Education...

I refuse to get into the abortion debate yet again. All life has value, including the life of the scared 13 year old--and the best way to stop abortion is not to ban it, but rather to create education for pregancy prevention, and non-judgemental education for unplanned pregnancies. I have a friend who knew that with her pregnancy, adoption was the right choice. She went in, and was told by a nurse that "GOD had a plan for her baby", and was condemned even for the adoption choice. My friend has said that if she hadn't known ahead of time that adoption was what she wanted, she may have been swayed by this nurse. I have a friend who was told that her unplanned out of wedlock pregnancy was sending her to hell. These environments are not conducive to safe, secure education that support adoption or keeping the baby, and can be teh situations that keep young girls from seeking out help--and in the end choose abortion because they were overwhelmed by everthing else. It's a tough choice no matter what choice you make...there is loss in any option, but our best hope to end abortion is education and more education....not laws governing choice. The reality is--even if abortion were illegal, as so many wish--abortion would still happen--it would just happen in less educated, less sterile environments. These women who choose abortion--their lives also have value-and at what point do we have the right to not value them and love them and educate them?

I know several people are angry that President Obama has reversed some abortion funding bans. History tells us that EVERY president since Ronald Reagan has done the same, depending on the nature of their political party. The CDC has been tracking the abortion rate since 1969 and showed that abortion increased in the late seventy's and eighty's with a decline from 1991-1997--the lowest rate being in 1995. Now, the CDC isn't perfect, and neither are their statistics but i think that before we get upset, we need to realize that education costs money. We also have to realize that during times when this ban was reversed, and money was more available, there was a decrease. we have to be willing to assist in this education if we are going to make a real change. It has nothing to do with the signing of any bills or legislation, but with the change in our attitudes to reach out and help others.

My prayer is that every person would understand that policy and procedure don't change lives. People change lives by their love and understanding that EVERY person has value...and if you know someone who is dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, the best thing you can do for them is help them get an education on the medical and emotional trauma of all their options. Be a listening ear, and an advocate when someone treats them poorly. Help them face their families and friends, and to make a decision that CREATES value, rather than destruction.