Sunday, August 23, 2009

Whatever you do unto the least of these...what's 22 days?

I'm not generally very interested in anything political. Not that I don't care, but I just have this idea that my time, money and energy don't go very far in that arena. Seems like such a powerful force and for the life of me I can't find a glimmer of hope that anybody in power is willing to take a chance on their popularity by changing direction.

Please know that I do not follow politics, foreign policy or local law making. I race to change the channel when anything economic is on the news because its either bad news or worse than bad, news. I cannot stand budget talking, because it is so far removed from anything even remotely resembling any budget I have ever made or worked from.

So, there probably are some really upstanding, risk taking, courageous go against the grain, officials out there, but my avoidance of all things political means "the opinions stated above are those of this blogger and not the whole world wide web"...

Anyway, I am interested and even obsessed, in the form of a steadfast stand, in anything moral. Every once in a while some news item slips out before I can help from hearing and if it relates to one of my soap box worthy topics...I put on my climbing shoes and get on with it. So here goes.

D came home from work the other day and told me that a mom had decapitated her 3 week old baby. She was "hearing voices". There is no doubt that as you read this you are as sick to your stomach as I am and was when I heard him. I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind following through on such an action and I wouldn't care who I thought was speaking to me or their reasons. I even admit that I would have failed, had I been Abraham and had THE God of all creation tell me to sacrifice my son. But in this case she was apparently not in her right mind, having heard voices, and following through.

I doubt there is a person in this country that would deny this woman has committed murder. What the courts convict her of, will involved all sorts of conditions of intent and sanity and I wouldn't even begin to try to sort that out. But, murder was committed. This mother took the life of her 3 week old child.

What I wonder is, if there will be any pro choice people inside the courtroom or walking the sidewalks with signs in defense of this mother's right to choose. 3 weeks ago this child was born, the day before that, he was unborn. I mean what is 22 days when you are talking about an infant. Now as an adult, 22 days makes no difference in my right to live. 22 days ago, I was 48 and at the fair parade with a certain little blonde guy. Nobody had anymore right to end my life than they do today. 22 days ago, Dot was working at the salon, beautifying women, D was at the Fire station, The Pitcher was leaving for Oklahoma and the Newlyweds were working on their front yard. More than one woman was laboring, sweating and giving her all, to bring her child into the world.

But this baby, 22 days ago, was unborn and unprotected. Well, perhaps today no doctor would end the life of a full term baby, but there have been times when this action would have been deemed an approved medical procedure, and activists can still be found that would argue a woman's right to choose, because it is her body until the two are separated by birth. I wonder the political stand of the police officers, paramedics and coroner who had to carry this infant. Did they treat it as tissue or swaddle that tiny body with an ache to have been near by to intervene.

Who is any less human or valuable 22 days ago, how about 32 days ago or 42 days ago. How about 52 days ago? If a 6 month pregnancy (52 days ago) is ok to terminate, how about 51, or 50 days? I mean seriously, where are those that fight for the right to choose when a woman just waits a few extra weeks to decide what is best for her life. Maybe she didn't want to be pregnant. Maybe she couldn't afford a child. Maybe she knew she wouldn't be a good mother. Maybe she knew all this 52 days ago, but didn't have the courage to drive to the clinic. Or maybe she suspected having a child would be exhausting on her body, but wanted to make sure before she made such a drastic decision. Let's praise her instead of commiting her for waiting to be sure having a child was going to be hard. I mean afterall, it is her body, her life, her future, right?

I think its only right for all those that have fought for "a woman's right to choose" to show up in court when the time comes and fight for this woman's right. I mean really if you have the right, what is 22 days? I think each of those that has defended this right, should sit in that courtroom, look at all the evidence and be the one to stand and make the argument. Are the lawyers that have stood before the supreme court good enough to defend her just 22 days later? Come on, same situation, just a couple of days later...make your argument, convince the jury. If you have the conviction before you can see the baby's face, don't let those tiny feet and hands change your stand. If the child scheduled to be delivered in December can be subject to murder today, let's not condemn a mother who takes a little longer to make her decision.

This is one of the most ridiculous laws or lack of law I have ever known. And I am probably one of the most ignorant of legal codes, and my statement, the epitome of "politically incorrect".

It is so glaringly obvious, it takes great effort, law degrees, and twisted reasoning to defend abortion, it takes only a glance to oppose it. Lay the infants side by side. The one born tomorrow and the one who lay decapitated at 22 days old and make a decision. God help us if we see it as anything other than murder: 22 days, 32 days, 42 days, 52 days. Like the police officers called to the scene, do we ache to have the opportunity to intervene? If the unborn child is not the purest example of "the least of these", a tiny someone worth protecting and fight for, then God help us.

Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

1 comment:

Nicole Wenger said...

This is so sad! Im in tears and heart sick over it.