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The Bandage or the Wound

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T.L.

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Today marks the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the legalization of abortion in the United States.  The country will be subject to demonstrations, articles, pictures, protests and political statements from either sides as to the victimization or the rights of women and how those apply in this circumstance.  The debate has polarized the country in the last 36 years in a way that no other issue has.  There are very few who have no opinion on the abortion issue.  Even fewer actually want more abortions or think that abortion is good.  I cannot for the life of me think that there is a woman or a man somewhere that is eagerly anticipating when they might procure one.

That can be missed in the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate today.  Each side looks at the other with the righteous anger of one defending the value at their core; each thinking he is defending life; each thinking he is fighting for a just cause and a better world.

I would like to suggest, humbly, a different approach.

The Bandage.  This approach fights against making abortion as easy to come by as possible.  Most “pro-lifers” fit into this mold.  They would like to see abortions made illegal on all levels.  A recognition of the human person as viable at the moment of conception, the unification of the sperm and ovum.  This includes chemical abortions caused by the pill and RU-486 or the “morning after pill.”

The benefit of this side is that it takes a situation where someone might get an abortion against her better judgment, in a moment of haste, when all seems lost, and gives her time to get perspective, to realize that there are resources that can help and that there are consequences to abortion that go beyond just ending a human being’s life.  Those consequences are felt by both the mother and the father.  Those consequences are felt by a society that misses out on the benefit of that person and her contribution to society, no matter how small.

This would also end the practice of “elective abortion” where a genetic test which leads to the “chance” of a child having Down’s Syndrome, Autism, or any kind of disability is aborted, rather than face the challenges that come with caring for an individual with these qualities.

The Wound.  I believe in my heart that most Americans and indeed most people support this side, even those who would call themselves “pro-choice.”  This side believes that it is a terrible thing that a woman is put in the position where she feels that abortion is even an option.  This is a problem with society.

sleepybabymom.jpgWhy does a woman feel that she cannot raise a child or carry a child to term?  She does not feel supported by the father?  She doesn’t feel she can trust her own family?  She doesn’t feel that she will be supported in her decision?  She doesn’t feel that she has the means to take care of a child; to take care of a child with special needs, whatever those may be?  She does not see the contribution that the child will make in the world?

Unless we can answer these questions in our society, abortion, whether legal or illegal, will not go away.  It may be more difficult, but if one calls himself “pro-life” then making abortion more difficult to obtain is not good enough.  If one is “pro-choice” then a world where a woman feels that she has only one choice is not good enough.

We need to change the bandage and treat the wound.  Do we act in a pro-life and pro-choice manner in our lives?  Do we live our lives in a way that supports human life and offers options?

Are we living our lives in a way that would put a woman in a position where she would feel she would have to have an abortion because she feels unsupported, where she doesn’t feel she has any options?

If a woman truly has options, and those options are supportive, encouraging, caring, and pro-life, then we will see an end to abortion.  Abortion, legal or illegal, will simply cease to be sought.  It is a perfect ideal, but we need to fight for a world where men do not leave pregnant women unsupported because they are married to them.

We need to fight for a world where we treat others in such a way that our respect for their sexuality respects the fact that it can bring forth life, so engaging that sexuality is to embrace that responsibility.  We cannot be irresponsible with our sexuality and expect to support its natural consequence: human life.  We must either respect both, or disrespect both.

I am pro-choice.  I choose to respect human life at all of its stages.  I choose to do everything I can to change the bandage and the wound.

As an American born in 1973, 10 months after Roe v. Wade, I am pro-life.

I want abortion to be illegal.  Completely and totally illegal.

I want abortion to be unneeded because every mother-to-be in our society feels the love, support, and protection they need to bring a new life into the world.

That way the choice will no longer be about if a child should live.  The choice will be the type of life we want for our children.

Comments

13 responses to “The Bandage or the Wound”

  1. GaryT Avatar
    GaryT

    abortion should not just be illegal, but unthinkable. This requires a LOVE for LIFE!

    Of course there are many options today. Everyone should memorize 800-395-HELP. If you ever meet someone in need due to an unplanned pregnancy or suffering from a past abortion, this phone number can help. Or your local Gabriel Project and Rachel Project. Nobody should get an abortion out of belief that there is nobody there to help them. There is ALWAYS a better option than abortion!

  2. elkabrikir Avatar
    elkabrikir

    I don’t get this article.

    For instance, these sentences are confusing: If a woman truly has options, and those options are supportive, encouraging, caring, and pro-life, then we will see an end to abortion. Abortion, legal or illegal, will simply cease to be sought. It is a perfect ideal, but we need to fight for a world where men do not leave pregnant women unsupported because they are married to them.

    Todd, you truly are pro choice as proven by the above sentences. Objective evil such as abortion and slavery are NEVER options in a lawful society.

    Abortion is not about a “necessary” evil. It is about evil overcoming the world.

    For thousands of years women have been in worse, far worse situations than the modern woman and didn’t seek abortions at a rate of 20% of all pregnancies in the USA. (And don’t forget that pregnancy frequently meant a death sentence for a woman 150 years ago.)

    All this talk about “options” and “being supportive” is a chimera veiling the real issue: Spiritual Poverty. State sanctioned abortion will prevail until the hearts of the people are turned to God. Evil can’t be appeased.

    (Remember what happened to Europe as it negotiated with Hitler. Remember the Rhineland. Here is a telling quote of Hitler: “If you French had intervened in the Rhineland in 1936 we should have been sunk and Hitler would have fallen”.[12] Hitler himself later said:
    “The forty-eight hours after the march into the Rhineland were the most nerve-racking in my life. If the French had then marched into the Rhineland we would have had to withdraw with our tails between our legs, for the military resources at our disposal would have been wholly inadequate for even a moderate resistance.”[13]

    Evil may never be done to achieve a good end. This is especially true at the institutional level. It is one thing for a woman to procure an illegal abortion (and few were procured) it is quite another for Roe v Wade to become the law of the land. Zero evil can be tolerated in the law. There is no other choice.

  3. The Bandage or the Wound | Catholic Exchange

    […] That can be missed in the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate today. Each side looks at the other with the righteous anger of one defending the value at their core; each thinking he is defending life; each thinking he is …Original post by unknown […]

  4. T.L. Avatar
    T.L.

    Thank you for the comment. I would refer you to the end of the article where I write:

    “I want abortion to be illegal. Completely and totally illegal.”

    Thank you for reading!

  5. elkabrikir Avatar
    elkabrikir

    Todd,

    I’ve reread your article and better understand your premise. However, I do not think institutional abortion is about “the wound”. Abortion is about maintaining a hedonistic culture of illicit sex. I think you believe that too.

    If one always substitutes “slavery” for abortion, then the argument against abortion becomes more clear and the role of government, in protecting society from objective evil regardless of the special circumstances/wound, crystalizes. (for me at least).

    America is the wealthiest nation that has ever lived on this planet. Abortion is about spiritual poverty. It can only be rooted out by the spiritual renewal of this nation. There can be no compromise with it by saying that “If a woman truly has options, and those options are supportive, encouraging, caring, and pro-life, then we will see an end to abortion. ”

    The Pill was sold as a way for women to control their bodies and so that every child is a “wanted child”. It begat, not children, but abortion, and more abortion (Casey V Pennsylvania was ruled on the fact that a contracepting society relies on abortion as a back up). The Church winked and nodded. Humanae Vitae mocked and undefended. What were the faithful to think? Hitler/hedonism ran wild while Mother Church remained sinfully silent for several decades.

    While crisis pregnancy centers are invaluable, and I contribute to several, they are a “band aid”, too. The “wound” approach is noble and charitable, but, the wound which must be healed is a shriveled heart. That can only be healed by putting on the white linen garment of salvation: Christ.

    Thanks for your article, it’s good to see the issue in a multitude of ways.

  6. tntmnm Avatar
    tntmnm

    I am sorry you even put the sentence ‘I am pro-choice.’ into your article, I think it completely distracts from the point you are trying to make and can be easily taken out of context.

    I think there are plenty of alternatives available for mothers who do not want to keep their child after birth, but there are strong forces of evil at work masking the existence of those alternatives and making the mother think what they carry is simply some inanimate burden.

    Making society and government first block abortions will then force the support systems to come more into the light, get more funding, and be more widely known. Doing only the latter isn’t stemming the tide fast enough. A similar circumstance: did health awareness, surgeon general warnings, etc. stop people from smoking? Not really, only increasingly banning smoking and going after the industry promoting it to children has helped drastically reduce it.

    Don’t ever let up the fight, or even sound like we are.

  7. T.L. Avatar
    T.L.

    I agree with you. Options can never include death. The line that you quote was intended to search for an end to legal AND illegal abortion, in fact, the very desire for abortion itself. (Purity of heart, hungering for righteousness)

    Your thoughtful comments are appreciated and you are in my prayers.

  8. jvista Avatar
    jvista

    I am also pro-choice. I am in favor of women (and men) making informed choices about whether to engage in sexual relations. Once that choice is made, and pregnancy results…then it is no longer a choice, but a child.

    As far as the arguments about rape, incest, and the life of the mother endangered by pregnancy: these make up less than 2-3% of pregnancies. Planned Parenthood would lead you to believe that these are the women seeking abortions by an overwhelming majority.

  9. jvista Avatar
    jvista

    tntmnm–

    I respectfully disagree with you. The war of words is a very real one, and we must take back what is rightfully ours. Denying that the war of words exists only causes us to fall even further behind.

    Think about it. Why do our opponents call themselves PRO-CHOICE, when they are in fact PRO-ABORTION? The latter term does not attract nearly as many people! And why do they refer to us as anti-choice?

    When I tell people that I am pro-choice, and then explain as I did above, the typical response is a thoughtful look, followed by “Yeah, you’re right!”

  10. tntmnm Avatar
    tntmnm

    jvista,

    Thank you, I accept your point. Saying or writing the trigger words “pro-choice” works as long as the clear explaination follows closely, which it _mostly_ did in the article. However, taken out of context (as I did when I responded too quickly, since it all stands in one paragraph), the explanation on the line reads, “respect” but not “defend”… I have heard many people state that they themselves would not choose abortion and hope that no one else would, but don’t agree that it should be outlawed. I at first read that line the same way. I am also sensitized to Catholics who don’t follow the Church [note, I understand the article in its full context now, and that Todd is not Pro-Choice].

    Put another way, I would not risk putting a sticker on my car that read, “Catholic and Pro-Choice! Ask me why!” 🙂

    Regards.

  11. Claire Avatar
    Claire

    I am very happy that Mr. Lemieux used the term “pro-choice”, because it’s about time we re-claimed that term from the pro-abortion sector. I agree with the premise of this article that there would be less abortions if there was more support for pregnant women. But I’m also glad that the author favors an end to legal abortions, because there are some women who have all the support and resources in the world but still make this heinous “choice”. Women with plenty of money, family, friends, etc who just don’t want the inconvenience of an unplanned pregnancy. It’s so tragic.

  12. ckrempec Avatar
    ckrempec

    Maybe I’m being cynical, but I don’t think simply making “supportive, encouraging, caring and pro-life options” available will cause abortion to cease. People are selfish. Some women, even with all these “options” will still choose to abort their child because they are selfish. That is, they are only thinking of themselves. You cannot remove the consequences of pregnancy and childbirth (weight gain, stretch marks, tiredness, etc, etc). Even women who have support, encouragement, etc will kill their child because they just don’t want to be pregnant! We have to make abortion illegal, so that it is NO option at all, period!

  13. jmtfh Avatar
    jmtfh

    Here is another pro-life organization with the focus of increasing options for women, particularly college-aged women, since the majority of abortions occur in this demographic.

    http://www.feministsforlife.org/

    Their motto is: WOMEN DESERVE BETTER! Their materials are outstanding. I once plastered their posters INSIDE of the bathroom stalls in the ladies rooms at the university where I was teaching…

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