Recently I saw the news – several children were murdered in cold blood.
This was not by Somali Warlord, Chechen rebel, nor Egyptian Islamist. Such atrocities occur daily – one hardly notices anymore. No, these were in the United States, by a doctor, purportedly – the sort of person normally charged with saving lives – name of Gosnell. I couldn’t help but notice.
It was an accident! No, not the murders, but the fact that I ever heard about them. It flashed through my twitter feed one day – Gosnell, failed abortions, born alive, severed spinal cords, scissors, swimming in the toilet; they “ensured fetal demise,” “around 50 times,” “when babies ‘precipitated’” – soulless, sterile accounting of a ghoulish nightmare.
The trial began March 18th. For a long while, the story wasn’t reported by the national media. I figured, they probably thought it would be a downer in the ratings. They didn’t want to tell me about it.
Well, one thing is sure – I didn’t want to hear about it. Abortion is about my least favorite subject anyway – I know it exists like I know children starve in Africa, but I can’t prevent either. But, still, I couldn’t help but notice.
Contrariwise, I’m told that, to the media, this was only a local story, like the Sandy Hook School massacre, not important enough for scarce reporters. But I recall some serious hay being made from Sandy Hook. It seemed like nearly all the media, up to and including the President, screamed bloody murder.
Damn demagogues! – using those murders, the actions of a psychopath, as emotional blackmail to try to further policy goals. Well, where are these cries of outrage now? – silent as the tomb. Where are the angry calls to release pictures of the dead children? – black as night. Where are all the sincere, heart-warming political condolences? – cold as ice.
Suddenly, all those expressions of concern for the sanctity of life ring hollow. It was only a show, a tragedy play, designed to wring concession from gullible, casual consumers of the news. I couldn’t help but notice.
Of course, the real reason for the blackout is clear – this story does not fit into any template that can be used to advance their political objectives: War on Women? – No, babies were too old to fear-monger abortion rights. Gun Control? – Nope, killed with scissors. Healthcare? – No, too closely associated with Planned Parenthood. Live and Let Die indeed!
Meanwhile, alarm was sounded in ‘new’, conservative media – weblogs (e.g. Michelle Malkin, Christian conservatives (e.g. Derrick Jeter), Internet radio (e.g. Tami Jackson) , and news sites (e.g. breitbart.com).
Finally, the hypocrisy of this willful ignorance could no longer be ignored. Kirsten Powers pointed it out in USA Today on April 12th.
“The deafening silence of too much of the media, once a force for justice in America, is a disgrace.”
With that, the blackout broke. Finally, the media began reporting – no, not on the trial, silly – on the audacity of Kirsten Powers to make such a suggestion.
Apparently it takes ‘one of their own’ for the MSM to start taking criticism seriously, when it can’t be dismissed or ridiculed as radical, right-wing, knuckle-dragging. Some agreed, grudgingly it seems, by the number and nature of subsequent articles. Others attacked, justifying the quarantine on policy grounds:
“as individual states increasingly restrict abortion rights, more and more illegal clinics, like Gosnell’s may crop up” – Eric Boehlert at Media Matters
At least, with this, we have honesty.
Abortion rights activists aren’t satisfied even with something like the 24 week limit on abortion in Pennsylvania. They want free and unfettered rights to abortion at any point, up to, including, and even after, birth. Anything less is considered an infringement on the rights of one of their biggest donor constituency groups, women.
Anything less might result in more “Gosnells.” Oh, the horror. Finally, a way to report on the Gosnell trial that makes Progressive sense – quick, somebody call the New York Times and get that story on Page One.
No wonder Barrack Obama voted against the “Born-Alive Infants Protection Act.”
They say abortion should be “safe, legal and rare.” But in reality, they want it to be unrestricted.
There’s just one, very little, problem with this – one too little to beg for a pass from it’s mother, or from these ‘doctors’ and ‘nurses,’ one too young to be of any use to the Progressive State, or to email contributions to a liberal politician:
A baby is the vessel of a soul.
It is alive. It is life. If you kill it then there is no baby. Simple fact. We all care about the health of mothers, but why the callous disregard for these defenseless little ones? Calling a baby, it, or fetus outside the womb, unborn, in utero, embryo, or some other euphemism doesn’t solve this problem.
If man has no soul then he may be killed without consequence, except that of retribution, and the existence of God is a moot point. Otherwise, man has a soul, the image of God, and deserves protection. Only a fool would argue that a baby has no soul. So, here is my question –
When Cometh the Soul?
Surely, it comes before the baby is born. Surely, before the baby is ‘viable’ in the womb. Surely, before it begins responding to its mother’s voice and to music. Surely, before it starts kicking around to get comfortable. If I were you, I wouldn’t bet on 24 weeks! How about earlier?
Take another look at those sonograms pictures. How about at 12 weeks, thumb-sucking, or six, or three? You know what? There is no way to tell! It’s probably in there all along! So just to be safe, let’s not disturb the precious little soul except when absolutely necessary. If you must…
…put the baby up for adoption. Get help.
The best way to prevent Gosnells is to eliminate the market for them. If you want to be empowered as a woman, then care for the life you’ve been given to protect. There are hundreds of life-supporting clinics nationwide that will help a young mother through pregnancy.
It’s not 1950 anymore. There are lots of options for support. Don’t be a patsy to politicians playing on your fears. Don’t let them raise money and support with this callous, dismissive, disregard for that tiny little “minority of one, as Steyn puts it. The individual is the ultimate minority. Love and protect it.
Here’s a little personal story. My unmarried daughter got pregnant. They briefly discussed an abortion. They didn’t do it. We watched every stage of that baby’s development in awe. Just now, as I was typing, the little boy, now six years old, walked up, gave me a punkish little smile and placed a music box on my bed – Nature’s Soothing Sounds. He pushed a button and turned it up. It’s a mother’s heartbeat. My heart skipped a beat, tears welled in my eyes. I kid you not!
Perhaps it is time for a national discussion on ‘Abortion Control.’ Perhaps, if it must be legal, we can at least be sure that it really is both safe and rare. What say you, Mr. President? Are you in?
After all, if it saves the life of just one child …
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