Thursday, July 23, 2009

Judgment for All

With the Supreme Court nomination of Sotomayor being discussed in the news, I cannot help think about Roe V. Wade, since this question always comes up in nomination hearings. Sotomayor does not make her opinion about abortion explicit. She thinks it is mute, since the court has already decided. But the Roe V. Wade decision has made the biggest impact ever on the world’s history. Therefore, it is not insignificant to discuss it. Despite there being a high court decision the question will always remain.

McCorvey, the defendant in Roe V. Wade is now a pro-life activist. She said there is something crucial we are missing, because Roe V. Wade has not been overturned. SHE thinks that there needs to be pro-life judges in the court order to help overturn the Supreme Court decision.

Quite frankly, abortion existed before the “landmark” court case Roe V. Wade, and would have continued without this case. However, now that legal precedence has been established in the courts we can not stop abortion by fighting it in the courts. They have made their decision. Since abortion has existed for a long time (it is mentioned in ancient texts), people will still want to do it—so long as murder exists so too will abortion.

We have prayed a lot about stopping abortion and clearly that grace only goes as far as the heart is open to it. We will continue to pray, but all humans have free will and all are fallen.

I think what we need is social norm-ing. We need a strong campaign flowing into the mainstream of society sending the message to the public. “Abortion ends a defenseless human life and that is wrong!” “There are alternatives to abortion.” I think the crucial component missing in the fight is money and an effective campaign. We need money to pay for the campaign to enter into the mainstream.

The Supreme Courts decision was that the U.S. Constitution does not provide for the government to stop an abortion. The decision and message went across the land that “We, as a government cannot stop this.” They were right. The power to stop abortion rests in heads of those who choose to abort their procreation. The decision is ultimately the mother’s. Breaking this decision down even further, if society tells her it is acceptable to take this action, then she will, and not feel badly about it. If society tells her that it is of bad moral character to make this decision and it comes with great risk to her own life, she still may make the bad decision, but she would be FAR less likely to do so.

So finally, our battle within the courts was fought and lost. Do not try anymore to enter this impenetrable fortress known as the Supreme Court. The weapon they hold is the Constitution in which they believe abortion is an inalienable freedom. Let us find new, battle ground—let us use new and different weapons.

Maybe I do not know anything about any of this (law, medicine, psychology) and I am showing my ignorance. But, there is no substitute for good character. Just the same as there is no effectual substitute for exercise and healthy eating. This has been haunting me. I keep thinking that abortion and euthanasia are not freedoms at all. There are simply quick fixes to very weighty, perplexing life events. They say, “I do not WANT to deal with this, so I am going to end it.”

Freedom was defined for Americans in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Very famously we never forget that what we seek is, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The first of these is “life,” and therefore, we must be a pro-life nation first and foremost in order to fulfill our national creed. This judgment made by the Supreme Court violates the first tenants of our nation. It’s not a state’s rights issue. It is an ethical quandary for all humanity seeking civil society.

May God have mercy on us all.

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