| The Palin Connection By Theresa Bonopartis MichNews.com Sep 2, 2008 |
We may not have a crazy car chase as in “The French Connection” but the nomination of Sarah Palin as Vice President certainly brings with it a thrilling ride through this presidential election. Many of us have never experienced such electricity in the air for an election as we do now. The differences are staggering and like it or not abortion has taken a front row. The Democratic Party has adopted an extremely liberal platform on abortion with Obama’s promise to Planned Parenthood to dissolve any and all restrictions on abortion even while calling for it to be “safe and rare”. It is obvious that Obama, who totes women’s rights, has never spoken to women who have been damaged by “safe, legal” abortion. Not just emotionally, but physically. He has never seen the heartache of a woman who is unable to have other children because her abortion left her physically damaged. He has not spoken to women who were coerced by boyfriends, husbands or parents to abort, or be abandoned, nor has he researched the statistics showing the increase in violent deaths of teenage pregnant girls by boyfriends because they refused to abort. No, Barack, has obviously not heard the cries of mourning when all too late, because of the lack of informed consent legislation, women find out that in fact they did kill an unborn child, nor has he heard the anguish of the teenage girl who speaks of distancing from her family because she is afraid they will find out she aborted a child without their consent, leaving her parents to wonder why she has changed. The democratic platform is not about women and choice; it is about keeping abortion legal at all times for any reasons, for anyone, no matter what the circumstances. Abortion is big business as evidenced by the latest profits of Planned Parenthood in the support they give their candidates. In contrast, the Republican Party has approved a platform that contains the Human Life Amendment guaranteeing legal protection for unborn children. This is right and good. All life deserves protection, but the voice still missing in all of this is women and men who mourn the loss of their children through abortion. We are bombarded by “pro life” and “pro choice”, but very little attention is given to those who feel stuck in the middle of the debate. Those who have actually had abortions. And so, as the director of Lumina, a post abortion program in New York, the abortion capital of the world, and being a post abortive woman myself, I would like to voice what I see in this election as a result of my experience and the work I have done with other post abortive women and men over the last 15 years. For many who have had abortions, no matter what side of the issue, I am sure this election is very difficult and passionate. Some resent the intrusion into their denial, as the issue becomes up and forefront on every paper and news broadcast. It is something they would rather not think about. Some, emotionally detached, will try to keep abortion legal at any cost in order to continue to justify what happened and keep doing what they want with no consequences to their behaviors. Of course, the merits of sex education will surface here, but with the number of abortions where they are and sex education everywhere, you have to admit, something is wrong. Some like to blame it on abstinence education, but the truth is, very few schools have abstinence education, and no one ever got pregnant from abstaining from sex until marriage. That being said, I truly believe no one makes a decision to abort easily. Most times it is heart wrenching. Everyone wants to speak of it before it happens, but often those who abort find themselves suffering alone with the mainstream media and even the APA trying to make them feel crazy for feeling bad about killing their unborn child. It has taken many years to find out that, in fact, they are the ones who are crazy for thinking it wouldn’t bother us. It is not natural for a mom to kill her child, born or unborn. So, with all the media attention brought about by Governor Palin, a range of emotions are coming to the surface for many of us, some good and some bad. I personally admire her for giving birth to her son in a world that says his life is not worth living because he has Down syndrome. The fact that they speak about the blessing of him in their lives furthers my admiration, but, I am sure, for those couples who have aborted because of a poor prenatal diagnosis, it is a heart wrenching thing to hear. In just the past year, we have dealt with many couples, who were pressured by the medical profession, even clergy, to end a pregnancy because their child would be less than perfect in the eyes of the world. The thought of giving birth was something many of them met with inflictions of guilt as if they would be bad parents for having the child. How have we come to this? As for Palin’s daughter Bristol, I truly admire their support of her pregnancy without shame or excuse. Yes, she made mistake. A mistake countless girls and boys make every year in our country in spite of how they may have been brought up or what sex education they have had. We may want to believe that our children will listen to what we say and follow our lead, but the truth is, many times they need to learn for themselves in spite of what we tell them. Will it be hard for Bristol? Of course, but never as hard as the abandonment felt by many teens when a parent forces them to abort, or the anguish of knowing you killed your own child. In the end, this election is filled with what we in the post abortion work refer to as “abortion connectors”. People, places or things reminding us of our own abortion experiences, but it is also filled with hope. A hope that the lies of abortion are finally coming to the surface. That the misconception of “safe legal abortion” is just that, a misconception. That life does not return to the way it was before your pregnancy. That abortion is not some end all problem solver, but instead often brings with it countless more problems. That abortion not only kills an unborn child, but it hurts women, men, grandparents, siblings, friends, and I am sure our entire society. I applaud Governor Palin for her firm example of respecting the dignity and value of the sanctity of all human life, and for her courage to stand up for what is right and true. Her children and future grandchildren are blessed to have her, and so will we be, if we are fortunate enough to have her as the next Vice President of the United States. Copyright by Theresa Bonopartis Lumina/hope & healing after abortion
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