Excerpt

5.6 Abortion: The Contradiction

I was struck by an odd situation today as I drove home from work. On a radio newscast the disc jockey proudly proclaimed that a man who had punched a pregnant woman in the stomach and killed her unborn child was sentenced to several years in prison. My first thought was one of relief that our society understood that life was precious and correctly put this animal behind bars. I felt somewhat proud that in my society life was important and all were protected. As I drove around the block into my field of vision came a clinic that had a harmless name that made one feel that it was a safe place for women's health issues. Suddenly my feelings of relief were immediately replaced with a decisive shock. It became apparent to me that this was a women's clinic where abortions were performed. I recognized that once again I was being inspired and given a chance to take a look into an issue that strikes deep into American culture and greatly divides our nation.

My mind did back flips as dozens of thoughts went through my head. I was shocked that legally a woman could go to a clinic and destroy an unborn life, while a man less than 10 miles away, who essentially performed the same act as a doctor across town, was put in jail and the key thrown away. I was greatly perplexed and struggled to understand the difference between the two situations that warranted such different outcomes. Clearly in one instance the mother was willing to terminate her pregnancy and in the other instance she was not given a choice. I was left thinking it is great that we stood up for the mother's rights but who was protecting the children? Why would a law only be applied if a mother decided to press charges? Human life is so fragile in the first few years. Our legal system should be greatly slanted to protect children, not allow them to be treated as a possession that is easily discarded.

I struggled with this issue for a couple of days and came up with very little in the way of insight until I sat to meditate on the issue. As I focused on the quandary I sensed a popular opinion or a strong point of view and quickly realized I was feeling the conscience of several women combined. I saw the liberation of the past when Roe vs. Wade was new, which allowed women to feel empowered and strong. It was as if young women had for the first time in our world taken complete control of their lives by having control of their bodies. The youth of these feelings was obvious to me. I sensed the desire to have fun and not answer to anyone. I felt drunkenness associated with power. It was as if the feelings came from adolescents or young adults who did not completely understand the ramifications of their decisions.