Adoption, Abortion, and Elections

It's been a long time since I've blogged!  I guess I got out of the habit of writing something every week and perhaps had exhausted my range of topics.  The topic I am going to discuss today is going to be controversial, but I think it bears some thought, especially as to how it relates to adoption.  I hate politics, although I'm glued to the national conventions as if they were train wrecks...oh, they are!  Are we better off than we were four years ago?  I haven't met anyone who thinks so.  How has the past four years affected adoption?  President Obama is pro-abortion.  The number of abortions is way up.  That is one part of the equation.  Then there is the economy.  Women who previously would have tried to parent and then eventually decided on adoption as a better option are figuring out very early in the pregnancy that they won't be able to parent due to financial constraints.  It's so early that they can justify making a decision for abortion and they are, thus, aborting (in record numbers). Fewer babies, lower birth rate, higher abortions...well that all equates to less babies for adoption.

I know there are many women who don't want their abortion "rights" taken away.  Mitt Romney is pro-life and so is Paul Ryan.  That doesn't mean they will even be able to change the law, as congress has a say.  Just because they get elected doesn't mean that abortions will cease to exist in this country.  I'm not sure that will ever happen.  But it would be nice to limit them and it would be beneficial to women to understand better what is happening when a baby is aborted.  Planned Parenthood would call it "products of conception" or "pregnancy tissue".  They don't call it "pregnancy tissue" when it pops out screaming and wiggling.  "Products of conception" ARE babies.

I am not condemning women who choose abortion.  I think only God can do that.  However, I praise women who have the courage to deliver a baby that wasn't planned and place it in the arms of another woman who may have fertility issues.  That is a gift few people can give -- the gift of life.  I think that's a much more healthy (physically, emotionally, and medically) way to handle an unplanned pregnancy.  Just because a baby is a surprise doesn't mean the child isn't a blessing.  Please consider all this when you vote in this November's Presidential election.  There are hundreds of thousands of souls counting on you.

"Planned" Parenthood

I am always stunned by the notion that abortion is safe and that women are better for having the "right" to do it.  Abortion is detrimental to women in so many ways.  If a woman physically survives the abortion of her baby, she then has to live with the emotional scars it leaves.  Whether a woman is affected immediately or later on, when she has children and realizes that one of them has died at her hands, she suffers emotional trauma.  While a few men experience the trauma of losing a child, they don't ever have the guilt that comes from knowing they have actually done it themselves.  I've counseled women in the past who have stated that they can never forgive themselves after years of anxiety about going through with an abortion.  That is a heavy price to pay.

The Journal Lancet recently published a study on abortion and shared the following facts; Abortion rates are lower in Western Europe, where 12 of every 1,000 pregnancies are aborted, in contrast to the United States, where 19 of every 1,000 pregnancies are aborted.  Globally, the rate is 28 out of every 1,000 babies die of abortion.  Nearly 50,000 women a year die from complications of abortion.  That seems like an outrageous number until you realize that nearly 45 MILLION babies are aborted annually.  The fact is, there are no safe abortions.  Abortion risks the life of the mother and takes the life of a child.  Planned Parenthood talks about the "products of conception" or "pregnancy tissue", rather than using the term "baby" or "life", when in fact, there is a life in there.  There is a beating heart.  And recently, children as early as 24 weeks have survived with minor complications, when they could legally be aborted at that stage.  In my opinion, that is just disgusting.  I'm all about birth control and planned pregnancies.  But when that goes awry, a life is created and should be nurtured.  There is no shame in not being able to parent at any given time.  Turn a negative situation into a positive gift.  Give life, then give the gift of a lifetime to someone who really wants a family and has the ability to parent.

Abortion Law - Oklahoma Gets it Right

Today Oklahoma's new anti-abortion law was temporarily blocked while it is reviewed for constitutionality. In my view, the law is a good one and will be allowed to stand. The Center for Reproductive Rights is arguing to have it struck down. It stands to cut into their profits as abortionists. The Oklahoma law seems to be the bridge that has been needed for a long time. While many people nation-wide are reluctant to completely disallow abortion in favor of maternal right to choose, this law allows the mother to choose, with a caveat.

Before undergoing an abortion, under this new law, a mother would have to have an ultrasound, see the beating heart, and hear about the stage of development of her child. She should know this before terminating a pregnancy. It's a medical fact and shouldn't we all be informed before any surgical procedure?

While this new law is among the strictest in the nation, it makes the most sense. In counseling women who were post-abortion, I have heard many times, "I had no idea what I had done until I got pregnant again. I didn't know that the heart was beating in the first trimester. I didn't know that the baby was fully formed. What did I do?". In abortion, there is as much psychological damage as physical damage -- sometimes more. So making sure that women know what they are doing seems prudent and is in keeping with the overall care of the mother.

When a woman undergoes any medical procedure, her physician is required to describe the procedure and the risks to her. Why should abortion be any different? It's different because given the information and viewing an ultrasound would likely change the minds of many who are considering abortion. This would put a big kink in the budgets of family planning clinics around the country. Some people couldn't afford the new cars and perks. Abortion is big business and big profit. It's less about womens rights and more about selling them the alternative -- an alternative that means some people get wealthy from others' mistakes. Planned Parenthood and The Center for Reproductive Rights have a lot to lose. They're defending their way of life. Now there is an irony.

The Economics of Abortion

The Associated Press today reported that pregnant women are seeking abortions in record numbers. There's no secret as to why this is occurring -- our economy is affecting everyone. Some women who even desired and planned a pregnancy have reconsidered due to their current financial issues. A record number of abortions were performed by Planned Parenthood of Illinois clinics in January. There is no way to get up to date statistics on abortions throughout the nation, but many private and government agencies are reporting a significant increase in the abortions requested. I learned something new by reading this article. There is actually an organization called the National Network of Abortion Funds, which helps pay for abortions for women who can't afford them. Then there is the National Abortion Federation. Why don't we have something similar for adoption? It's interesting that people will donate to take a life, but not to save one. I'm not faulting women for feeling as if they can't handle additional responsibilities, financial and otherwise. I'm simply saying that there is no excuse for the fact that life is not valued as much as "choice". Shouldn't it be supported at least as much as abortion, if not more so? There should be funds to support both adoption and single parenthood when finances are the only issue standing in the way of life or death for an unborn child. Prior to that, assistance obtaining birth control would eliminate part of the problem.

Additionally, the economy is affecting those who want to plan a family. Fear of losing jobs or not having enough money to make it through the recession is causing people not to plan to have a child that they would have chosen to have. Those who have made the choice of life for their child may not have insurance to cover maternity benefits. There is so much money being spent on the abortion industry. What if all that money went to help women complete their pregnancies and get through the tough times or place their child for adoption should they have that desire? I'm praying for all of the lives lost. Who would they have been?

Tax-payer Funded Abortion

A report published November 25th by the Obama-Biden transition team entitled "Advancing Reproductive Rights and Health in a New Administration" details specific funding proposals for the future of sex education and abortion in America. Among the agencies and groups requesting enormous amounts of money from our government for abortion, contraception, and "reproductive rights" are a coalition of groups such as Planned Parenthood, Choice USA and the ACLU. These groups have submitted a 55 page document to the President with their "wish list". This bail-out includes $1 Billion in taxpayer funding for international family planning programs, $700 Million for Title X health clinics, and $65 Million for the UNFPA, an international organization which has been connected to forced abortion in China. It also seeks to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which will effectively increase taxpayer funding for abortions, including abortion coverage in any taxpayer subsidized national health care program. Americans will be paying for abortions on military bases, in the Peace Corps, and for prisoners.

I'm not sure where moral conscience comes in -- or if it does. Aside from that, the proponents of this document have lost touch with economic reality. In times when important programs, education, and jobs are being cut, why would our government spend more to pay for abortion, which is controversial to say the least? Personally, I would rather see my tax dollars going toward education so that abortion won't be an issue. I would rather see my tax dollars being spent on health care and pre-natal care for those who are pregnant, whether they want to parent or place their children for adoption. I don't want my tax dollars being spent to end a life -- any life.

Please write to your congressmen and women (I have) and let them know that you don't want your tax dollars spent on abortion and "family planning", especially in this economically challenging time, but rather on education and other worthwhile programs. These plans could easily be pushed through congress without the American public even knowing what they are paying for when they pay their taxes. If our representatives in congress get enough letters, they will bring this to the attention of the President. I'm not sure it will do any good in this pro-abortion administration, but if we know what is happening and we stand idly by and watch without intervention, then we are advocating the killing of innocents and we are contributing a portion of the money used to support such barbaric acts. If our efforts save a single life, then it will be worth the efforts. There are no unwanted babies. We have homes waiting for them. President Obama apparently doesn't know this.