The Gosnell Trial and the Politics of Death

By now, I hope you've heard about the murder trial of abortionist Kermit Gosnell in Pennsylvania. The jury is out for deliberations, and there are lots and lots of charges upon which they must base their decisions. First-degree murder charges, third-degree murder charges, medical malpractice, illegal abortions, and so on. If you haven't heard about it, please check out the Wikipedia entry, or lifenews.com, or a number of other places. That'll keep you busy for a while, I'm sure, as it's fascinating, riveting, and repulsive reading. It'll no doubt become the subject of a based-on-reality motion picture, because you can't make this stuff up. That's the background scenario for this blog entry, but Gosnell isn't the subject of it.

While you can't automatically believe everything you read on the internet (and shouldn't without checking it out...even this blog), there are some truths that are self-evident. First, there is the truth that politicians often speak extemporaneously to their detriment and ridicule. Second, there is the truth that some political positions are held with a zeal generally reserved for religious dogma. 

Take, for instance, "reproductive health for women." Let's not hide behind euphemisms, shall we? "Reproductive health for women" means "a woman's right to choose." Oh, golly. Another euphemism. To choose what? The extremely short-term destiny of a "fetus." And what is a "fetus"? Why, lo and behold, it is a "baby." Medical science is making amazing strides at heroically saving the lives of babies born way, way ahead of schedule. To moms who want them, that is. The others are apparently discarded with the trash or flushed down toilets or saved in drink containers for some reason.

Yesterday, we had Senator Barbara Boxer (D - CA) saying something like "the 'problems' at the Gosnell clinic are really no different than the problems at any other clinic." (Here's a link.) If that is the case, close them all down. Now. Please.

Today, we have Representative Nancy Pelosi (D - CA), who can generally be counted on to fall on the "pro-choice" side, along with Sen. Boxer, saying something like "It [Gosnell trial scenario] is really disgusting, and when we talk about reproductive health for women, that's not what we're talking about." (Here's a link. With video.)

Really? Enlighten me. If Gosnell's "disgusting" abortion practice isn't what you're talking about when you talk about "reproductive health for women," what ARE you talking about? Because Barbara Boxer says the problems there are no different than the problems at any other clinic. Perhaps you two ladies should look at the pictures from the Gosnell trial and have a heart-to-heart over a nice cup of tea. Maybe you could remind each other that 1,200,000 American babies (disproportionately minority children, by the way) are sacrificed at the altar of abortion every year. It's a staggering number, isn't it? Let's all wring our hands at the gun violence in our country while embracing a culture of death and violence to pre-born (and apparently born-alive, too) children and their mothers. And then we can all sing "Kum-ba-yah" around the campfire and tell ourselves how progressive we are.

It takes a lot of soul-searching and truth-seeking (and embracing) and mind- (and heart) changing to admit we've been going down the wrong road, to break free of a strong delusion. And the delusion that abortion actually helps women and children, that it must be defended at all costs and at all stages, is a very strong one.

Remember the slogan "Every child a wanted child"? Abortion was supposed to help the plight of poor women. It was supposed to ensure that every child was loved and cared for. It was supposed to reduce violence against women. Ha.

Lies. All lies. The sacrifices at the altar of abortion perpetuating a culture of death. Ask yourself:  Is there less child abuse and neglect now than there was 40 years ago? Are women safer now than we were 40 years ago? And how about women living in poverty? Are there fewer of those than there were 40 years ago?

If you've had an abortion, I am not judging you. It's okay to admit you were wrong, or coerced (lots of women and girls are), or not thinking straight because you were panicking. It's okay to admit you've been hurt by abortion. It's okay to stop telling yourself it was okay, too. And it's okay to seek help to ease your pain (type "help for post-abortive women" in your search box for lots of options). I know there are moms out there who don't regret their abortions one bit and would do it all over again. I think they are also operating under a strong delusion.

As the President of the United States has said, "if there's even one life that can be saved, then we have an obligation to try." But he was referring to lives lost in gun violence rather than lives lost through abortion violence. Those, according to his voting record, he's apparently okay with. I'm not.