My dear friend Lindsay shared a story on my Facebook account about a "for the health/safety of the mother" situation, which led me to consider my position in more detail.
To be clear, I believe life is precious and the life of the unborn needs advocacy from those of us with a voice. Simply making all abortion criminal, while it may save lives, does not solve the problem that abortion has become in the world. There are situations where, for reasons unknown and often unsolvable, the life of the baby jeopardizes the life of the mother. It is for this reason that I am thankful for C-sections. Both because it enabled my mother to safely bring me into the world, and also because it enabled me to bring my own son into the world.
Choosing one life over another is never an easy decision, nor should it be. My issue with abortion in America is that it has become too emotionally detached. I am not saying that women who have abortions do not struggle with the decision--They do and should.
Abortion is always the ending of life. When that is recognized and the life lost is mourned, the world will be a better place for it. Ending one life to save another should only be an option when both lives cannot be saved. In my other post I said I would give up my life to save the life of my child. Obviously, I would have to make a more difficult choice should the life I want to save not be saveable. In early pregnancy when the baby cannot live outside the womb, ending the life of the baby--though a horrible tragedy--is better than losing the lives of both mother and baby. However, this type of abortion is not the type done in most abortion and Planned Parenthood clinics. THAT type of abortion--done more often than not for the convenience of the mother, not for sound medical reasons--should have more severe consequences.
As I said above, making abortion illegal does not completely solve the problem. Many argue we can't make it illegal because it would drive it underground where it is more dangerous for the mother. Which is essentially, "they're going to get an abortion anyway, so let's make it safer and easier for them". This reminds me of the "safe sex" argument. "Our teens are going to have sex anyway, so let's make it safer and easier for them by providing condoms and trying to rid premarital sex of the consequences". The difference is with abortion you're dealing with the lives of THREE (or more), not just one or two.
So if making abortion illegal isn't the final answer and keeping it legal is wrong, what should we do? Tell the truth to our young people. Abortion is the ending of a life, not wiping the slate clean. Ending the life of a baby should be done only for life-threatening medical reasons, not for convenience. Adoption should be the answer for unwed mothers who cannot raise a child, not abortion. The government should not fund abortions. Pro-lifers should spend more time helping women in need at pregnancy crisis centers instead of yelling outside of abortion clinics and worse. Teens in high school health class should be shown an ultrasound of a baby 8-12 weeks old. Doctors in hospitals who perform NECESSARY abortions should not sugar-coat it with scientific wording--A "fetus" is still a BABY no matter how small.
Ending a life is a serious decision with emotional and physical consequences. My heart goes out to families who have had to make the difficult choice of choosing one life over another. But I also thank them. I thank them for RECOGNIZING the LIFE. The life of our unborn. Please, be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Right to Life
Aedan Lee Barb, 12 weeks. A precious life.
I don't usually get political on places like Facebook and such, mainly because I have friends on both sides of every issue and I'd like to keep them and not argue. However, I saw a book today at B&N that, combined with that awesome video floating around Facebook (check out my profile if you want to see it), really got me going on the topic that is closest to my heart. And I am very passionate about it, so I will not apologize if I offend you. If you're offended, stop reading because it will probably only get "worse" as I keep going. The book was called "Un-Planned".
Here's the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Unplanned-Dramatic-Planned-Parenthood-Eye-Opening/dp/1414339399/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296172494&sr=1-1
I read the cover and flipped through a couple pages and, without having to read much, got that painful feeling in the chest I get everytime I know I'm going to bawl my eyes out. This is a book I would NEVER read, even though I'm sure it's superb, simply because I would cry the whole way through it and, as most of you know, I don't read books that make me cry, with the exception of Little Women.
So this post is about why I am pro-life. Why I think abortion is murder. And why I believe those who are pro-choice need to open their eyes and see the LIFE that is right in front of them. And as I said above, no apologies. This is my blog and since, thankfully, I live in the USA I can say whatever I want. If you don't agree, you don't have to read it. But I hope you do, because I believe what I am writing to be Truth. So here it goes.
In the United States, we have "been endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights"..."life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". The right to life. Here in the US we have the right to breath oxygen, live out our sum of days, and die when God calls us home. That is why murder is a crime. Now let me define murder. I think we can all agree on this one. Murder is one human being killing another human being. Pretty straight forward. So my question is this. WHY is abortion NOT murder?
The answer for some is that a fetus is either not a human being or part of the mother so that if the MOM decides to end it's life it's not actually murder. In many states, if not the entire US, I'm not sure, if someone ELSE kills a pregnant woman it counts as the murder of TWO human beings. Yet, for some reason, if the mother chooses to end the life of the fetus, it is her "right".
So the question becomes, when does life begin? Some Christians argue conception. I'm one of them. It makes scientific sense. However, let's leave that one out for a second and go for a really easy one. How about life begins when there is a heartbeat? That makes sense. The argument against that is that a baby cannot live apart from the mother. But how does that make any more sense--a baby is not "alive" or "a human being" until 28-34ish weeks when it can technically live, albiet with support, outside of the mother? What about the fact that, even though the baby is dependant on the mother to life, it has all 5 fingers, all five toes, a heartbeat, a working brain, REM sleep (possibly dreams--I think baby's dream of Heaven personally--working organs, even fingernails and hair?
The reason why pro-choice people do not want the fetus to be recognized as a living being when the heart starts beating is clear. Most little hearts start beating when the baby is THREE WEEKS OLD. Around 22 days gestation. I think I might have just found out I was pregnant at 22 days, and that's because I was paying close attention. I would feel it was a safe bet to say most abortions happen AFTER 22 days.
In the book Unplanned, the author writes about how she helped perform an ultrasound-aided abortion and that is what led her to quit working for Planned Parenthood. She realized the truth of what she was doing. I don't know how far along the woman was who had the abortion, but I remember clearly my 12 week ultrasound with Aedan. It was CLEAR to both of us that this tiny being inside me was ALIVE! He was squirming and kicking and flipping all over the place, even though I couldn't feel him moving for a couple more weeks. This precious bundle inside me was a HUMAN BEING with eyes and ears, a heartbeat, and all his "pieces" sewn together by The Master Craftsman.
The argument behind being pro-choice is that it should be the right of the mother to decide what to do with her body. Sure, I agree with that. I have the right to tatoo, pierce, dress, and do whatever I darn want to my body. But that small being inside you is NOT YOUR BODY sweetheart. It's SOMEONE ELSE who just happens to be growing inside you because she needs a safe place to develop into the beautiful being she is and will grow up to be. SHE IS NOT YOU. HE IS NOT YOU. They are their OWN INDIVIDUAL. They have separate DNA. Their own heart and organs. No person has the RIGHT to murder another human, whether they live inside you at the moment or not.
Then there is the issue of rape and/or incest. This is the most emotionally charged argument I think. But even that horrible event does not give a woman the right to end the life of another. If a woman does not think she can love the baby inside because of the way in which he/she was conceived, the answer is adoption. Yes, she will have to life through 9 months of carrying a baby. But when I think of all the women out there who cannot have children and want them so badly, the very idea of other women purposefully killing their children is even more heartbreaking.
Finally, there is the one I never could really understand. Abortion if the baby shows signs of a disability or "to save the life of the mother". I have been blessed with a perfectly healthy baby. I don't know how I would react if my next one or ones to come have issues like Downs or something else. What I do know is that all life is precious and I am not God. My doctor is also not God. I know several beautiful children who have disabilities, heart defects, etc. Who are we to decide who has the right to live?
As for the saving the life of the mother, I don't hear much about this one. I don't know any mothers who had to go through this, or at least they don't talk about it. But for me, my life is in God's hands. I would gladly give up my life for my baby, should it one day be required of me. Because I would rather stand in front of the throne of the Father and know I gave up my life for another than know I took the life of an innocent in an attempt to save my own. My children are my future. I live on through them. They are my legacy.
"What we do in life echoes in eternity."
I want my echo to be one of LIFE. Precious, precious life.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Catching Up :)
Okay, these are the rules -
Link to the person who tagged you. <--Jodi did...I'm too lazy atm to link.
Paste these rules on your blog post.
Respond to the following prompts (in bold).
Add a prompt of your own and answer it.
Tag a few other bloggers at the bottom of the post.
Leave "Tagged You" notices on their blog/Facebook.
Let the person who tagged you know when you've written the post.
1) The best investment you ever made:
Financially, either my car or my PC business.
Generally, people. I love investing myself--my time, my energy, my love--in people. I am rich with the rewards.
2) If you could’ve written any book, directed any movie, and composed any song, which three would you pick:
Book: Anne of Green Gables. If I was an author, I'd want to be L.M. Montgomery.
Movie: Sleepless in Seattle. It's an icon.
Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Classic, but I have to wonder if I could have written better words. ;)
3) Weirdest quirk:
I love owning shoes, but hate wearing them. There will occasionally be a trail of my shoes throughout the house because I take them off as soon as I can and don't always put them away. In the summer I either never wear shoes or I take my sandals off at the first opportunity. My feet need to be free!!!
4) One wish immediately granted:
To be making enough with PC and the preschool to allow Jeremy to only have 1 job and be home more.
5) Most expensive hobby:
Oh definitely shopping. My only hobby that requires money to be spent. :P
6) An inexhaustible gift-card at which store:
TJ Maxx. There is ALWAYS something I want in that store.
7) In another lifetime, you’d be:
A famous soprano, author, and talented decorator with 5 kids and a big house with furniture from Pier 1. ;)
Link to the person who tagged you. <--Jodi did...I'm too lazy atm to link.
Paste these rules on your blog post.
Respond to the following prompts (in bold).
Add a prompt of your own and answer it.
Tag a few other bloggers at the bottom of the post.
Leave "Tagged You" notices on their blog/Facebook.
Let the person who tagged you know when you've written the post.
1) The best investment you ever made:
Financially, either my car or my PC business.
Generally, people. I love investing myself--my time, my energy, my love--in people. I am rich with the rewards.
2) If you could’ve written any book, directed any movie, and composed any song, which three would you pick:
Book: Anne of Green Gables. If I was an author, I'd want to be L.M. Montgomery.
Movie: Sleepless in Seattle. It's an icon.
Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Classic, but I have to wonder if I could have written better words. ;)
3) Weirdest quirk:
I love owning shoes, but hate wearing them. There will occasionally be a trail of my shoes throughout the house because I take them off as soon as I can and don't always put them away. In the summer I either never wear shoes or I take my sandals off at the first opportunity. My feet need to be free!!!
4) One wish immediately granted:
To be making enough with PC and the preschool to allow Jeremy to only have 1 job and be home more.
5) Most expensive hobby:
Oh definitely shopping. My only hobby that requires money to be spent. :P
6) An inexhaustible gift-card at which store:
TJ Maxx. There is ALWAYS something I want in that store.
7) In another lifetime, you’d be:
A famous soprano, author, and talented decorator with 5 kids and a big house with furniture from Pier 1. ;)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Victoria story updated
Here is my writing course assignment 7. It's an edit of my assignment 4--"Victoria, Queen of the World". My advisor thinks this is my best piece, so I may actually try to do something with it. :) Three more assignments, then I'm DONE! Finally! (It's just sad those 3 more assignments will probably take 6 months to complete with all the time given for editing and mailing back and forth. Ah well. The end is near!!!
Without further ado, "Victoria, Queen of the World".
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a princess? Some girls think that princesses sit around all day playing with a golden ball or singing and dancing. Other girls think that princesses are always beautiful and live happily ever after. Two hundred years ago there was a princess who wrote about her life in a journal, just like you may keep a diary today. Her name was Victoria, and though she would grow up to be a famous queen, she first had to survive the “Kensington System”.
Her Royal Highness Alexandrina Victoria was born May 24, 1819. Her father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and her mother was Princess Victoria Mary Louisa, Duchess of Kent. Her mother called her “Drina” because she was small and Alexandrina is a very long name!
Princess Drina’s childhood was not happy. Drina lived in London in a castle called Kensington Palace with her mother and Baroness Louise Lehzen. Her father died when she was a baby. Sir John Conroy, her mother’s advisor—someone who gives advice and manages the money—also lived in the palace with his family. The princess loved the Baroness (she called her “Lehzen”, pronounced “Letz-en”) very much, but she did not like Sir Conroy. He frightened her and Drina’s mother did everything he told her to do.
Drina’s mother was very protective. She and Sir Conroy set up the “Kensington System”, a strict set of rules that Drina had to obey. She was not allowed to be in a room by herself, she had to hold someone’s hand to go up or down the steps, and she had to share a room with her mother until she was eighteen! She did not know many children, except Sir Conroy’s, so she often had to play by herself or with Baroness Lehzen. She did not go to school with other children and her mother and Sir Conroy chose who she could play with. Princess Drina did not like the “Kensington System” so sometimes she would be disobedient on purpose. She would refuse to do her schoolwork, not listen to Sir Conroy, and be rude to her mother.
Even though Drina did not go to school, she still had lessons every day. Her mother and Baroness Lehzen, chose what she would study. The Baroness was her governess, a lady who lives with and teaches children who do not go to school. She also had tutors for some subjects, like mathematics, history, dancing, and religion. She wrote letters to her uncle Leopold too, telling him what she was learning. Leopold was the King of Belgium. He wanted to make sure that England, when Drina was queen, would continue to help his country.
Drina studied history, geography, and arithmetic as well as drawing, music, and the Bible. Girls did not study science when she was growing up. By the time she was eighteen Drina could speak and write in German, English, and French. She enjoyed reading books, playing the piano, and going to the theater. She also loved playing with her spaniel, Dash. The princess loved to draw and write, which was one reason why she kept a journal about her life. Sometimes she would add drawings, or illustrate, her entries. She continued to keep a journal, or diary, for the rest of her life!
Members of the royal family did not have jobs like your parents. The palace Drina lived in, including almost everything in it, belonged to her uncle the king. She and her mother were given an allowance to pay for their clothes, food, and to help take care of Kensington Palace.
When Drina was eleven, her uncle—King George the Fourth—died. Her other uncle, William, became the new king because George and his wife had no children. King William and Queen Adelaide did not have children either, so Princess Drina became “heir apparent”, meaning she would be the next ruler. Now her life was not so quiet and boring.
As “heir apparent” she was suddenly very important! Her uncles, King Leopold and King William, wanted her to study more about history and government so she would know how to be a good queen. Sir Conroy, though, did not want her to study because he thought she was too young to rule a country. He wanted her to sign a regency order which would give him and her mother the power to make the decisions. The princess did not want him telling her what to do when she was queen. She knew she could rule on her own. The young princess also decided that she did not want to be called Drina anymore. She thought it was childish and preferred her middle name, Victoria. Now she was called Her Royal Highness, Princess Victoria.
Victoria turned eighteen on May 24, 1837. She could now legally rule on her own without the help of Sir Conroy or her mother. There would be no regency. In her journal she wrote “Today is my 18th birthday! How old! And yet how far am I from being what I should be. I shall from this day…strive to become every day…more fit for what, if Heaven will it, I’m someday to be!” She met with the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, to plan what she would need to do once she became queen. As Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne was the leader of Parliament, which makes the laws in Great Britain. As queen, Victoria needed to work with the members of Parliament to accomplish her goals for improving the lives of her people.
Three weeks after Victoria’s birthday, her uncle William died. Princess Victoria was now Her Majesty, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland! Once she was queen, Victoria told her mother she would have her own bedroom and meet with her advisors alone, both things she was never allowed to do under the “Kensington System”. She and her mother moved into Buckingham Palace, which had just been finished, and Victoria quickly banished Sir Conroy from the Royal Court, ending his control over her forever.
Sidebar: June 28, 1838 was Victoria’s coronation where she was formally crowned queen. She ruled Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, India, and parts of Africa and the Caribbean for 64 years. She is the longest reigning British monarch. She and her husband, Prince Albert, had nine children, 40 grandchildren, and 37 great-grandchildren. Her great-great granddaughter, Elizabeth, is the Queen of the United Kingdom today. Queen Victoria died January 22, 1901 when she was 81 years old. Little Princess Drina had grown up to be the most powerful woman in the world!
Without further ado, "Victoria, Queen of the World".
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a princess? Some girls think that princesses sit around all day playing with a golden ball or singing and dancing. Other girls think that princesses are always beautiful and live happily ever after. Two hundred years ago there was a princess who wrote about her life in a journal, just like you may keep a diary today. Her name was Victoria, and though she would grow up to be a famous queen, she first had to survive the “Kensington System”.
Her Royal Highness Alexandrina Victoria was born May 24, 1819. Her father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and her mother was Princess Victoria Mary Louisa, Duchess of Kent. Her mother called her “Drina” because she was small and Alexandrina is a very long name!
Princess Drina’s childhood was not happy. Drina lived in London in a castle called Kensington Palace with her mother and Baroness Louise Lehzen. Her father died when she was a baby. Sir John Conroy, her mother’s advisor—someone who gives advice and manages the money—also lived in the palace with his family. The princess loved the Baroness (she called her “Lehzen”, pronounced “Letz-en”) very much, but she did not like Sir Conroy. He frightened her and Drina’s mother did everything he told her to do.
Drina’s mother was very protective. She and Sir Conroy set up the “Kensington System”, a strict set of rules that Drina had to obey. She was not allowed to be in a room by herself, she had to hold someone’s hand to go up or down the steps, and she had to share a room with her mother until she was eighteen! She did not know many children, except Sir Conroy’s, so she often had to play by herself or with Baroness Lehzen. She did not go to school with other children and her mother and Sir Conroy chose who she could play with. Princess Drina did not like the “Kensington System” so sometimes she would be disobedient on purpose. She would refuse to do her schoolwork, not listen to Sir Conroy, and be rude to her mother.
Even though Drina did not go to school, she still had lessons every day. Her mother and Baroness Lehzen, chose what she would study. The Baroness was her governess, a lady who lives with and teaches children who do not go to school. She also had tutors for some subjects, like mathematics, history, dancing, and religion. She wrote letters to her uncle Leopold too, telling him what she was learning. Leopold was the King of Belgium. He wanted to make sure that England, when Drina was queen, would continue to help his country.
Drina studied history, geography, and arithmetic as well as drawing, music, and the Bible. Girls did not study science when she was growing up. By the time she was eighteen Drina could speak and write in German, English, and French. She enjoyed reading books, playing the piano, and going to the theater. She also loved playing with her spaniel, Dash. The princess loved to draw and write, which was one reason why she kept a journal about her life. Sometimes she would add drawings, or illustrate, her entries. She continued to keep a journal, or diary, for the rest of her life!
Members of the royal family did not have jobs like your parents. The palace Drina lived in, including almost everything in it, belonged to her uncle the king. She and her mother were given an allowance to pay for their clothes, food, and to help take care of Kensington Palace.
When Drina was eleven, her uncle—King George the Fourth—died. Her other uncle, William, became the new king because George and his wife had no children. King William and Queen Adelaide did not have children either, so Princess Drina became “heir apparent”, meaning she would be the next ruler. Now her life was not so quiet and boring.
As “heir apparent” she was suddenly very important! Her uncles, King Leopold and King William, wanted her to study more about history and government so she would know how to be a good queen. Sir Conroy, though, did not want her to study because he thought she was too young to rule a country. He wanted her to sign a regency order which would give him and her mother the power to make the decisions. The princess did not want him telling her what to do when she was queen. She knew she could rule on her own. The young princess also decided that she did not want to be called Drina anymore. She thought it was childish and preferred her middle name, Victoria. Now she was called Her Royal Highness, Princess Victoria.
Victoria turned eighteen on May 24, 1837. She could now legally rule on her own without the help of Sir Conroy or her mother. There would be no regency. In her journal she wrote “Today is my 18th birthday! How old! And yet how far am I from being what I should be. I shall from this day…strive to become every day…more fit for what, if Heaven will it, I’m someday to be!” She met with the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, to plan what she would need to do once she became queen. As Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne was the leader of Parliament, which makes the laws in Great Britain. As queen, Victoria needed to work with the members of Parliament to accomplish her goals for improving the lives of her people.
Three weeks after Victoria’s birthday, her uncle William died. Princess Victoria was now Her Majesty, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland! Once she was queen, Victoria told her mother she would have her own bedroom and meet with her advisors alone, both things she was never allowed to do under the “Kensington System”. She and her mother moved into Buckingham Palace, which had just been finished, and Victoria quickly banished Sir Conroy from the Royal Court, ending his control over her forever.
Sidebar: June 28, 1838 was Victoria’s coronation where she was formally crowned queen. She ruled Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, India, and parts of Africa and the Caribbean for 64 years. She is the longest reigning British monarch. She and her husband, Prince Albert, had nine children, 40 grandchildren, and 37 great-grandchildren. Her great-great granddaughter, Elizabeth, is the Queen of the United Kingdom today. Queen Victoria died January 22, 1901 when she was 81 years old. Little Princess Drina had grown up to be the most powerful woman in the world!
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