It is midnight the eve before I see you on the ultrasound screen for the first time. I am SO excited… and apparently pretty nervous too. I have been fighting physical symptoms of anxiety all weekend. I would much rather deal with pregnancy symptoms, if only because they are easier to explain.
Dear Lightning Bug
May 28, 2013 Dear Lightning Bug, Three days have passed since I have learned I am your mommy. Precious little jelly-bean baby, how my heart lept with the surprise of that second pink line! I don’t know if God told you before He sent you to me and…
Talk about Ugly part 1: Terms of Life
As I had expected, my previous post struck some nerves, apparently. And also as I had expected, it has raised more questions and debate than it laid to rest. At this point, I intend to elaborate on my previous “Big Ugly” abortion post in three additional posts focusing on specific angles: a primer of terms (this post), misconceptions, and the law of it. Of course, I encourage and welcome discussion. (Just forgive me if I am slow to respond since the next couple days (and weeks) will be pretty busy for me.)
Terms of Life
In order to help minimize arguments based on semantics, I would like to clarify some of the terms generally tossed around relating to the abortion debate.
Abortion – Wikipedia defines abortion as “the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death.” Though an abortion can occur naturally due to complications, I will use it solely to refer to induced abortions. Should the subject of a natural or spontaneous abortion arise, I will refer to it as a “miscarriage.”
Pro-Life – Generally used interchangeably with anti-abortion, pro-life traditionally refers specifically to human life. Wikipedia states: “The term describes the political and ethical view which maintains that fetuses and embryos are human beings, and therefore have a right to live.” I have heard arguments that individuals are personally concurrently pro-life and pro-choice; for the sake of clarity, let’s limit “pro-life” to the belief that all human life, from conception to natural death, should be protected by law.
Pro-Choice – According to Wikipedia, pro-choice as the “view that a woman should have complete control over her fertility and the choice to continue or terminate a pregnancy.” As I state above, some people claim to be pro-life and pro-choice concurrently; for the sake of clarity, I will limit “pro-choice” to refer to those who believe a woman’s productive “rights” should be protected over the rights of an unborn child.
Pro-Abortion – In favor of abortion. Generally, this term is used interchangeably with pro-choice. I have found, however, that most pro-choice people are not actually in favor of abortion itself, just the “right” for “someone else” to have one. In the event that it comes up in this or subsequent blogs, it will refer specifically to proponents of abortion. Like maybe this guy.
Types of Abortion
Please note this is by no means comprehensive!
Medical Abortion – Abortion by means of drugs or a combination of drugs.
Surgical Abortion – This is the ending of a pregnancy by surgical means, such as MVA, D&C, Saline Abortion or Partial Birth Abortion.
Late-Term Abortion – As the term suggests, a Late-Term Abortion is an abortion performed late in the pregnancy. Sources differ in what “late” refers to, with some stating “after 12 weeks,” others saying “after 16 weeks,” and the majority stating it refers to “after 20 weeks.” Should the issue come up, I will consider it to mean “after 20 weeks gestation.”
Partial Birth Abortion – Formally known as intact dilation and extraction or IDX, partial birth abortion has been used for late-term abortions.
Saline Abortion – Saline Abortion is a term occasionally used to refer to the broader term “Instillation abortion.” Instillation abortion is a method used during the second and third trimesters, by injecting a chemical (such as saline) solution into the amniotic fluid to cause uterine contractions. The chemical solution burns the baby before causing the mother to expel the child.
Manual Vacuum aspiration (MVA) – Abortion by means of a vacuum used to literally suck the baby from the mother’s womb. This is the most common type of abortion and is generally used in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Dilation and curettage (D&C) – According to Wikipedia, D&C is “the second most common method of abortion, is a standard gynecological procedure performed for a variety of reasons, including examination of the uterine lining for possible malignancy, investigation of abnormal bleeding, and abortion.” This is generally limited to the first trimester or approximately 13 weeks of pregnancy.
Selected Related Law and Legislation
Roe V. Wade – The landmark Supreme Court decision of January 22, 1973, which has shaped debate about abortion in America ever since. Google it for the details if you’re not familiar with it, or click the term for the Wikipedia entry.
Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) – Wikipedia sums up the FOCA as “a bill in the United States Congress which, if enacted, would abolish all restrictions and limitations on the right of women in the United States to have an abortion, whether at the State or Federal level.” By eliminating all restrictions and limitations, the FOCA would also “nullify the types of abortion laws that the Supreme Court has said are permitted under Roe v. Wade.” (Johnson)
Born Alive Infants Protection Act – An act of Congress to protect infants who were born alive as a result of an induced abortion.
Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act (PBA Ban) – A United States law prohibiting abortion by means of IDX.
Stay tuned for “Talk about Ugly pt. 2: misConceptions.”
The Big Ugly.
When a girl is a Mraz-loving, artsy-fartsy, tree-hugging, feminist who writes poetry, chances are she’ll be in the minority of her peers when it comes to her pro-life leanings.
In this society of politically correct niceties, the pro-life activist is labeled “narrow-minded” at best, and all too often considered a bigot. It’s “bad form” to even suggest you don’t support “a woman’s right to choose.” No wonder the issue of abortion is one so many people tiptoe around and avoid confronting: akin to religion and politics, the abortion debate has grown into the sore spot where both of those sensitive topics meet. Where the ruling of Roe v. Wade was intended to settle an issue, it has created a bloody divide instead.
I have not really delved into this issue myself for the simple fact that I was considering my audience. Which is exactly why I should have brought it up sooner.
* * * * *
This election has been making me physically ill. I have been useless at work lately, getting my work done, but not as efficiently as I should. I have been preoccupied to the point of exhaustion. I have been having nightmares about not getting to vote, about showing up late, or not being registered. I have awoken feeling as though I had spent hours crying.
* * * * *
Do you really know what a partial birth or late term abortion is or how one is performed?
“But,” some assert, “Obama supports restrictions on late term abortions and only really supports the procedure when the mother’s health is endangered.” The Partial Birth Abortion Ban affords the senator and fellow pro-abortion fans such a loophole, one that allows partial birth abortions to continue under the guise of “protecting the mother’s life.”
For the record, The Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 states:
Hundreds of ob-gyns and fetal/maternal specialists, along with former Surgeon General Koop have come forward to unequivocally state that “partial-birth abortion is never medically necessary to protect a mother’s health or her future fertility.” In fact, the procedure can significantly threaten a mother’s health or ability to carry future children to term. The American Medical Association has said the procedure is “not good medicine” and is “not medically indicated” in any situation.
… so why is the loophole necessary if not to abuse it?
* * * * *
Do you know what infanticide is?
* * * * *
My second child was born premature. The span of 50 minutes from when my doctor confirmed that I was “going to have this baby today” to when I actually delivered was among the most frightening experiences of my life. We were fortunate that he was not dangerously early. But still, his lungs were underdeveloped, so he was swept away as soon as he was delivered, taken to be teathered to a ventilator, IV, feeding tube, heart monitor…
But because he was wanted, he survived.
* * * * *
Without the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, a premature baby who is marked for abortion but survives is not afforded any right* to medical care for the simple fact that the child was unwanted by the birth mother. (*Due to the language of Roe v. Wade, we apparently can’t just say “a baby is a baby — care for it.”)
The Born Alive Infant Protection Act prevents the disposal of such children.
* * * * *
I am aware that abortion is not the only issue at stake this election. Nor is it the only life-affirming issue to up for consideration: the war, poverty issues, and health care fall under the same umbrella. However, I believe the issue of Life is the most important issue.
To consider a child to be less than human simply because he or she is not wanted by his or her birth mother, to me, that is evil.
Let’s put it this way: if you witnessed a mother walk up to a train track and lay her newborn down on it and walk away, would you rescue the child? Or would you leave the child to die because that’s what the mother wanted? Isn’t that question absurd?! You don’t even have to be smarter than a 5th grader to know it would be wrong to leave the child to die.
But that’s exactly what that man is choosing.
And as far as I can see, any person who cannot make such an obviously straightforward moral choice ought not be handling any other matter facing our nation.
* * * * *
I expect I’m down to only one reader from now on. But maybe I can sleep tonight for a change.
a previously censored portion of my "I like bacon" post
I considered opening this with a disclaimer, but then I remembered: this is my blog, and I’m not forcing anyone to read it, let alone agree with it. So here goes.
I am Catholic, an actual Catholic who believes & agrees with the Pope. (Ok, at least most of the time. There are, admittedly, some doctrines I struggle with.) With that in mind, Pope Benedict summed up so much of my Catholic-worldview beliefs in his message delivered on the World Day of Peace this year (January 1, 2008):
Respecting the environment does not mean considering material or animal nature more important than man. Rather, it means not selfishly considering nature to be at the complete disposal of our own interests…
With that context, we should respect and be good stewards of our environment, but not at the expense of human life; we should respect and have compassion for all God’s creatures, but, again, not at the expense of human beings.
One question this raises for me is whether we should eat meat, since we can survive without it. I’m still not going to expound on that issue yet.
The bigger issue for me, though, is the hypocrisy that I have encountered regarding the value of animal life versus that of human life. I know there will be some out there who’ll take offense to my separation of the two, but human beings are not just “other animals,” and animals are not human and should not be afforded the same rights as human beings. They deserve humane treatment, yes, absolutely, but not human rights.
However, human life deserves human rights.
Anyone who knows me knows I am adamantly pro-life, something that is reflective of my Catholic beliefs, but that is based in much more than religion for me. That’s not to say I can’t put myself in the place of the single woman facing an unplanned pregnancy, the impregnated rape victim, or the woman with health issues that could prevent her from carrying a baby full-term safely. However, as empathetic and codependent as I am, I know in my core that human life begins at conception.
A little over a month ago on December 31st, I had the opportunity to visit the Body Worlds exhibit while it was in Charlotte. The exhibit was one of the most amazing, grotesquely beautiful things I have ever seen. It was uncomfortable to view, yet incredibly magnetic. (This blog covers the exhibit well.) One part of the exhibit focused on fetal development. The curtained off area included human embryos from 4 through 8 weeks, fetuses from 16 weeks (I think) through 34 weeks, and a woman who was eight months pregnant, with her in utero baby exposed. As awesome (and hard to take) as the pregnant woman and babies were, the embryos probably amazed me most: I’d read it before and seen photographs, but to see the spine on a 4 week old* embryonic baby and to see the fingers on an 8 week old baby the size of a nickel, there is no doubt that these are children.
So, back to the beginning: where I see hypocrisy is in those people who are adamant animal rights advocates…and card-carrying pro-Roe supporters. I have a hard time understanding how someone can argue that hogs should have the right to move in their pens without being passionate that a child has a right to live.
My issue is really that simple.
* A baby’s gestational age is calculated from the mother’s last menses, typically about 2 weeks before her ovulation. Hence, a baby is 2 weeks old gestationally before s/he is even conceived! For me, that fits so perfectly with Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”