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Monday, August 29, 2016
Gerard Nadal: Apologist for Pro-Life Exceptions Strikes Again, by SarahSt. Onge
A short time ago, Gerard Nadal, apologist extraordinaire for pro-life exceptions, posted a social media status update which essentially claimed those of us who fought against exceptions in pro-life legislation were making "idols of our consciences". The accolades for his outrageous statement were (sadly) generally supportive from his followers.
In the past, he has also positioned himself as morally superior by declaring us "petulant" for wanting to save the lives of babies who would be passed over by laws riddled with exceptions. He was supported by his followers in this characterization of us as well.
The problem with his position is his refusal to even entertain the possibility of passing no exceptions pro-life laws. For a man who claims to have such an immense faith in a God who can work any wonder, his lack of belief in this matter is troubling.
Politics has fooled people into believing that exceptions are necessary to pass pro-life laws.
This is incorrect.
First, we need to acknowledge that when we speak of "exceptions," we are generally speaking of classes of persons targeted within legislation which prohibit abortions after 20-24 weeks, as most states allow unfettered abortion up until then.
As of late, exceptions apply to late-term abortion laws.
There have been a number of significant pieces of state-level legislation which contain no exceptions for abortions (please see footnote).
Alabama, Michigan, Indiana, and Wyoming are just a few states which do not have exceptions in their late-term abortion laws. (Note, link is a pro-choice resource because Americans United For Life which tracks pro-life legislation has made the decision not to track exceptions within abortion legislation -- a distinct indication of its relevance to them.)
It is simply not true that pro-life persons cannot pass abortion laws without exceptions: even New York, which has some of the most permissive abortion laws in the US, does not have exception clauses in its abortion cut-off.Let me repeat that:
New York does not have exceptions in their late-term abortion legislation -- the state we all lament for its high abortion rates and its war against African-American babies.
That state, has no exceptions.
This lie that exceptions are necessary has been perpetuated for too long. We are blatantly attacked by the likes of Gerard Nadal for speaking this truth, and it's time we push back!
We don't need exceptions in abortion limitations to push them through the legislative process.
When we've come to a point where the most pro-choice state in the US recognizes the right-to-life of a late-term unborn child without discrimination, yet conservative pro-life legislators in conservative, pro-life states cannot persuade other politicians to support abortion prohibitions without exceptions, this is a problem..... We need to find new, more persuasive legislators, and better pro-life leaders worthy of following and supporting.
The answer to the "abortion dilemma" is not to continue compromising -- it's to make it clear we will not elect representatives who do not take a firm stand against abortion, no matter what the circumstances.
When politicians say, "we won't get support without compromise", who do you think they are compromising with? Pro-choice legislators?
Generally speaking, pro-choice legislators will vote against virtually any pro-life law. They don't care what the parameters of the proposed legislation are.
Our allegedly pro-life legislators and leaders aren't compromising with them. When politicians and activists talk about compromise, they are talking about compromise within the pro-life contingent. It's pro-life legislators they are having to make exceptions for, Right to Life PAC-endorsed pro-life representatives who are debating the merits of these laws and their proposed exceptions.
And they're arguing the content of pro-life laws based on your potential vote. They don't want to lose you -- their pro-life constituents -- as voters.
It's time to stop this nonsense once and for all.
The state has a compelling interest in protecting all of its citizens. Science has proven the humanity of the fetus at all stages of development, regardless of the condition of conception or future outlook in terms of disability. Unborn children are citizens, and deserving of the same protections as everyone else. There is no reason for pro-life legislators to hold out on fetal anomaly, rape or incest exceptions, especially when the pro-life grass roots voters have been in the dark that these discriminatory exceptions are even within these proposed laws!
The state has a compelling interest in protecting all of its citizens. Science has proven the humanity of the fetus at all stages of development, regardless of the condition of conception or future outlook in terms of disability. Unborn children are citizens, and deserving of the same protections as everyone else. There is no reason for pro-life legislators to hold out on fetal anomaly, rape or incest exceptions, especially when the pro-life grass roots voters have been in the dark that these discriminatory exceptions are even within these proposed laws!
The ball is in our court -- your court.
Don't blame officials you've elected for not being capable of compromise. They're only doing what we are asking them to do.
Don't let pro-life "hot shots" make claims which are proven false with a minimal amount of research and lack of care -- having made the determination in their own sense of wisdom that certain children are expendable.
Don't let people convince you to compromise on your principles by creating an atmosphere of fear. Because this is what they do: they make you afraid of the collapse of any abortion legislation.
Don't let pro-life "hot shots" make claims which are proven false with a minimal amount of research and lack of care -- having made the determination in their own sense of wisdom that certain children are expendable.
Don't let people convince you to compromise on your principles by creating an atmosphere of fear. Because this is what they do: they make you afraid of the collapse of any abortion legislation.
We have the power to end exceptions in laws limiting abortions, and save lives. Other states have done it. Liberal, pro-choice-controlled states have done it.
All it would take is a unified voice of pro-life people clarifying that pro-life means pro-life. Not pro-life except for those who were conceived in rape and/or incest or those with abnormalities.
How many of you privately don't support, and are uncomfortable with, legislation which doesn't protect all preborn human life?
How many of you go along with compromise due to expediency?
How many of you don't say anything because every time you do, someone calls you heartless or tells you you're being divisive?
How many of you are tired of being called "petulant" because you're disappointed by another year of abortion legislation which doesn't save the most vulnerable?
I know I am.
(footnote: Federal law requires that all states have exceptions for life of the mother in their abortion legislation)
BIO: Sarah St. Onge is a wife, mother of 4, step-mother of 2, and pro-life blogger for Save The 1. She blogs on grief, loss, and pro-life issues pertaining to continuing a pregnancy after a lethal anomaly has been diagnosed, at www.shebringsjoy.com.
How many of you privately don't support, and are uncomfortable with, legislation which doesn't protect all preborn human life?
How many of you go along with compromise due to expediency?
How many of you don't say anything because every time you do, someone calls you heartless or tells you you're being divisive?
How many of you are tired of being called "petulant" because you're disappointed by another year of abortion legislation which doesn't save the most vulnerable?
I know I am.
(footnote: Federal law requires that all states have exceptions for life of the mother in their abortion legislation)
BIO: Sarah St. Onge is a wife, mother of 4, step-mother of 2, and pro-life blogger for Save The 1. She blogs on grief, loss, and pro-life issues pertaining to continuing a pregnancy after a lethal anomaly has been diagnosed, at www.shebringsjoy.com.Tuesday, August 23, 2016
My Daughter Made It Easier to Get Past the Rape, by Michelle Olson
It was one of
the darkest periods of my life – I was going through turmoil with my parents, a
bad split with the father of my two sons, betrayed by friends, and ended up on
the streets, on a waiting list for a homeless shelter. I had nothing and nobody left. I prayed for death to come. Within a week, instead of dying, I was raped.
I found out I
had gotten pregnant from the rape. Having been raped
I tried to call
an agency about putting the baby up for adoption, but I couldn't make the
call. Every time I tried, I would cry so
hard. I finally decided I wanted to keep
my baby.
She made it
easier to get past the rape. I got a beautiful baby girl from what happened to
me. She is sweet, loving, and beautiful.
What I went through was nothing compared
to the joy my little girl has brought to my life. God had given me a reason to keep going. My little girl is my miracle baby.
My sweet angel helped me in more
ways than I can count. She makes the
world a brighter place. My daughter may
seem like an inconvenience to someone who has never met her, being conceived by
rape and having disabilities. Anyone who
knows her also knows love and kindness that is unconditional. The neighbors smile when they see her and wait
for the hugs.
We now live in
Texas where Alice has gotten speech, occupational,
Through all of
this experience, I adopted my closest friend as my mom. And it just so happens that her only child was
also conceived by rape. She has been a
source of comfort through everything, and she is proud to call Alice her
granddaughter.
I actually have
two very close friends with children conceived by rape, but they don't really
talk about it. One was 16 and kicked out
of her parents house for getting pregnant.
She never told her parents until her son was about 12 that she was raped
by her boyfriend. She had been raped
before and the rapist father pushed her into an abortion at the age of 14. She still feels bad about it to this day, but
was determined not to let it happen again when she got pregnant with her son.
The other was in college and didn't know she was pregnant until
she was pretty far along. She says had
she known earlier in the pregnancy, then she’s certain that at that time, she
would have had an abortion. She was
going to put him up for adoption, but changed her mind. She was never able to
carry another baby to term and he is her only child. After he grew up, she decided to volunteer at
a crisis pregnancy center, and her son is the reason she is now pro-life!
So if you have a story like ours, know that you are not alone,
and I hope this encourages you.
BIO: Michelle Olson is a
mother of three from Texas and a pro-life blogger for Save The 1.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
I'm One of Three and I Disagree! by Angela Grogg
Today I stumbled upon an article from The River Front Times discussing the barriers that the State of Missouri has for women seeking abortions. As a Missourian and a post-abortive woman, I take great exception with this glossed-over attempt to paint abortion as nothing more than an afterthought. Alison Dreith suggests that a woman who seeks an abortion does not need time to reflect or think, they "just need it.”
I fought for the 72-hour waiting period and even went to the State Capital to speak about my own abortion experience. I find it insulting that she can so casually dismiss the loss that I and millions of women experienced because of abortion. Yes, there is shame, there is loss, and there is a lifetime of emotional pain involved with abortion. It's not isolated -- it is widespread and the norm. This is the ugly little secret that the pro-abortion supporters don't want to talk about.
I fought for the 72-hour waiting period and even went to the State Capital to speak about my own abortion experience. I find it insulting that she can so casually dismiss the loss that I and millions of women experienced because of abortion. Yes, there is shame, there is loss, and there is a lifetime of emotional pain involved with abortion. It's not isolated -- it is widespread and the norm. This is the ugly little secret that the pro-abortion supporters don't want to talk about.
Missouri is not restricting women from having abortions. The 72-hour waiting period is designed to provide the woman time to reflect and ensure she is making a truly informed decision. It is there so she does not feel pressured and offers her time to seek other alternatives if she so chooses. The thing that Ms. Dreith is missing is, once that decision is made, there is no going back. There is no returning to the clinic and having the baby magically placed back in our wombs. This is a decision that deserves, at the very least, 72-hours.
Let's be real here. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, we are talking about a life. No matter which side of this issue you are on, we can all agree that a life is being taken. Why does the 72-hour wait scare the pro-aborts so badly? Is it that they care more for the woman? No. Sadly, they know if they let those women go, then there's a chance they won't come back, and they will lose that money. It is about the money.
Let's be real here. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, we are talking about a life. No matter which side of this issue you are on, we can all agree that a life is being taken. Why does the 72-hour wait scare the pro-aborts so badly? Is it that they care more for the woman? No. Sadly, they know if they let those women go, then there's a chance they won't come back, and they will lose that money. It is about the money.
I received my abortion at Hope Clinic in Granite City, Illinois. My experience at that clinic was vastly different from the experience described by Ms. Dreith. At first, they appeared very caring and genuinely concerned for me, but when I entered the abortion room, things changed. As I laid there and cried uncontrollably, the nurse kept telling me to "shut up" and the doctor repeatedly told her to get me under control. I can still remember the bruises on my shoulders from being held down. I was screaming that I wanted my baby and that I did not want to go through with the abortion. I had changed my mind, but it did not matter -- they were going to do it anyway.
I also remember every girl in the recovery room. There were no casual conversations or discussions, no smiles, no laughter. No plans were being made for BBQ's later in the day or week. A heavy cloud of death permeated the room and the painful reality of our "choice" was slowly and permanently closing in on us. That is my memory of The Hope Clinic.
I was unable to walk out of the clinic. My father carried me in his arms. The pro-life sidewalk counselors weren't screaming and they weren't "shaming” me. They were praying for my soul and the soul of my child. And as I was entering the clinic, they understood the weight of my decision and what I was about to face. Don't get me wrong -- the clinic did offer counseling; however, it was at an additional cost.
I also remember every girl in the recovery room. There were no casual conversations or discussions, no smiles, no laughter. No plans were being made for BBQ's later in the day or week. A heavy cloud of death permeated the room and the painful reality of our "choice" was slowly and permanently closing in on us. That is my memory of The Hope Clinic.
I was unable to walk out of the clinic. My father carried me in his arms. The pro-life sidewalk counselors weren't screaming and they weren't "shaming” me. They were praying for my soul and the soul of my child. And as I was entering the clinic, they understood the weight of my decision and what I was about to face. Don't get me wrong -- the clinic did offer counseling; however, it was at an additional cost.
I now work within the pro-life world and I am very confused by Ms. Dreith’s vague comments concerning the “lies" that crisis pregnancy centers tell women. What are the lies? Why didn’t she name them? I can tell you first-hand that there are no lies being told. Crisis pregnancy centers are very careful to tell the truth. They tell these young girls and women that it is going to be challenging and at times hard. The difference, though, is an abortion clinic affirms these women's fears that they can't do it, that there is no hope, and that abortion is the only answer. They do everything they can to affirm to them that they will not make it unless they have the abortion.
Crisis pregnancy centers walk with these women. They don't leave them or abandon them when the baby is born. They are there as long as the woman needs support, providing a hand up. Crisis pregnancy centers fight for women, we give them the tools they need to make it in life and to give their babies life!
I went through a post-abortion recovery program totally free at a crisis pregnancy center. At no point in time did anyone ever try to shame me or condemn me for my "choice." The love and compassion I received and thousands of women every year receive did not come from Planned Parenthood -- it came from a pregnancy care center.
Crisis pregnancy centers walk with these women. They don't leave them or abandon them when the baby is born. They are there as long as the woman needs support, providing a hand up. Crisis pregnancy centers fight for women, we give them the tools they need to make it in life and to give their babies life!
I went through a post-abortion recovery program totally free at a crisis pregnancy center. At no point in time did anyone ever try to shame me or condemn me for my "choice." The love and compassion I received and thousands of women every year receive did not come from Planned Parenthood -- it came from a pregnancy care center.
I respectfully ask every woman in the great State of Missouri who is facing an unplanned pregnancy to please go to the nearest pregnancy resource center and talk to the volunteers before ever entering a Planned Parenthood. The services are free; from pregnancy tests to STI testing, from post-abortive counseling to helping her choose an alternative to abortion. They are literally waiting to serve these women with love, understanding, compassion, and HOPE! I promise you that if you walk into one of these centers, you will leave with hope!
There may be one Planned Parenthood which does abortions in our state but there are over 70 pregnancy resource centers which will give a woman all the love and support she needs during an unexpected pregnancy. Here is a link to all these abortion alternative centers in Missouri: https://ramahinternational.org/help-in-your-area/missouri/
BIO: Angela Grogg is a founding member of Hope after Rape Conception and a pro-life speaker and blogger for Save The 1. Her 14 yr old daughter conceived a son through rape. Finding out early on that Missouri had no laws to protect rape victims and their children, she tirelessly lobbied to change that and on 8/28/12, SB 638 became law, protecting victims and their children from being victimized further by the rapist. Angela is also post-abortive.
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