Steven Easton

Abortion

Saturday, May 18

Please read this with an open mind. There are things that need to be said today, and I know a lot of you will disagree with me. Though I respect your views, I ask that you think this through. 

I don't know the details of the Alabama law because I haven't done a whole lot of research, but it has brought up the discussion about abortion. 

For those of you who don't know my story. I am the legal guardian of my niece, Ava. My sister, Stacey, and I grew up in poverty. I'll be the first to admit that she did not have the resources to raise her child. With that in mind, I understand why it sounds like an option to avoid putting a child in that situation. That doesn't take away the fact that the fetus is a person with unique DNA.

Yes, a woman carries that child for nine months. With the exception of rape, which is 1-2% of cases of abortion, it is a choice to have sex, which can result in pregnancy. If birth control doesn't work for whatever reason, the risks are still known. Good rule of thumb: don't sleep with someone if you're not ready to be a parent or don't think they could be a responsible parent. 

People get so offended by the idea of having to go through emotionally hard things. Sometimes people need to live with the consequences of their mistakes. That doesn't mean you're any less of a person. If that means carrying a child at an inconvenient time, then do the hard thing. Allow the beauty of life to result from this. That unique DNA isn't a mistake. Don't punish him or her. 

With all this said, I do not believe that the decision to abort is an easy one in most situations. For people who think calling the mothers who have had to make this decision "baby murderers", need to remember there is a human behind that decision. Sadly, they couldn't see any other way out. This post is not meant to make anyone feel guilty. Please don't hear it as that.

That doesn't take away from the reality that this is genocide of the innocent. The reason why these tiny humans don't have a voice to speak up is because they were never given a chance; they were never born. Like Ronald Reagan said, "I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born."

Had Stacey decided to not have Ava, I wouldn't have known what life would've been like otherwise, but I can tell you that Ava is loved, cherished, and my life. There are so many families who want to love and cherish babies. There are open adoption options where the child can still have relationship with their biological mom, but live with adoptive parents. 

Ava has forced me to grow up, and I've done the single parenting thing. Some would say, "Well, you had the choice." It wasn't a choice in my mind. Despite my own lack of resources, I made it work. I still have a life, and Ava makes that life better. I am so thankful Stacey went through with having Ava. Stacey and I have our differences, and Stacey has made a lot of mistakes, but it was all worth it for Ava.

To take the voice away from the innocent has cost millions of lives. How is pro-choice a choice? That irony in that is sickening. 

For the record, if you have had to make this decision, I do not judge you, but as a nation, I think we need to empower women by reminding them that they have a gift of being able to bear children, and having kids doesn't mean their life is over.