35 Years of Roe vs. Wade, Have We Learned Anything?
In January of 1973, the abortion debate became a centerpiece in American political campaigns for many years to come. The landmark ruling of the Supreme Court in Roe vs. Wade has sparked more debate and controversy than any other political issue over the ensuing 35 years. The Court in it’s decision not only gave women the “right to choose”, but also declared themselves part of the legislative branch of government by making laws and superseding the rights and powers of the individual states. January 22 marked the 35-year anniversary of the decision and activists from both sides of the debate held events to remember that historic decision.
The Alan Guttmacher Institute released a study showing that the abortion rates are starting to decline. In 2005, there were 1.2 million abortions performed in the United States. That is down from the high of 1.6 million abortions in 1990. The 2005 numbers show that the abortion rate is the lowest since 1974. While the numbers are encouraging, there were still 1.2 million babies killed in 2005. I believe part of the reason for the decline is the advancements in ultrasound technology. You simply cannot see a live picture of an in utero baby at 6 weeks and hear their heartbeat and not believe that is a living child. If you talk to an expecting mother, she will never call the child growing inside of her, a fetus. That is an innocuous term used to describe an unwanted baby, so as not to cause undue emotional stress about the fate in store for the child.
I have heard the arguments about it is a woman’s right to choose, after all it is her life, her choice, her body. It is truly a sad world that we live in that we can justify ending an innocent human life because of convenience, or career interests, or worse yet, a mistake. Doesn’t the child deserve a chance to live? To be loved?
The government needs to leave their laws off of my body. If that is the case, then why are most of the political candidates discussing Universal Health Care, in which all of us are required to obtain healthcare? Isn’t that making laws concerning our bodies? Why are there laws against illegal drugs?
The earth simply can’t sustain the population explosion that would occur if abortion were outlawed. Using that logic, shouldn’t we then start euthanizing Alzheimer’s patients, or anyone who reaches an age of 85? After all, they have lived their lives and are generally not working or contributing to society any longer.
What about those babies that have a high risk of being born with Down’s Syndrome or other developmental problems? Again, I have to ask, don’t they deserve to live and be loved? The latest Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, would not be alive today if his parents had listened to the doctors. Tim’s parents were missionaries in the Philippines when Pam Tebow became pregnant. During her pregnancy she became ill from amoebic dysentery, which caused her to slip into a coma. The doctors were able to treat her dysentery with some very strong medication that would cause irreversible damage to her unborn son. They advised that she have an abortion. The Tebows cited their Christian faith as a reason to not kill their son and prayed that Tim would be all right. 20 years later, Tim became the first sophomore in NCAA history to win the top prize for college football players. I realize that not every high-risk pregnancy ends with such a happy ending, but who are we to decide which baby lives and which baby dies?
What about cases of rape or incest? Is the child guilty of the details of their conception? There are thousands of parents waiting to adopt children in our country. They don’t care how or why the baby was conceived. They long to be able to share their lives and their love with a child.
After 35 years of abortion on demand, haven’t we learned that the killing of unborn children is wrong? Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe of Roe Vs. Wade, has changed her mind and gone on record to say that her story was false and made up to overturn the existing abortion laws. She originally claimed that she was raped in order to file the suit. She now admits that her boyfriend of the time was the father of her baby, whom she gave up for adoption after she was born. McCorvey is now a pro-life activist, seeking to change the minds of over 1 million women each year who choose to end the lives of their unborn children.
Check out this amazing story of a 21 week in utero baby
The Alan Guttmacher Institute released a study showing that the abortion rates are starting to decline. In 2005, there were 1.2 million abortions performed in the United States. That is down from the high of 1.6 million abortions in 1990. The 2005 numbers show that the abortion rate is the lowest since 1974. While the numbers are encouraging, there were still 1.2 million babies killed in 2005. I believe part of the reason for the decline is the advancements in ultrasound technology. You simply cannot see a live picture of an in utero baby at 6 weeks and hear their heartbeat and not believe that is a living child. If you talk to an expecting mother, she will never call the child growing inside of her, a fetus. That is an innocuous term used to describe an unwanted baby, so as not to cause undue emotional stress about the fate in store for the child.
I have heard the arguments about it is a woman’s right to choose, after all it is her life, her choice, her body. It is truly a sad world that we live in that we can justify ending an innocent human life because of convenience, or career interests, or worse yet, a mistake. Doesn’t the child deserve a chance to live? To be loved?
The government needs to leave their laws off of my body. If that is the case, then why are most of the political candidates discussing Universal Health Care, in which all of us are required to obtain healthcare? Isn’t that making laws concerning our bodies? Why are there laws against illegal drugs?
The earth simply can’t sustain the population explosion that would occur if abortion were outlawed. Using that logic, shouldn’t we then start euthanizing Alzheimer’s patients, or anyone who reaches an age of 85? After all, they have lived their lives and are generally not working or contributing to society any longer.
What about those babies that have a high risk of being born with Down’s Syndrome or other developmental problems? Again, I have to ask, don’t they deserve to live and be loved? The latest Heisman Trophy winner, Tim Tebow, would not be alive today if his parents had listened to the doctors. Tim’s parents were missionaries in the Philippines when Pam Tebow became pregnant. During her pregnancy she became ill from amoebic dysentery, which caused her to slip into a coma. The doctors were able to treat her dysentery with some very strong medication that would cause irreversible damage to her unborn son. They advised that she have an abortion. The Tebows cited their Christian faith as a reason to not kill their son and prayed that Tim would be all right. 20 years later, Tim became the first sophomore in NCAA history to win the top prize for college football players. I realize that not every high-risk pregnancy ends with such a happy ending, but who are we to decide which baby lives and which baby dies?
What about cases of rape or incest? Is the child guilty of the details of their conception? There are thousands of parents waiting to adopt children in our country. They don’t care how or why the baby was conceived. They long to be able to share their lives and their love with a child.
After 35 years of abortion on demand, haven’t we learned that the killing of unborn children is wrong? Norma McCorvey, the Jane Roe of Roe Vs. Wade, has changed her mind and gone on record to say that her story was false and made up to overturn the existing abortion laws. She originally claimed that she was raped in order to file the suit. She now admits that her boyfriend of the time was the father of her baby, whom she gave up for adoption after she was born. McCorvey is now a pro-life activist, seeking to change the minds of over 1 million women each year who choose to end the lives of their unborn children.
Check out this amazing story of a 21 week in utero baby
posted by Troy Stouffer at
4:54 PM
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