At the tender age of fourteen a girl in Springfield, Oregon found herself pregnant. It was 1950. Alone and scared, the girl resorted to the only ‘choice’ she had; she attempted an abortion with a coat-hanger in the kitchen of her house. Her mother helped. The attempt failed and she was forced by circumstances to have the unwanted and illegitimate child…
There are those who hear that story and are thankful that we live in a country where abortion is now legal. They are grateful for the right to choose and look on those dark, pre-Roe days with disgust and pity. To them, Roe v. Wade is a blessing. There are, however, also those like myself, who disagree. I am the grandson of that little girl, the son of that failed attempt. Had Roe been in place in 1950, you would not be reading this letter now.
In retrospect, my grandmother turned out to be a pretty good mom, one who cared diligently for the baby girl she thought she didn’t want, and whose life she tried to end. Later that baby girl became my mother, and she has long been a respected member of the community, a pillar of her church and a tireless volunteer for multiple civic organizations. Her life has benefited hundreds, if not thousands of people. The fact that she was nearly killed before she was ever born is a tragedy, not a blessing. And that is why abortion, like murder, should be made illegal in America.
As we approach the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision yet again, I am reminded of how precarious life really is. A simple twist of fate would have ended my mother’s life, my life, and the lives of my three children, before any of us was given the choice to live. Roe is not merely a bad law, but a personal affront and an attack on life itself.
So wish me a happy birthday, and weep for the thousands who will this day die before they ever get the chance live.
NOTE: joplindaily.com saw fit to publish the letter on the Opinion page of their website on Saturday, January 14. It will only appear there for 2 weeks though, is my understanding. It was also submitted to the Eugene Register-Guard, which published it on January 21. The Joplin Globe declined to publish it altogether. C'est la vie.
