Hi all! In light of the Gosnell trial (blog post on this case forthcoming…) I thought it would be pertinent to post a paper I had to write for a political science assignment–it’s an open letter to President Obama regarding his pro-choice (read: pro-abortion) views. For the sake of space I won’t include my works cited info, but I can provide my sources upon request. Bear with me, this will be quite a long post, but I do hope you’ll read it in its entirety–perhaps it will help you to frame arguments with your pro-choice friends on why life is sacred, and why life begins at conception and deserves the right to be protected.
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April 10, 2013
Dear President Obama,
In December of 2012, after the horrific Newtown, CT shooting, you gave an impassioned speech that likely moved even the coldest of hearts to tears. In it, you emphasized the priority of our nation’s children. I quote: “This is our first task — caring for our children. It’s our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, as a society, we will be judged.” I absolutely agree with your heartfelt comments. I don’t doubt for a second you were sincere in these words, but when I consider the message of this speech—the ultimate priority in caring for our children and giving them “the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose”—I come across a major stumbling block: your pro-choice views.
President Obama, I and millions of others of Americans who have already been born—and millions more who have yet to be born—are calling on you, in your position to truly effect positive change, to live up to the words you spoke at the Newtown memorial service, and truly care for the children of this country by defending life, even at the earliest of stages.
I know that you have an extensive of history in being pro-choice. You’ve cast votes against both partial-birth and sex-selective abortion bans, and have expressed your support for federally funding Planned Parenthood numerous times. I understand and concede that different life experiences and influences leave one with a unique view of the world and these factors play into his or her opinions. No doubt you have reason for your opinion on abortion, and no doubt you cast those previously mentioned votes because you truly believed your vote to be in the right. But consider the science behind human fetal development, and see that this is not about “choice” but about life.
We often call an unborn child at first an “embryo” or a “fetus.” Note that these terms do not make that being any less human and certainly no less alive than do the terms “toddler” or “adolescent.” Those terms do not denote whether the being is human or is alive, but rather are labels of different developmental stages. Whether you call he or she an embryo, a fetus, or an unborn child, the heart begins to beat just 18 days after conception, and after four weeks from conception, “a baby’s eye, ear, and respiratory systems begin to form.” Brainwaves exist at six weeks after conception and at 9 weeks, the unborn child can sense pain. To rudimentarily but truthfully quote Dr. Suess: “A person’s a person no matter how small.”
The question here is when, exactly, does life begin? Science speaks to the fact that life begins at conception. For it is at conception, the catalyst of human development, that unique DNA is created; human development and growth are set in motion. To bring an end to this growth and development, regardless of stage, is to end a life. A person, at age 80, does not look the same as they did at age 16. Similarly, a person does not look the same as they will later in life at conception or at any stage of prenatal development—but at conception, its still a person, at the earliest stage of his or her development. It’s been said that, in general, one has a “right” to do something up until the point that it begins to impact someone else. A woman, then, does not have the “right to an abortion.” Termination of life, whether it is inside or outside the womb, is a direct act of aggression against another individual—not a “right.”
You often speak of being very pro-woman in your politics and policy decisions—but is abortion “pro-woman”? As Lila Rose points out, despite receiving millions in federal funding, the abortion industry is shockingly unregulated. Hence, abortion clinics often fall alarmingly below any standard for health, safety, and cleanliness, and in turn, women suffer. Just a few days ago, a Delaware abortion clinic came under scrutiny from shockingly unsanitary conditions, because clinics “are not subject to routine inspections.” LeRoy Carhart, late-term abortionist, “fatally injured” Jennifer Morbelli in February during a late term abortion; and unfortunately, Morbelli was not the first victim of Carhart. In 2010, 24-year-old Tonya Reaves was also fatally injured in a Chicago Planned Parenthood during an abortion. Since the Roe v. Wade decision, the lives of millions of unborn children have been terminated. But the effects of abortion are potentially fatal and altogether damaging to women, too, and a pro-woman president should realize that women deserve better than abortion.
And so, Mr. President, I call you to action on this front; you are in a position to effect positive change not only for America’s youngest and defenseless, but for mothers, fathers, and our society as a whole. If you truly want to embody the words you spoke at the Newtown memorial—that protecting our kids should be our first priority, and that every child deserves the chance to live—you can take action to promote a culture of life in America.
Promote a culture of life by emphasizing that all life, whether “planned” or “unplanned,” is something to be cherished and cared for, protected and not disposed of for the sake of convenience. Encourage women who are considering abortion in the case of rape that the best, most beautiful and most beneficial to herself and her unborn child in response to a heinous act of violence is not more violence upon an innocent party, but rather it is love for that child and the chance for that child to live the life that awaits him or her. Encourage communities to support and assist pregnant women in crisis, and to counsel them on options other than abortion—many women turn to abortion because they believe that to be the only option, but it most certainly is not. And if you must continue to support federal funding to institutions like Planned Parenthood, encourage such institutions to continue providing health services to women, but to end the devastating and dangerous practice of abortion. Encourage and promote federal support, too, for organizations like Birthright, and other crisis pregnancy centers. Lastly, promote adoption. We must let women know that though they may not be in a position to raise their child, there are better options than abortion and adoption is a beautiful one.
In your speech at the Newtown, CT memorial service, you said: “Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children — all of them — safe from harm? Can we claim, as a nation, that we’re all together there, letting them know that they are loved, and teaching them to love in return? Can we say that we’re truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?” Perhaps you, personally, can answer these questions positively after passing gun regulations, but until the lives of American children are protected from harm even at the very earlist stages of development, the answer will still be a resounding no. We cannot claim that we are letting our children know that they’re loved, nor can we teach them to love if we reduce their very existence to that of a “choice.” And we certainly cannot, in good conscience, say that we’re giving America’s children—all of them— the chance to live their lives when those very lives are systematically terminated with government approval.
You have the capability to usher in a new generation, a new culture of life in America. When you talk, people listen—your Newtown speech struck chords within the hearts of Americans, giving the country a greater resolve for the protection of our children. Live up to the words you spoke at Newtown, and stand for the protection and defense of all Americans, no matter how small, no matter how young.
Lindenwood Students for Life 