I was talking to a teen girl whom I will call Beth the other day. A political commercial came on the television and one candidate was slamming the other for wanting to take away a “woman’s right to choose.” The ensuing conversation was enlightening and disenheartening.
Today’s youth, by and large, are more pro-life than pro-choice. This is a welcome change and one that I have been delighted to see. They seem to understand that an unborn child is just that, a child. Not a “clump of cells” not a “fetus” but a child. They call it a baby because it is a baby. Why? Well because the science of today backs up what mothers have always known: that when a child is conceived it has its own unique DNA, making it a separate person.
Science, via ultrasound, shows exactly when a heart starts beating (Week 5 of pregnancy, which is actually 3 weeks or 21 days pregnant, per the Mayo Clinic). Most women are just suspecting they are pregnant by the time the baby has a heartbeat. By 12 weeks, still first trimester and legally abortable for any reason, the baby looks like a baby. It will fit in your hand, but it has hands, feet, fingers, toes, a face, etc. and looks like what it is, a child. Just about every teen today has seen their own ultrasound pictures, or those of siblings. They know what many in the abortion industry simply won’t admit… a child in utero is a human being who deserves a chance to live and thrive.
Beth said as much. She claimed to be pro-life and said in no uncertain terms that an unborn baby is a baby and deserves life. Except. Yes, there is that troublesome except. Beth bought into the “rape exception” arguments we hear all the time, even from professed pro-lifers. It troubled me.
I am pro-life with no exceptions. That even includes the death penalty. I’m not saying it isn’t a struggle. If someone harmed or murdered one of my children I’d be hard pressed to really stay anti-death penalty. I can even imagine that I’d be so enraged that the police better get to them before I do – Mama Bear isn’t messing around! I hope I never have to face that. But after giving it serious thought several years back, if someone professes to be pro-life they can’t be pro-death penalty or pro-exceptions to abortion. Every life is precious to God, with no exceptions.
Rape is a horrible crime. Incest is as well. Child molestation is terrible. No equivocation, no buts. Women and girls should never be subjected to any of them, ever. The unfortunate fact is that sometimes babies are conceived from these dreadful circumstances. Abortion advocates say “abort them, no woman should be forced to live with the consequence of an attack.” So do some who call themselves pro-life. I have one question for them: What crime, exactly, did that child commit that they deserve a death penalty?
Think about it. The father committed a crime, for sure. The mother is a victim of it, absolutely. The worst punishment that the father would have to face is jail for a number of years. No state in this country would award the death penalty for a rape. Not one. It is a violation of the 8th Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. So why is it ok to sentence the other truly innocent in the equation to death? They had absolutely no choice or input into their conception. That choice belonged to another.
Whether abortion is chosen as an “oops boyfriend and I got pregnant” or because the mother was raped/molested, that child didn’t ask to be conceived. That child did absolutely nothing wrong. That child is the one that pays with their life for the crime of conception? Really? You can argue all you want about “why should the mother be forced to carry that child?”, or “why should she be subjected to a constant reminder of her attack?” and I’d agree with you wholeheartedly that it wouldn’t be an easy time. It doesn’t change the fact that the wrong party is paying a higher price than any other – the ultimate price.
There are two people involved in this “decision” yet only one of them has a voice. Only one gets to be judge, jury and executioner. The other is innocent, but mute, unable to state their case for living. In our criminal justice system the “accused” is always allowed a voice in defense of self. That rapist dad certainly will get one. Funny how that doesn’t apply to the totally innocent product of his misdeeds.
So please, all you who think that abortion is ok whenever, or only in certain exceptions, answer that question: What crime did the child conceived commit that is heinous enough to warrant a death penalty?
I left Beth with that question and this thought: When you can give me a reasonable, logical to that question, maybe I’ll back you on the exceptions.
So far she can’t, because there isn’t one.
Image: Courtesy of murderousmonday.blog
