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.
Showing posts with label unplanned pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unplanned pregnancy. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Election 2008 and the ever-present abortion debate
This November, there is more at stake than who should be our next President. In several states, there are life or death measures on the ballot. California voters will have a chance to make a difference with Proposition 4, which seeks to require notification of parents or guardians when unemancipated minors seek an abortion. My 14 year old son can't take an aspirin at school without parental permission. His girlfriend, however, can have a surgical procedure which includes anesthesia and significant blood loss. I can imagine a teenager going to get an abortion and not revealing (or not knowing) important past medical history, which could prove not only dangerous, but fatal. Presumably her parents would be notified if that happened. It seems ludicrous to me that I have control over whether my child can go to a movie or school dance, but I have no control over whether an abortion is performed on her. This measure is meant to protect young people and reduce the rate of abortion. I realize that most young people fear telling their parents about the fact that they have been sexually active. Some opponents of this initiative and others like it argue that these children are at risk from abusive parents if they tell them. My argument to that is to get them out of that abusive home. Let them tell a school counselor, teacher, trusted friend, or clergy person who could intervene and make sure that they are not at risk. We were all teenagers once and we likely all feared how parents would react if confronted with that very issue. The reality is that even though there would likely be some repercussions, most parents would get over the initial anger and support their children. Proposition 4 provides for judicial override of the notification requirement "based on clear and convincing evidence of the minor's maturity or best interests". Parents can also sign a Department of Health Services form authorizing an abortion without prior parental notice. No notice is required if a physician concludes that the abortion is necessary to save the minor's life. That would account for considerably less than 1% of the abortions requested by teens.
A few statistics to think about...
* The consequences of Roe v. Wade -- 48, 589,993 abortions. Of course, in the time it has taken you to read this blog article, the number has increased and continues to do so.
* Nearly half of all pregnancies among American women are unintended. 4 in 10 of those unplanned pregnancies are terminated by abortion.
* In the U.S. 22% of all pregnancies end in abortion.
* In 2005, the most recent year that statistics are readily available, 1.21 million abortions were performed in the U.S.
* At current rates, one-third of all American women will have had an abortion by the age of 45.
* The risk of death associated with abortion increases with the length of time the pregnancy has progressed. At under eight weeks, there is one death for every million abortions. There is one death per 29,000 procedures when the pregnancy is 16-20 weeks. At 21 or more weeks, there is one death per 11,000.
* Teens are more likely than older women to delay having an abortion until after 15 weeks of pregnancy, when the medical risks are significantly higher.
Some would argue that without legal abortion, more women would die due to seeking illegal abortions. The fact is that before the first legalized abortions, the death rate from back alley abortions had already dropped quite significantly. The reason? The availability of antibiotics to combat infection. Once Penicillin was readily available, the death rate when down. the U.S. Bureau of Vital Statistics reports that in 1972, the year BEFORE Roe v. Wade, there were only 39 women who died from illegal abortions. By comparison, there were 54 deaths from legal abortions when Roe v. Wade passed. In 1975, 87% of obstetricians and gynecologists in the U.S. had to hospitalize at least one patient due to complications of legal abortions.
The following are possible complications of abortion:
* Genital tract infection is a common occurrence (according to a report by Johns-Hopkins University in the American Journal of OB/GYN vol 128, no. 5, 1977)
* infection, hemorrhage, or uterine perforation, which can all result in death.
* pelvic abscess due to perforation of the uterus and sometimes the bowel, which can also result in death.
* infection of the uterus or fallopian tubes can do permanent damage. With infection, a fallopian tube can be sealed shut, causing future reproduction difficulties.
* uncontrolled bleeding, sometimes requiring blood transfusions and sometimes resulting in death. Approximately 16,000 women annually are transfused due to post-abortion complications. Viral hepatitis is transmitted in up to 10% of those cases. Ultimately, 32 deaths result annually from hepatitis transmitted during or after abortions. AIDS can also be transmitted, although screening for AIDS is much more thorough than previously.
* blood clots. While blood clots can also be the cause of death of mothers who deliver babies normally, they can also cause death in otherwise healthy women who have abortions.
* amniotic fluid embolism has "emerged as an important cause of death from legally induced abortion. Treatment is ineffective." (American Journal of OB/GYN, vol 41, 1981)
* disseminated intravascular coagulation. This is a sudden drop in blood clotting ability which can cause extensive internal bleeding and death. This can result from hyper-tonic saline abortions. (JAMA, vol 225., No.1, July 1973). In recent years, this has been used less commonly.
The statistics regarding deaths due to abortion are hazy because some deaths do not occur until weeks or months later and are the result of complications of the procedure. These cases are not always reported as being due to abortion. For example, if a perforated uterus leads to a pelvic abscess and sepsis (or blood poisoning), which leads to death, the official cause listed may list pelvic abscess and septicemia, rather than abortion. Death due to an ectopic pregnancy years later caused by scarring of the fallopian tubes would not be reported as a death due to abortion, even though the cause of the closed fallopian tubes was the abortion.
Depression and guilt following abortion has lead to suicide. While the actual cause was the abortion, the cause of death listed is suicide. It's impossible to calculate the actual death rates caused by abortion because of the length of time it takes for some of these deaths to occur. Because the death rate is under-reported, the statistics are actually much lower than the reality.
Women will die from pregnancy and abortion. For those who die from abortion, the numbers have drastically reduced in the years since antibiotics became more available. Now, the only difference is that more mothers are dying from legal, rather than illegal, abortions.
We'll talk about the motivation of the abortion mills in a future blog, but for now my message is simply this -- Our daughters are precious and the lives they could potentially carry are equally precious. I saw a bumper sticker once that said "Abortion: One dead, one wounded". It stuck with me because it's so true. I once did some lay counseling for an organization which provided a safe haven for women who experienced unplanned pregnancy. I recall one woman telling me, "After all these years I can't forgive myself for killing my first child". After having three children, she realized that the baby she aborted was, in fact, the same as any one of them. It is no longer taboo to be pregnant out of wedlock. It is no longer shameful to give birth if you are not married. In fact 45% of all babies born last year in the U.S. were born to single mothers. There is no longer any reason to hide in shame simply because of a pregnancy. There are better alternatives than the ones being presented to our children. I, for one, would feel that MY rights were violated if someone performed surgery on one of my children without me knowing about it. Consider these things when you go to the polls in November and vote to respect life.
A few statistics to think about...
* The consequences of Roe v. Wade -- 48, 589,993 abortions. Of course, in the time it has taken you to read this blog article, the number has increased and continues to do so.
* Nearly half of all pregnancies among American women are unintended. 4 in 10 of those unplanned pregnancies are terminated by abortion.
* In the U.S. 22% of all pregnancies end in abortion.
* In 2005, the most recent year that statistics are readily available, 1.21 million abortions were performed in the U.S.
* At current rates, one-third of all American women will have had an abortion by the age of 45.
* The risk of death associated with abortion increases with the length of time the pregnancy has progressed. At under eight weeks, there is one death for every million abortions. There is one death per 29,000 procedures when the pregnancy is 16-20 weeks. At 21 or more weeks, there is one death per 11,000.
* Teens are more likely than older women to delay having an abortion until after 15 weeks of pregnancy, when the medical risks are significantly higher.
Some would argue that without legal abortion, more women would die due to seeking illegal abortions. The fact is that before the first legalized abortions, the death rate from back alley abortions had already dropped quite significantly. The reason? The availability of antibiotics to combat infection. Once Penicillin was readily available, the death rate when down. the U.S. Bureau of Vital Statistics reports that in 1972, the year BEFORE Roe v. Wade, there were only 39 women who died from illegal abortions. By comparison, there were 54 deaths from legal abortions when Roe v. Wade passed. In 1975, 87% of obstetricians and gynecologists in the U.S. had to hospitalize at least one patient due to complications of legal abortions.
The following are possible complications of abortion:
* Genital tract infection is a common occurrence (according to a report by Johns-Hopkins University in the American Journal of OB/GYN vol 128, no. 5, 1977)
* infection, hemorrhage, or uterine perforation, which can all result in death.
* pelvic abscess due to perforation of the uterus and sometimes the bowel, which can also result in death.
* infection of the uterus or fallopian tubes can do permanent damage. With infection, a fallopian tube can be sealed shut, causing future reproduction difficulties.
* uncontrolled bleeding, sometimes requiring blood transfusions and sometimes resulting in death. Approximately 16,000 women annually are transfused due to post-abortion complications. Viral hepatitis is transmitted in up to 10% of those cases. Ultimately, 32 deaths result annually from hepatitis transmitted during or after abortions. AIDS can also be transmitted, although screening for AIDS is much more thorough than previously.
* blood clots. While blood clots can also be the cause of death of mothers who deliver babies normally, they can also cause death in otherwise healthy women who have abortions.
* amniotic fluid embolism has "emerged as an important cause of death from legally induced abortion. Treatment is ineffective." (American Journal of OB/GYN, vol 41, 1981)
* disseminated intravascular coagulation. This is a sudden drop in blood clotting ability which can cause extensive internal bleeding and death. This can result from hyper-tonic saline abortions. (JAMA, vol 225., No.1, July 1973). In recent years, this has been used less commonly.
The statistics regarding deaths due to abortion are hazy because some deaths do not occur until weeks or months later and are the result of complications of the procedure. These cases are not always reported as being due to abortion. For example, if a perforated uterus leads to a pelvic abscess and sepsis (or blood poisoning), which leads to death, the official cause listed may list pelvic abscess and septicemia, rather than abortion. Death due to an ectopic pregnancy years later caused by scarring of the fallopian tubes would not be reported as a death due to abortion, even though the cause of the closed fallopian tubes was the abortion.
Depression and guilt following abortion has lead to suicide. While the actual cause was the abortion, the cause of death listed is suicide. It's impossible to calculate the actual death rates caused by abortion because of the length of time it takes for some of these deaths to occur. Because the death rate is under-reported, the statistics are actually much lower than the reality.
Women will die from pregnancy and abortion. For those who die from abortion, the numbers have drastically reduced in the years since antibiotics became more available. Now, the only difference is that more mothers are dying from legal, rather than illegal, abortions.
We'll talk about the motivation of the abortion mills in a future blog, but for now my message is simply this -- Our daughters are precious and the lives they could potentially carry are equally precious. I saw a bumper sticker once that said "Abortion: One dead, one wounded". It stuck with me because it's so true. I once did some lay counseling for an organization which provided a safe haven for women who experienced unplanned pregnancy. I recall one woman telling me, "After all these years I can't forgive myself for killing my first child". After having three children, she realized that the baby she aborted was, in fact, the same as any one of them. It is no longer taboo to be pregnant out of wedlock. It is no longer shameful to give birth if you are not married. In fact 45% of all babies born last year in the U.S. were born to single mothers. There is no longer any reason to hide in shame simply because of a pregnancy. There are better alternatives than the ones being presented to our children. I, for one, would feel that MY rights were violated if someone performed surgery on one of my children without me knowing about it. Consider these things when you go to the polls in November and vote to respect life.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The economics of adoption
With all of the talk about national economics and the current state of affairs in our country, families who adopt have to consider what it will cost to adopt. In addition, birth parents tend to place (in most cases) because of family economics. With so many families losing their homes, jobs in jeopardy, and an uncertain future, how are families financing adoption? First of all, adoption doesn't have to break the bank. While there are agencies who charge the price of a new Mercedes, they aren't the only option. Adoption can be affordable. Adoption can generally be done (for most families) for just a few thousand dollars out of pocket.
In some states, there is a state adoption credit. Missouri is a good example, allowing up to 5K to be refunded to MO residents who have completed an adoption. The Federal tax credit for adoption is now at $11,700.00 and may go up to 15K. Many large companies and a few small ones are offering adoption benefits as well. A lot of the time, you may have adoption benefits, but don't know until you contact your company. They may not publicize it simply because there aren't that many people in one company interested and so they expect that you will check if you want to access them. So, be sure to talk to your human resources and benefits people to find out. Even with all of those incentives and benefits available, the money for adoption -- home study fees, advertising fees, legal fees, etc. -- has to be expended when you are actually in the adoption process and then you recover the money later on after you have finalized. So, if you have to rob the piggy bank, at least you can return most of that to your savings at a later time.
If you don't have savings and are just trying to pull together enough to adopt, some of my clients have used some ingenious ways to fund their adoptions. One family got their whole family together and asked them to donate whatever they didn't want (a garage sale of sorts) to be posted on e-bay and sold toward the cost of their adoption. Their family and extended family got very excited about being able to help and they raised $7,000.00 toward their adoption goal! In another family, the man who would be grandpa wanted to help not only his daughter and her husband to adopt, but wanted to help himself become a "papa". He was a talented candy maker, so he made batches of his wonderful candy to sell at various functions and at Christmas and helped them fund their adoption. Can you imagine that story being told to his little granddaughter year after year at Christmas? It's truly a Christmas story in itself -- about how grandpa wanted his little granddaughter so much that he made sweets so he could have a sweetie! Another family held garage sales, opened an "adoption account" and told family members..."For our birthdays and Christmas, all we really want is a child, so if you feel that you want to give us something, contribute to our adoption savings". It wasn't long before they had enough to complete their adoption.
Last year and before, with interest rates going down, many families re-financed their home and took equity out. I'm not sure that would be feasible at this point, since most of us have lost a great deal of the equity previously stored in our homes. That will all come back at some point, but for now, refinancing may not be an option, although it's worth looking into. If you want to adopt, get creative and you can find a way to generate the funds. When we want something badly, we generally find a way to get it, so get creative and use your talents. I remember another family who made their own Christmas ornaments and sold them on line. If you are crafty, that is something that can be turned into adoption funds. Church communities have pulled together as well to help their own parishoners to adopt. In talking to your church, remind them that "it takes a village" and that adopted child will have more Godparents than they can count!
Birth parents generally place a baby for adoption because of the lack of funds to raise a child. It's becoming harder and harder, in the current economy, for two-income families to earn enough to raise a child, so it's no wonder that single moms are having a tougher time and may have to make decisions based on economics. The worse the economy gets, it would seem the more placements may happen. At least that is a reasonable assumption. Only time will tell if that is true, but I believe the more our economy slumps, the more difficult it will be for those who are living paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet, forcing some who have experienced an unplanned pregnancy to consider adoption. At least I hope they consider adoption before abortion. Even in these hard economic times, the birth of any child is still a blessing.
In some states, there is a state adoption credit. Missouri is a good example, allowing up to 5K to be refunded to MO residents who have completed an adoption. The Federal tax credit for adoption is now at $11,700.00 and may go up to 15K. Many large companies and a few small ones are offering adoption benefits as well. A lot of the time, you may have adoption benefits, but don't know until you contact your company. They may not publicize it simply because there aren't that many people in one company interested and so they expect that you will check if you want to access them. So, be sure to talk to your human resources and benefits people to find out. Even with all of those incentives and benefits available, the money for adoption -- home study fees, advertising fees, legal fees, etc. -- has to be expended when you are actually in the adoption process and then you recover the money later on after you have finalized. So, if you have to rob the piggy bank, at least you can return most of that to your savings at a later time.
If you don't have savings and are just trying to pull together enough to adopt, some of my clients have used some ingenious ways to fund their adoptions. One family got their whole family together and asked them to donate whatever they didn't want (a garage sale of sorts) to be posted on e-bay and sold toward the cost of their adoption. Their family and extended family got very excited about being able to help and they raised $7,000.00 toward their adoption goal! In another family, the man who would be grandpa wanted to help not only his daughter and her husband to adopt, but wanted to help himself become a "papa". He was a talented candy maker, so he made batches of his wonderful candy to sell at various functions and at Christmas and helped them fund their adoption. Can you imagine that story being told to his little granddaughter year after year at Christmas? It's truly a Christmas story in itself -- about how grandpa wanted his little granddaughter so much that he made sweets so he could have a sweetie! Another family held garage sales, opened an "adoption account" and told family members..."For our birthdays and Christmas, all we really want is a child, so if you feel that you want to give us something, contribute to our adoption savings". It wasn't long before they had enough to complete their adoption.
Last year and before, with interest rates going down, many families re-financed their home and took equity out. I'm not sure that would be feasible at this point, since most of us have lost a great deal of the equity previously stored in our homes. That will all come back at some point, but for now, refinancing may not be an option, although it's worth looking into. If you want to adopt, get creative and you can find a way to generate the funds. When we want something badly, we generally find a way to get it, so get creative and use your talents. I remember another family who made their own Christmas ornaments and sold them on line. If you are crafty, that is something that can be turned into adoption funds. Church communities have pulled together as well to help their own parishoners to adopt. In talking to your church, remind them that "it takes a village" and that adopted child will have more Godparents than they can count!
Birth parents generally place a baby for adoption because of the lack of funds to raise a child. It's becoming harder and harder, in the current economy, for two-income families to earn enough to raise a child, so it's no wonder that single moms are having a tougher time and may have to make decisions based on economics. The worse the economy gets, it would seem the more placements may happen. At least that is a reasonable assumption. Only time will tell if that is true, but I believe the more our economy slumps, the more difficult it will be for those who are living paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet, forcing some who have experienced an unplanned pregnancy to consider adoption. At least I hope they consider adoption before abortion. Even in these hard economic times, the birth of any child is still a blessing.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Politics and Pregnancy
I don't generally talk politics, since most political discussions are arguments waiting to happen. However, on the day that Sarah Palin, the woman who may be the next Vice-President, is set to talk at the Republican National Convention, I am making an exception. I, like many others in this country, didn't know much about Sarah Palin when John McCain named her as his running mate. I had read about her pregnancy and her child who has Down's Syndrome, and her winner-take-all politics in Alaska, but I confess to not having given her much of a thought. All that has changed now and I have been reading all I can about the woman who could be "a heartbeat away" from the Presidency. I have found her to be vibrant, spunky, very interesting, and worthy of consideration. The women of this country make up just over half of the registered voters. If all of us voted en bloc we would be unbeatable. Girl power! That won't happen, of course. I can only hope that women will consider other women when they vote. I am talking about unborn women. Virtually half of all aborted babies would eventually become women. In our country, they don't have rights until they come out kicking and screaming. Of course, if someone kills a pregnant woman and her baby dies with her, then there are two counts of murder. How can you have a second count of murder when the baby isn't a life? Our society has double standards. If you want your baby and it's killed, it's murder. If you don't want your baby and it's killed, it's "choice".
I do respect a woman's right to choose. She should have a right to choose when she has sexual relations and with whom. She has a right to choose to use birth control or not to use birth control methods. If she becomes pregnant despite (or in spite of) these choices, she has a choice to raise her child, have family raise her child, or place her child for adoption. I don't think compounding an already complex and difficult situation with the loss of a life is a viable choice. I remember seeing a bumper sticker about abortion. It said, "Abortion - one dead - one wounded". I've never read a more true statement. A woman who has endured an abortion, even "by choice", suffers in many ways for the rest of her life, no matter what she believes will occur in the after-life.
Now that Governor Palin has revealed that her 17-year-old daughter is five months pregnant, critics are coming out of the woodwork. I have parented two children (with one yet to go) who were 17 at one time. I'm not sure that anyone can cast stones if they are living in modern times. I haven't met the parents who are with their children (and what if there are more than one?) 24/7. We all teach our children our values and hope that they have learned from us. But who among us has never made a mistake or done something that could have conceivably gotten us into trouble? It happens. It happens in good families. The Kennedy family, long known as the U.S. version of royalty, didn't live in Camelot. Their children had issues with drugs, rape, suicide, drunk driving, and even murder. They weren't perfect. We revered them as if they were -- but they weren't. The fact that Sarah Palin and her husband have embraced their daughter and accepted what has happened with grace and fortitude is a sign of strength and commitment. The situation is far from ideal for them and I would wager that they didn't hope to make this announcement, whether during the Republican National Convention or not. But, they are dealing with it and supporting their daughter. They didn't, as a family, sweep it under the rug and rush her off to an abortion clinic to get rid of the problem. That would have been the easy way out, especially for a woman who could be President some day. Instead, Sarah Palin is practicing what she preaches. As a family, they have opted to respect life. I'm sure they explored the the option of adoption with their daughter, but the choice was made for her to parent this baby. I respect that. While some criticize Governor Palin's policy of promoting abstinence, I think she can have it both ways. I think she can promote abstinence and promote life at the same time. I have no doubt, her daughter knows about birth control and protection (What 17 year old in the USA is that oblivious with information everywhere?). She's a teenager and likely impulsive, and she failed. It happens. The fact that she's not compounding an unplanned pregnancy with an abortion is admirable. Sarah Palin herself opted to carry a baby with Down's Syndrome to term. She is not a pro-life mouthpiece. She is living her belief.
John McCain is pro-life. He also practices what he preaches. Many have criticized him for his wealth. So he married a woman with money! Just because they have wealth, doesn't mean they don't have core values. She has voluteered and contributed to many worthy causes and it's hard to find something negative to say about what she does for others. She has set up philanthropic foundations and is active in children's and women's health issues. While in Bangladesh, she met Mother Theresa and heeded the call to "help this little one" and brought two special-needs orphans to the United States. The McCains adopted one child and their friends adopted the other. I don't believe their critics have adopted. If they had, they would know the real value of life and of nurturing a child who needs a home.
In our world today, too many people take life for granted. Too many don't view life as having the value that it should. In some countries, little girls are abandoned and thrown away simply because they are female. In some cultures, it is an "honor" to commit suicide while killing others -- all in the name of God or Allah or whatever they choose to call our higher power. If we don't respect life at a very basic level and we don't teach our children that life begins once two cells combine and begin multiplying into what will result (barring interruption) in a human being, we can't expect that our lives or the lives of our children will be respected. As a society, we have become so callous toward death and violence on the movie screen and so indifferent towards children being abused that we are creating our own criminals with no conscience. We are disgusted by those who would take the lives of our loved ones with disregard, but they have not been taught to respect life. It does take a village.
John McCain and Sarah Palin are not perfect. I think it would be unreasonable to expect them to be. I do think, however, that they are honorable people who want the best for their families and their nation. The fact that they are willing to stake their political careers on their beliefs and fight for the unborn is honorable. I will not criticize their opponents, as I think that they mean well also. However, for those of us who feel that life is still precious and fragile and worth saving, there isn't a question about where to place our mark on the ballot.
I do respect a woman's right to choose. She should have a right to choose when she has sexual relations and with whom. She has a right to choose to use birth control or not to use birth control methods. If she becomes pregnant despite (or in spite of) these choices, she has a choice to raise her child, have family raise her child, or place her child for adoption. I don't think compounding an already complex and difficult situation with the loss of a life is a viable choice. I remember seeing a bumper sticker about abortion. It said, "Abortion - one dead - one wounded". I've never read a more true statement. A woman who has endured an abortion, even "by choice", suffers in many ways for the rest of her life, no matter what she believes will occur in the after-life.
Now that Governor Palin has revealed that her 17-year-old daughter is five months pregnant, critics are coming out of the woodwork. I have parented two children (with one yet to go) who were 17 at one time. I'm not sure that anyone can cast stones if they are living in modern times. I haven't met the parents who are with their children (and what if there are more than one?) 24/7. We all teach our children our values and hope that they have learned from us. But who among us has never made a mistake or done something that could have conceivably gotten us into trouble? It happens. It happens in good families. The Kennedy family, long known as the U.S. version of royalty, didn't live in Camelot. Their children had issues with drugs, rape, suicide, drunk driving, and even murder. They weren't perfect. We revered them as if they were -- but they weren't. The fact that Sarah Palin and her husband have embraced their daughter and accepted what has happened with grace and fortitude is a sign of strength and commitment. The situation is far from ideal for them and I would wager that they didn't hope to make this announcement, whether during the Republican National Convention or not. But, they are dealing with it and supporting their daughter. They didn't, as a family, sweep it under the rug and rush her off to an abortion clinic to get rid of the problem. That would have been the easy way out, especially for a woman who could be President some day. Instead, Sarah Palin is practicing what she preaches. As a family, they have opted to respect life. I'm sure they explored the the option of adoption with their daughter, but the choice was made for her to parent this baby. I respect that. While some criticize Governor Palin's policy of promoting abstinence, I think she can have it both ways. I think she can promote abstinence and promote life at the same time. I have no doubt, her daughter knows about birth control and protection (What 17 year old in the USA is that oblivious with information everywhere?). She's a teenager and likely impulsive, and she failed. It happens. The fact that she's not compounding an unplanned pregnancy with an abortion is admirable. Sarah Palin herself opted to carry a baby with Down's Syndrome to term. She is not a pro-life mouthpiece. She is living her belief.
John McCain is pro-life. He also practices what he preaches. Many have criticized him for his wealth. So he married a woman with money! Just because they have wealth, doesn't mean they don't have core values. She has voluteered and contributed to many worthy causes and it's hard to find something negative to say about what she does for others. She has set up philanthropic foundations and is active in children's and women's health issues. While in Bangladesh, she met Mother Theresa and heeded the call to "help this little one" and brought two special-needs orphans to the United States. The McCains adopted one child and their friends adopted the other. I don't believe their critics have adopted. If they had, they would know the real value of life and of nurturing a child who needs a home.
In our world today, too many people take life for granted. Too many don't view life as having the value that it should. In some countries, little girls are abandoned and thrown away simply because they are female. In some cultures, it is an "honor" to commit suicide while killing others -- all in the name of God or Allah or whatever they choose to call our higher power. If we don't respect life at a very basic level and we don't teach our children that life begins once two cells combine and begin multiplying into what will result (barring interruption) in a human being, we can't expect that our lives or the lives of our children will be respected. As a society, we have become so callous toward death and violence on the movie screen and so indifferent towards children being abused that we are creating our own criminals with no conscience. We are disgusted by those who would take the lives of our loved ones with disregard, but they have not been taught to respect life. It does take a village.
John McCain and Sarah Palin are not perfect. I think it would be unreasonable to expect them to be. I do think, however, that they are honorable people who want the best for their families and their nation. The fact that they are willing to stake their political careers on their beliefs and fight for the unborn is honorable. I will not criticize their opponents, as I think that they mean well also. However, for those of us who feel that life is still precious and fragile and worth saving, there isn't a question about where to place our mark on the ballot.
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