and I have strikingly different viewpoints- I'm traditional and conservative, he's liberal and permissive (<-- I don't mean that word in a negative way-- he just has a very open view that allows for a whole lot of things that are not really okay to my way of thinking). We both feel strongly about our beliefs and we each have great respect for the other.

Joe and I are not afraid to dig into some nitty gritty topics.

Because of this, our conversation covered all manner of things regarding religion and politics and, particularly, the subjects of the death penalty and abortion.

I was shocked to learn that, while vehemently opposed to the death penalty, Joe is in favor of abortion. And he is definitely not alone in that.

His argument against the death penalty, you see, was this- if there is even a shadow of a doubt that the convicted might be innocent, it would be a travesty to put such a person to death.

Okay.

To be honest, I'm a little shaky about my feelings regarding the death penalty. In some ways, I feel there really are crimes that are, deservedly, punishable by death. It's not even so much that I'm afraid we might find an innocent man guilty... I'm just not sure that we flawed humans are really capable of being judge and jury. I don't believe that we can ever have the "full picture" and I'm not convinced it is our right or responsibility to determine when someone's life should be over. In short, I don't think it's our place to decide.

But I know my feelings about abortion. I know why I am pro-life, no matter what. My feelings aren't shaky at all on that one.

And this is what confuses me...

If Joe's reasoning for not killing one single man on death row is that there could be one small chance, however improbable or unlikely, of innocence...

Why is it ok to kill unborn babies who are, arguably, the most innocent among us?

Why do we shrug our shoulders at the idea of a "fetus" being condemned to death for no greater crime than being unwanted? Why would we worry more about harming someone we truly believe to be a violent, twisted individual than a child we know to be pure and blameless? How is this possibly ok???

They are real questions. Questions I would love to have answered in a clear fashion that might make even a lick of sense to me.

Joe couldn't answer them. In the end, it came down to the fact that he valued the woman's right to choose above the child's right to life...

But he was such a defender of the convict's life.

I don't get it.

If we are to be advocates for the sanctity of life... shouldn't this, at the very least, include the most innocent among us?

It's just something I'm thinking about.

Your thoughts?

Legal Abortion = Respect For Women?

Food for thought...

²² "If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. ²³ But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, ²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, ²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

Exodus: 22-25

Pro-choicers will have you believe the lie that making abortion legal is good for women, that it supports women, that it- somehow- empowers women.

But what does the Bible say?

Well, for starters, the Bible is clear that the "fetus" is (surprise, surprise) a life. A life every bit as precious and worthy as the "already-born" man who could harm him. Does it matter in God's eyes that the baby is currently living inside his mother? Not a bit. That child is one of His children.

But what about the mother? Is the Bible thus limiting her rights and demeaning her importance by (clearly) saying killing babies is wrong?

No.

Not even close.

In fact, I believe these verses reflect how honored, revered, and protected a woman with child should be. Consider that a LAW was written in to protect her and the precious life she sustains. How different this is from our current, man-made laws that did not hold a gunman who shot a teller and killed her unborn twins accountable for murder. Robbery? Oh yes, we can charge him with that. But murder? Well... they weren't viable, after all...

Who really thinks women are better off with these laws our politicians concoct? Who believes that allowing abortion shows respect and reverence for women?

It's just something I'm thinking about.

Why I'm Pro-Life... No Matter What

I've blogged before about being pro-life. Even my "About Me" declares that I advocate for the tiniest of babies, including the unborn. If you didn't know all this about me already... well, there you have it. I am, as I always say, "unapologetically pro-life".

When you declare yourself as being pro-life, the question that people love to throw at you is this:

"What about cases of rape or incest?"

It's a good question. It's also an easy question- those are the circumstances underwhich so many people feel abortion is completely defensible. It makes it kind of "fun" to challenge those of us with different ideas. I've never once had someone ask me:

"What about cases when a woman gets pregnant and it's inconvenient for her?"

Because, well, where's the fun in that? Suddenly, the defense of life makes total sense.

Anyhow, I'm getting off-topic. The question is this:

"What about cases of rape or incest?"

My answer? I'm still pro-life. And here's why:

• Rape and incest are crimes and need to be treated as such. When a pregnancy occurs, there is a huge problem. But the problem is not the baby. The problem is still the crime. The violence needs to be dealt with (and severely, in my opinion), but not through the killing of the most innocent party of all...
• Abortions being performed to terminate pregnancies resulting from rape or incest are extremely rare (at .3%)... rarer, even, than those performed because of fetal anomalies (.5%). But over 97% of abortions are completely elective-- not a result of rape/incest, not because of fetal defect, not because of risk to the mother. Just because the baby isn't "wanted".
• Finally, I don't believe putting a "rape/incest clause" on the law books would help. If we're to "illegalize" abortion (as I firmly believe we should), it will not work to write in such exceptions. Why not? I hate to say it... but... women will lie. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we'll hear more women "crying rape" in order to be "allowed" to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. And that helps no one. If we don't require that charges be filed, it will make it too easy to claim an unwanted pregnancy was the result of a rape. If we insist that charges be filed in order for the woman to proceed with the abortion, we'll over-burden our already stretched-thin law enforcement departments with a bunch of bogus claims. I just do not believe it will work.
  

Please don't think that I'm trying to down-play the horror and devastation of incest and rape. I do not claim to be able to even imagine the fear and disgust and anxiety that would accompany a resulting pregnancy.

But I'm still pro-life. I will defend those precious unborn children for all of my days. And I will pray- not just today or on Sundays, but every single day- that someday, maybe even during my own lifetime, people will respect and honor the sanctity of life... the miracle of creation... the wonder of being given the gift of an innocent child.

What Did I Have To Do With An Abortion??

So, by now I'm fairly certain that everyone in the blogosphere knows that I'm fiercely pro-life. I've struggled deeply over the past few months as we move further into a liberal-run era that, quite honestly, frightens me in terms of what it means for the unborn.

So why do I have medical paperwork that links my name with abortion? What on earth could that all mean? Did I have an epiphany at some point and come to my senses? Nope.

Actually, it has to do with the terminology we use. Terminology that I think is inaccurate and manages to leave a bad taste in my mouth.

When I was six weeks pregnant with my second child, my father-in-law had a devastating stroke and was hospitalized in the ICU. While visiting him one day, I suddenly felt crampy and realized I had started to bleed. I sat down and prayed it would ease up and stop but, when it didn't, my husband and I slipped away to the ER. At that point, no one else even knew I was pregnant.

A part of me wondered,
"Had the home pregnancy test been wrong? Was I just late that month?"

It was true that I hadn't been in to see a doctor yet...

Several tests and an examination revealed that, yes, I was indeed pregnant and, yes, the blood was cervical blood. The on-call OB speculated that it was highly likely I was in the process of miscarrying and that there was not anything we could do to stop it. He advised me to come back in two days to have my hormone levels checked. If they went up significantly, he informed me, it would be a sign that the pregnancy was intact and could most likely be sustained just like normal. If they dropped, he explained, it would mean that the pregnancy was over.

He sent me home with a packet of papers. The diagnosis circled in bright red marker?

Threatened abortion.

What? That sounded like something a malicious mother would do to father who wanted a baby that she didn't. It didn't sound like what I was going through... the crushing devastation of thinking I may be losing this baby who was so desperately wanted. How could they call what was happening to me by the same name they call it when someone chooses to murder their unborn baby? I remember staring at that phrase kind of sickly. The nurse who was discharging me noticed and put her hand on my shoulder,

"I don't know why they call it that. It makes no sense. And, for heaven's sake, this is even a Catholic hospital..."

I believe we need to rephrase that as "threatened miscarriage" or "potential miscarriage". Abortion, whether by true definition of not, suggests that someone would choose to end the pregnancy. I think that's an unfair label to throw at a couple who are already reeling with grief at the thought of losing a wanted child...

Anti-Abortion Voters Mobilize

Obama’s first 84 days in office have been like an extended recruiting drive for the anti-abortion movement, reinvigorating a constituency he sought to neutralize during the campaign. Activists report a noticeable spike in activity as Obama moves to defend and expand a woman’s right to choose an abortion – causing anti-abortion voters to mobilize in ways never needed during the Bush administration. So far this year:

— The Susan B. Anthony List says its supporters sent more anti-abortion-related letters, e-mails and faxes to Obama and lawmakers in the first quarter alone than during each of the last two years.

— The American Life League reported a 30 percent uptick in donations over last year.

— Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey Jr., an anti-abortion Democrat who campaigned vigorously for Obama, has received more mail on abortion than on any other issue in 2009, spokesman Larry Smar said...

...to read more of this article, please see Politico here.

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Does this make me happy? Not really. I think it's shame that we who are pro-life have to fight so very hard to defend... BABIES. I mean, really. It's not like we're advocating for something questionable. We're trying to stand up for the innocents. To defend the greatest gift any of us have been given... life.

But the good news? We're prepared to fight. We're prepared to speak up and take action. We're prepared to lend our hundreds and thousands of voices to the unborn who are never given the chance to speak up for themselves.

I know I am.

(On a related note, some of you may recall that I wrote about the Freedom of Choice Act here and here. I sent out postcards to my senators and representative on January 24, 2009. I've yet to hear anything back... I live in a conservative state, so that's especially disheartening to me. Have any of you had more luck??)

Speaking Up For Those Who Can't

(Image from Allposters.com)

Honestly? I don't make a lot of waves. Sure, I'm a feisty and opinionated lady. No doubt about it; just ask my husband or family. But, that being said, I don't often speak up loudly and clearly about too many controversial or political issues. I'm pretty comfortable just living in my own world with my own ideas and beliefs.

There are a couple of exceptions. One, of course, is my determination to speak up about prematurity awareness. That is evident throughout this entire blog. It is a mission and a labor of love for me and I don't see myself ever tiring of it. I know how little I really knew about it and I know how little support I could find for parents of the very earliest preemies. It's critical to me to get more information out there.

The other cause I'm not afraid to voice my opinion about is abortion or, rather, my opposition to it. I've been very clear on that stance here before. I shared some of my concerns on Inauguration Day. I went on to go into more detail about the Freedom of Choice Act and what it could mean a few days later.

Trying to change the minds of all the pro-choice Americans around me doesn't work for me. That would be a daunting task and, I firmly believe, a futile effort. While I truly believe in my heart of hearts that abortion is murder, simply carrying a placard that reads those words is not how I choose to convey my message.

Instead, I just want to educate. I want people to truly KNOW what a second trimester fetus looks like so they don't have some misguided notion that we're talking about a blob of cells. I want people to realize what exactly is involved in a partial-birth abortion... because the name sounds pretty innocuous compared to the reality of the procedure. I want mothers and fathers to realize that there are millions of people who support taking away your right to know about your minor daughter's decision to abort. And I want to help dispel the idea that abortion is "good" for women-- that it is freeing, empowering, and essential to our equality. Making men be accountable for their role in creating life is how we establish equality... not by killing the one and only innocent party involved.

Speaking up for those who can't yet speak for themselves... that Works for Me.

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For more Works For Me Wednesday, visit Rocks in My Dryer.

How Much Do You Know About FOCA?

The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) has been around for a number of years. It's becoming a hot topic again because we now have a president who has openly, vocally, and frequently supported abortion rights.

I've said it before and I will say it again: I am unapologetically pro-life. I don't get into a whole lot of politics on this blog, but my pro-life stance is intricately linked with the topic of this site. While I certainly described myself as pro-life before my daughter was born, it was upon learning that some people thought it should have been MY right to terminate her at the point she came into this world that I became more radically pro-life. If you've read my birth story or seen the pictures of her in the early days, then you know she was, inarguably, a baby. No one can tell me otherwise...

FOCA would lead to changes in current abortion law. Changes that could easily result in many more abortions being performed. Here are some things you should be aware of:

1. FOCA could force taxpayers to pay for abortions. (By requiring they be covered by Medicaid, for one.)
2. FOCA requires all states to allow "partial birth" and other late-term abortions. (If you don't know what is involved in a partial birth abortion, please go here. If you want an "impartial" article about it, check out this one.)
3. FOCA strips parents of their right to be involved in their minor daughter's abortion decision.
4. FOCA seeks to eliminate informed consent laws.

As a pro-life woman, I'll openly admit that a lot of the research I do happens at pro-life sites. But, to be fair and informed, I went to NARAL Pro-Choice America to read up on this act as well. While the verbiage is different, the content is exactly the same. It was actually at the NARAL website that I was drawn to a triumphant headline announcing, "Obama restates his commitment to abortion rights". Less than 24 hours ago, on the 36th anniversary of the Roe v Wade landmark decision, our president spoke out:

On this anniversary, we must also recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights and opportunities as our sons: the chance to attain a world-class education; to have fulfilling careers in any industry; to be treated fairly and paid equally for their work and to have no limits on their dreams," Obama said. "That is what I want for women everywhere."

It is this type of speech that has many pro-lifers like me worried that FOCA will be reintroduced in the 111th Congress sometime soon.

I don't want to see this bill pass. There's a part of me that thinks, "How could it? How could enough people really support these ideas?" But, in reality, it could. Too many people buy into the idea that abortions make life better for women. And it's best that we be aware of that and take what action we can.

I receive a weekly publication called The Catholic Moment. It should come as no surprise that this paper has a strong pro-life slant to it. Enclosed in yesterday's edition were postcards to send to our senators and representatives. You can bet mine will be in the mail today. You can find out more about this campaign here. If you'd like to make your voice heard as well, feel free to send a postcard or letter to your state senators and local representative with the following message:

"Dear Senator (Representative),

At this time of serious national challenges, Americans should unite to serve the good of all, born and unborn. The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), the most radical and divisive pro-abortion bill ever introduced in Congress, would create a "fundamental right" to abortion that government could not limit but would have to support. FOCA would overturn many existing widely-supportd policies, including laws protecting parental involvement and conscience rights and those preventing partial-birth abortion and taxpayer funding of abortion.

Please oppose FOCA or any similar measure, and retain laws against federal funding and promotion of abortion. As your constituent, I would appreciate a written response telling me how you would vote on these matters.

Respectfully,

(Name and address)"

Just as it was my duty, privilege, and right to vote, it is my responsibility to make my voice heard when it is this important to me.

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What are your feelings about FOCA? Will anyone be joining me in the postcard campaign? Do you have other ideas for making your voice heard? I'd love to hear about it in the comments...

A Prayer For No Change...

I have hope. Hope that this year will be a better one for our nation. Hope that we will see good things happen and some things change that need to. I am proud that our new president is a bright, charismatic man.

This is what I'm telling myself. And what I would tell my little children were they to ask (but they don't yet).

Inside?

I'm a ball of fear. I'm just not sure what lies ahead. I'm more conservative and traditional than I am liberal, it's true. But I'm also not married to a party. I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to a Democrat as our president... if it weren't for the fact that our House and Senate are both filled with a Democratic majority. And this is where I get scared...

We face far too many issues as a nation to narrow it down to just one. But there's one that weighs heaviest on MY mind. One that I can't stop thinking about...

And that's abortion.

I've come to expect nothing at all to change when it comes to abortion law. That's how it's been pretty much my whole life. People talk about it. They have strong views. But with a balance of opinions in power, things pretty much remain the same. And, for me, that's not good enough. But I guess I've kind of gotten used to that a little bit...

But now, for the first time, I'm concerned that our abortion laws could actually become more lax, more lenient. Things like partial-birth abortions. Late term abortions. Government subsidized abortions. I'm not saying these will happen... but they could happen. We have more pro-abortion politicians in positions of power than I can ever remember before. I watch some of these bleeding-heart liberals wax on and on about the needless loss of life we've seen in this war... while openly supporting the murder of what has amounted to millions and millions of babies over the years. I don't get it. I'm sorry.



My hope is that there are "bigger fish to fry" right now. Abortion hasn't been a hot topic lately, politically speaking, and maybe that's a good thing. Because, right now, maybe the best I can hope for is just no change at all...

Am I the only one who's a little scared these days?

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Related: For some hope and encouragement on this topic, please also check out Amy's words.

Voting With Little Ones

We headed out bright and early this morning to cast our ballots. Despite our reservations about the choices, it is our civic duty after all.

I feel strongly that we need to demonstrate this act- the right, privilege, AND duty of it- to our children. So it was a no-brainer to take them with us. Sure, we could have gone at separate times and maybe made life a tad easier. But who said parenting little ones was supposed to be easy?

Of course, I can't lie... I did wish for a brief moment that I had gone alone when my 3-year old almost got us kicked out of the polls.

"How 'bout McCain?" he asked every person in line.

Hmmm... perhaps we'll work on election etiquette before the next vote...

My Religion and Politics

Wow, that's a heavy title, now isn't it?

This is actually going to be rather short and sweet.

I'm Catholic and pretty traditional. That's really all I'll say on that matter. I have definite opinions and views (and that's good!), but I promise never to try and push them on you or "save" you or anything else. That's not my agenda.

Here is the one and only exception to that:

I am unapologetically Pro-Life. That's never going to change. And I will continue to occasionally post things to that end. There are a whole host of reasons I believe what I believe, but what completely sealed the deal for me was seeing my tiny baby born at 24 weeks and learning that in some places it was still legal to abort her at that point.

If you don't agree with my posts, feel free to share in the comments. I am certainly not opposed to differing views.

But I am opposed to abortion.

Fetus on Board

Patricia Pitkus Bainbridge points out...

"...that a woman who has miscarried has 'lost her baby', but if she aborts the same baby, it's a 'fetus'. It's dehumanizing... Have you ever heard a pregnant woman say, 'My fetus just kicked?'"



I'm sure glad that when my daughter was born, no one said to me, "Would you like to see your fetus?"

Thank Heavens for Progress...

The past
Twenty years ago, only 20 per cent of babies born weighing less than 2lb 2oz would have survived, according to the premature baby charity Bliss . Now 80 per cent do. When the current generation of neonatalogists were training, a 23-week-old baby would be left to die: now it is likely to be resuscitated. When abortion was legalised in 1968, the time limit was 28 weeks: it was reduced to 24 weeks in 1990 partly because of the increased viability of premature babies. In 1969, 5.3 women per 1000 aged between 15 and 44 had a termination.
--(Source: The Observer)

And still, in too many parts of our world, it would have been perfectly legal to abort her..

.

Is it right to save babies?

"For parents..., for all the health care providers involved in the care of handicapped preemies, and for the society in which they live, there is always the nagging question, "Was it right to save these babies?" No one has the "right" answer." -Your Premature Baby by Frank P. Manginello, M.D.

Really?

Remember 9/11...

I have a vivid memory of being in junior high and having the history teacher give us a different kind of assignment. She asked us to go home and call our grandparents and ask them about World War II.

I really disliked history with a passion and I must confess that my memory and knowledge of it leaves a bit to be desired. However, I can tell you that I remember that phone call to my Grandpa H with great clarity. There was something about talking to someone who lived it that made it so much more real, so much more important.

Do you remember experiencing 9/11?

Do you remember where you were, what you were doing, what you were wearing?

Do you remember watching the replay over and over on the news in shocked disbelief?

Do you remember how everyone drove with their headlights on?

Do you remember the wave of patriotism that swept our nation? (and too quickly receded...)

Do you?

Try to remember. Try to lock those memories away. Do it for your children. For your grandchildren. Because, someday, some school-age child is going to call you and ask,

"Grandma, what can you tell me about September 11th?"

Cherished Life

"In a 1979 decision in the case of Colautti v. Franklin, the
supreme Court ruled that the exact moment of viability for an infant cannot be
determined by law, but must be left to the judgement of the attending
physician. Therefore, it is certainly possible for a woman to be in one of
the hospital's operating rooms for an abortion of her 24-week-old fetus, while
in the next room, doctors are striving to sustain the life of an infant born
prematurely at 24 weeks gestation."

-Frank P. Manginello, M. D. Your Premature Baby

This quote never fails to sicken me. It comes from a book that I was given when my 23w6d baby girl was in the NICU. The nurses provide all the preemie parents with a copy. It is a well-written, invaluable resource as you take on challenge after challenge... sickness, breathing problems, apnea, the list goes on and on...

But that line stuck with me.

The idea that these children (for they are no less) could tossed away like so much garbage is appalling. If you haven't already, I challenge you to research your state's individual abortion laws. You may be opposed to abortion altogether (as I, admittedly, am and always have been...), but even if you're not, I urge you to challenge the idea of 2nd term (and beyond!) terminations.

**That's my baby girl at one week old in the photo above! And me, in my absolute delight to hold her in my hands for the very first time...**