Tuesday, January 18, 2005

But What Exactly Is Being Chosen?

This morning I’ve been attending various pro-life functions, starting with a prayer breakfast and ending with a rally, to commemorate the tragic consequences of the Roe v. Wade decision (January 22, 1973).

When we think of the holocaust and the 9-11 attacks, we are saddened by the loss of life. It’s easy to forget, however, that a daily holocaust – a daily 9-11 – takes place in the secreted rooms of “women’s health clinics” across this nation.

“Choice is very important to me,” recently said Patty Berg, a California Assemblywoman. “Regardless of what subject we’re talking about.”

The duplicitous thing about Berg’s statement (made in relation to the current euthanasia debate) is that “choice” is essentially an ambiguous and meaningless term. When you think about it, the law exists to preserve our liberties by limiting certain choices. I’m sure Berg wouldn’t support child molesters “choosing” to prey upon children. (And what respectable liberal would actually support school choice, i.e., vouchers?) The questions that should be asked in a public policy debate are: 1) “What exactly is being chosen?” and 2) “Should citizens be allowed to make that particular choice?”

The words “a woman’s right to choose” are not only a semantic dodge but a philosophical one as well. Those who utter them aren’t in fact wholeheartedly committed to a woman’s right to choose . . . . No serious candidate or major political party has made a campaign promise to defend a woman’s right to prostitution, recreational drug use, suicide or a host of other private activities that remain outside the bounds of the law. – Paul Reisser, M.D.

It’s a cop-out to say you’re “pro-choice” and leave it at that.

And when we really look at what the abortion "choice" involves, how can we accept that choice? Here is one last quote to ponder:

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. – Mother Theresa

The most powerful moment of the rally today came when a high schooler (and friend of mine) spoke about the humanity of the unborn. If you have a minute (which you probably do, since you’re reading this blog) I would encourage you to read his speech. It’s one of the best oratories I’ve encountered on this subject.

2 comments:

the Joneses said...

A great speech. And halfway through I suddenly realized the sheer stupidity of it: a human speaking to a crowd of other humans trying to scientifically prove that unborn humans are human.

A third of our generation is dead. I can't even imagine the impact that will have on our future.

Another thought I had recently: we think that killing someone -- baby, chronically ill person, elderly -- gives him relief and peace. But I realized that we actually don't know what happens at death, so we actually don't know what we're sending these people into. It's as if we can't get a child to stop crying, so we put her outside and close the door; we can't hear the cries anymore, so think she must be better off. We might not know that it's below freezing outside and the child isn't wearing any shoes.

It's frightening, living in a cursed world. -- SJ

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