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Why we shouldn't be timid about bringing up abortion
Anti-abortion activist sign is held aloft during a rally opposing federal funding for Planned Parenthood in front of the U.S. Capitol on July 28, 2015 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Olivier Douliery/Getty Images)

Why we shouldn't be timid about bringing up abortion

Listen, this conversation shouldn’t be relegated to some dark corner to be brought out quietly and in the privacy of your home. Not when we’ve got the scientific argument. And if we don't make the case, who will?

I remember holding my brand new baby girl right around the time that the Center for Medical Progress released the heart-wrenching videos of aborted babies lay in Planned Parenthood clinics, while buyers and sellers negotiated the sale of their body parts.

Twitter, Mary Ramirez (Mary Ramirez)

I couldn’t imagine how anyone could watch those videos and still believe abortion wasn’t murder. Yet, millions don’t.

Fast forward to the 2016 vice presidential debate: “Why don’t you trust women?” exclaimed Sen. Tim Kaine of Pence’s stance on abortion, “Why doesn’t Donald Trump trust women to make this choice for themselves?”

You see, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence took a bold step in Tuesday’s debate:

“I would tell you that for me the sanctity of life proceeds out of the belief that — that ancient principle that — where God says before you were formed in the womb, I knew you …”

Some outlets called this “rare,” and for good reason. It’s simply not brought up in a general election debate. Why?

Because if you’re for abortion, you’re for women, and if you’re against it, you’re a religious bigot who wishes to impose your beliefs on all women in society.

It’s easier to just shut up.

I’m thrilled that Pence brought it up in on the national stage where so few have the guts to do it. And (to paraphrase the great Mark Levin) while it can feel like a lost cause sometimes, if we don’t take these messages and make our case, no one will, and it won’t even be on the table for discussion. And since your rights start with your life, all of the rest of it is peripheral—the tax issues, the foreign policy issues, the role of government— it’s all secondary if the right to life is not first secured.

But here’s the core problem: abortion exists and flourishes in this world because people have been convinced that it’s not a life.

So it’s a moot point. No life, no problem. Then it is, as Sen. Kaine touted, a choice that each woman should simply be allowed to make.

And that’s where the debate is quieted, because (particularly in national politics) if it’s not actually a life, then it really does just become about Republicans and “Bible thumpers” sticking their nose into what doesn’t concern them.

Society’s bought into the lie. And I know I’m not alone in my frustration of how to reach people.

And then I came across this piece. Frankly, it’s the best darn argument I’ve ever read—and it just might actually work.

It’s written by Cynthia Isabell, a nurse and nursing instructor:

“My students often ask me what my opinion is regarding abortion. ‘Are you pro-life or pro-choice?’ they ask me … When I answer that I am pro-life, the students often assume that my position is based on my religious beliefs, and so they respond that ‘you can’t force your religious beliefs on everyone else.’ I explain that my argument against abortion is based on the anatomy and physiology of pregnancy, and on logical reasoning.”

That’s key here. We who believe in God know for an irrefutable fact that God is our creator, but the beautiful thing about this world that He created is that His Creation can be explained in scientific terms, too; terms that even people who reject a belief in God have a hard time denying.

Ms. Isabell was pro-choice herself once, and actively helped perform abortions. Today, she uses her extensive understanding of the facts of human biology to explain her position on life. And, “without fail, my students ask me the questions that they hear argued in the media [about the abortion debate],” Isabell recounts.

Her answers are magnificent. Allow me to illustrate her conversations:

When does life begin? (Mary Ramirez)

 

When can it be considered a human? (Mary Ramirez)

At this point she concludes to her class: “So now we all can agree that we have established that abortion is killing a living human.”

Still, the students have questions. “Why shouldn’t a woman be able to do what she wants with her body?”

Doesn't a woman get to choose? (Mary Ramirez)

For the record, does any of this sound like fluffy religious doctrine to you?

Let’s head back to the Vice Presidential debate for a moment. Remember when Sen. Kaine said he doesn’t believe in mandating the doctrines of any one religion?

It’s usually right about there where we tend to stuff that pro-life talk track back down our throats, or don’t even consider bringing it up. After all, that’s a lost cause, right? Roe v. Wade, social consensus, political popularity—there’s no winning this debate. So what’s the point?

But here’s the thing: while being “pro-life” is a religious tenant, unborn life is also a scientific fact. And if it’s a life, then it’s protected by our Constitution. Period.

Allow me to leave you one last time with Ms. Isabell’s words [emphasis mine]:

“I believe we need to become advocates of the preborn through educating people, even if it is one at a time.

…I have realized that the majority of people who are pro-choice have taken that position because society has told them that it’s the reasonable, civilized position …Their positions are based on ignorance at the personal level and trust in a system which they believe to be morally upright and scientifically objective.”

Have courage, my friends. If Mike Pence can buck the temptation to keep these facts silent in front of millions of people on a national debate stage, we can certainly educate those around us. Share Ms. Isabell’s piece or the memes from this post, engage in respectful and loving conversation, and help those around you understand these simple facts.

Even if it’s just one at a time.

Mary Ramirez is a full-time writer, creator of www.afuturefree.com(a political commentary blog), and contributor to The Chris Salcedo Show (TheBlaze Radio Network, Monday-Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. ET). She can be reached at: afuturefree@aol.com; or on Twitter: @AFutureFree

Feature Image: Getty

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