To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Monday, January 24, 2005
The Courage of Their Convictions
I was watching FoxNews this morning (surprise, surprise), and they were covering the March for Life Rally in Washington, DC. What stood out to me was the number of women who carried signs saying "I regret my abortion." The amount of courage... I was floored by what I saw.
You see, I know women who have had abortions, friends I grew up with. I have seen the pain, the grief, the shame that accompanies this "legal procedure." Very few people are privy to this small piece of their lives- it's not something they want people to know about. But, you see, I was there. I saw them hide it from their families, praying that they would never know what their "Baby Girl" had done. I witnessed the moment when one of them realized that it was more than just a tissue mass. I watched as they silently grieved, smiling on the outside, unwilling to let more people in on their dirty little secret. I know how hard it was for one of them to tell her future husband about her past. I felt her terror after she miscarried and feared that she may never carry a baby to term.
These women I know are not weak. Far from it. Their reasons for having abortions are varied (one "wasn't ready" and the other was told of possible medical problems with the baby and panicked). This happened years ago, and they've tried to put it all behind them, as best they can. There is a pain that will never go away- a scar that never quite heals. No matter how much they regret the decision they made, I don't think that either of them would have the courage to stand on a stage and confess that particular sin to the world. Not that they are Pro-Choice - far from it. They are both very Pro-Life. They just wouldn't go quite as far as the women I saw today on tv.
I believe that technology will eventually put abortion out of favor as time goes on. As babies survive and grow into happy healthy children with less and less time in the womb, people will be less likely to approve a procedure that destroys a life that can live in the real world. In the end, I believe that anything more than the "Day After" pills and possibly selective reduction will be frowned upon. At least, that is my hope.
Until that time, I am so grateful for women like the ones I saw on tv. Maybe, a young woman who is thinking about having an abortion will see one of these women expressing their regrets, and she just might think twice and ask more questions. That will have to be enough for now.
You see, I know women who have had abortions, friends I grew up with. I have seen the pain, the grief, the shame that accompanies this "legal procedure." Very few people are privy to this small piece of their lives- it's not something they want people to know about. But, you see, I was there. I saw them hide it from their families, praying that they would never know what their "Baby Girl" had done. I witnessed the moment when one of them realized that it was more than just a tissue mass. I watched as they silently grieved, smiling on the outside, unwilling to let more people in on their dirty little secret. I know how hard it was for one of them to tell her future husband about her past. I felt her terror after she miscarried and feared that she may never carry a baby to term.
These women I know are not weak. Far from it. Their reasons for having abortions are varied (one "wasn't ready" and the other was told of possible medical problems with the baby and panicked). This happened years ago, and they've tried to put it all behind them, as best they can. There is a pain that will never go away- a scar that never quite heals. No matter how much they regret the decision they made, I don't think that either of them would have the courage to stand on a stage and confess that particular sin to the world. Not that they are Pro-Choice - far from it. They are both very Pro-Life. They just wouldn't go quite as far as the women I saw today on tv.
I believe that technology will eventually put abortion out of favor as time goes on. As babies survive and grow into happy healthy children with less and less time in the womb, people will be less likely to approve a procedure that destroys a life that can live in the real world. In the end, I believe that anything more than the "Day After" pills and possibly selective reduction will be frowned upon. At least, that is my hope.
Until that time, I am so grateful for women like the ones I saw on tv. Maybe, a young woman who is thinking about having an abortion will see one of these women expressing their regrets, and she just might think twice and ask more questions. That will have to be enough for now.
