One can appeal to reason,
To science, natural law, or first held fact.
Another to hope, faith, love
from above.
A dignity and conscience inscribed,
in the Divine spark of newborn eyes.
Speak the words only,
of society’s past and present, rising and falling in epochal reflection.
Shadows of what could have been and echoes
of laughter that never was.
A symphony of voices ceasing
(paraphrases)
offer no justice to the violent, bloody act.
Hearts don’t change through politics.
Minds don’t embrace love through indignation.
Yet in a child’s smile, the random acts of spontaneous joy
A mother’s embrace at two, fifteen, and yes,
Even twenty four years olds like.
Perhaps in these flickers they will see. Perhaps you will see
The reason for why I proudly call myself
Pro-life.
Almost 90% of abortions are preformed within the first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy. At this state, the “baby” is little more than a pink translucent bean. The mother has a life already. It is so easy for “pro life” men to overlook the mother’s quality of life should she give birth to an unwanted child. Anyway what does this have to do with cereal?
Hi JS. Is that your real name
I don’t mean to nitpick on your word choice, but nowhere in this poem do I use the phrase “baby.” I’m well aware that many of the aborted fetuses in this country are not viable outside of the womb However, I would not go so far as to deem the millions of these fetuses “pink translucent bean(s).” Even abortion activist supporters, such as Penny Lane in a 2004 Salon magazine interview, said so much.
“I remember feeling conflicted about the magic of being pregnant. I felt electricity running through my body. Not for a minute did I not think of it as a life. I knew it was a baby.“
That a human life has been created at the moment of conception is a scientific fact. Whether or not this life is a person is not a scientific argument but a philosophical one. This point notwithstanding, 15 states and DC allow abortions up to at least the 28th week of pregnancy. Most scientific experts agree that babies born by the 27th weeks will not only live with today’s medical care, but live normal, healthy lives (http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/01/opinion/osler-abortion-viability/index.html)
I am not here to argue semantics though, in fact, I’m not here to argue at all. So let me address one point right off the bat. I don’t know if you are familiar with this blog or not, but it has become a place for me to share my thoughts and express myself on any number of things. I don’t hide this pretext at all. You’ll notice the subtitle of the blog is a very clear homage to this. Many blogs do blend common, lighter themes such as food or sports with more weighty issues. I have seen a number of food blogs in which the writers will often share how the way world and political events shape their lives and their beliefs. Whether or not I agree with whatever thoughts are shared means nothing; it’s their blog, and they should be free to express those thoughts!
Moving on…You’re right, of course. The mother does have a right, and it’s a life and quality of life that those like myself seek to preserve and even better! That’s why, at the forefront of the pro-life movement, there are pregnancy centers willing to assist women through every stage of their pregnancy and make sure the “unwanted child” has a home. We are not living in 1972. The Pro-Life movement is far from anti-woman or anti-choice. Such terms are nothing more than political fear-mongering. If anything, being pro-life is about presenting women with the choice for life – one which our society tells them they don’t have, and that an abortion is the only way. There are many organizations out there providing support for women even after abortions (http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/about-us/index.aspx). Non-judgmental, and all embracing support, may I add.
Obviously we are coming at this important issue from different perspectives, and I don’t intend to convert anyone to a position through a simple poem. However, regardless of whether or not you think Roe vs. Wade should be overturned, one cannot dispute the right of a citizen in this country to be concerned at the amount of tax dollars going to planned parenthood and its abortion business, or the shocking details at the number of abortions encouraged for sex selection reasons.
I suppose it’s easy to drop into a website, see an opinion you may feels strongly against, and typecast the writer. I also suppose it’s easy to revert to arguments about gender rights – which are very important – and label anything stated by a man on abortion to be null and void. Yet that would also ignore of millions of millions of women who understand that the question of abortion is a human rights issue, and that the culture we’ve created in which abortion-on-demand is big, tax-bolstered business, has not helped, but hurt women.
Wow, well said Adam! I agree with you 100%.
Ugh. I used to enjoy reading this blog. I love cereal, I don’t love misogyny.
I don’t love misogyny either. In fact, I hate it. As does my mother, my sister, and all my female friends and relatives who happen to be pro-life. As do the countless organizations out there devoted to providing resources and support for women thinking of, or who have already had, abortions.
I don’t know what I can say to you. If a simple poem reflecting on themes of love and hope causes you to think I’m a hate-monger, well, all I can say is that perhaps its time to practice some form of selective perception and choose not to visit this site anymore.