Roe v. Wade

                Tomorrow marks forty-two years since abortion became legal in the United States of America.  Roe v. Wade was first argued December 13, 1971; it was reargued October 11, 1972; it was decided on January 22, 1973.  In the forty-two years since that decision, Americans have murdered nearly 50 million unborn and nearly born babies.  How could we fall so far from morality?

                Today I remembered what I was doing during the period of 1971-1973.   I spent more than half of 1971 trying desperately to get pregnant.  I made many visits to doctor’s offices and endured numerous tests in an effort to discover my problem.  How could any woman kill her baby when I was having such a difficult time getting one?  In September of that year my problem was diagnosed, and I became pregnant in October 1971.  I was so very happy because I was finally going to have a baby of my own! 

                I felt good all during the pregnancy and secretly hoped I would have twins.  I remember thinking I was fat enough for two babies, but my doctor assured me that I was actually quite tiny and there was only one baby due in June 1972.  In late April my little girl decided she had waited long enough and came five weeks early; she weighed only 4.5 pounds and was immediately put in an incubator.  I remember other mothers in the hospital asking me if it was hard to care for such a tiny baby, and I replied that I did not know anything different.  My baby girl was strong and determined; she was beautiful with dark hair and big blue eyes, and she was mine!  She soon proved that she could breathe on her own and was strong enough to be taken home at five days of age.  My husband and I were overjoyed to take our baby home and had a delightful time getting to know her.  She was so tiny that she could have slept herself to death; therefore, I woke her every two to three hours to eat.  She was not real interested in food but ate enough to stay alive and grow.  Gradually, she grew big enough that my fears for her life vanished, and I could begin to think of other things.

                A few months after the birth of my first child I became pregnant once again.  This pregnancy was a little more difficult than my first one but was still fairly easy.  I no longer hoped for twins because I realized my babies would be very close in age.  My second daughter was born in the middle of July 1973 when her sister was 14.5 months old; she was full term and weighed 7.1 pounds.  She too was beautiful with dark hair and big brown eyes; she was easier to care for and adored her big sister.  My two little girls grew up together and became great friends.  They were about the same size for a long time, and I treated them as twins.  When I changed one diaper, I changed the other one.  When I fed one, I fed the other.  I dressed them in similar but different clothing and had a wonderful time being their mother and watching them grow and develop.

                While millions of other women were arranging for the deaths of their babies, I have been enjoying my children and grandchildren.  I truly enjoyed being a mother to my two little girls and their four younger siblings.  I am grateful to know that my children are good friends and enjoy being together.  They travel long distances and make many sacrifices in order to spend time together and allow their children to know their cousins.  There is such closeness among my children that I sometimes feel like an outsider at our family gatherings!  I am very grateful and know I am very blessed to be a mother and grandmother.  I am grateful to have wonderful children and fifteen adorable grandchildren with another one due next summer.

                I am grateful for scientific and medical advances that prove unborn babies are human beings and not just tissue.  I support right to life for all unborn, nearly born, and newborn babies.  I was pleased to hear the U.S. House of Representatives had scheduled a vote on a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, an age that a fetus feels pain.  I was disappointed today when the House dropped the bill because of inter-party disputes in the GOP.  The House will instead vote on a bill to ban the use of federal tax dollars for abortions.  This same bill passed the House nearly a year ago but died in the Democrat-controlled Senate.  Hopefully, the bill will become law now that we have a Republican-controlled Senate as well as House.  This vote will take place on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision and is a good step forward.  I hope and pray that our elected leaders in Washington will soon put a stop to most abortions and allow more babies to be born.  No one need kill their baby; any mother unable to care for her child can bring joy to another woman who cannot have children of her own.  Babies are human and deserve the blessing of life!