There is a legend about Robert the Bruce who having
been defeated numerous times by the English, in despair
sought refuge in a cave, and there considered giving it all
up. However, in the twilight of the cave his attention was
caught by a small spider trying to spin a web. Time after
time the spider fell in its attempt. Six times it cast its silky
strand and six times it fell. The Bruce told the spider that
he might as well give up, but the spider persevered, and
the seventh time its strand held and it built its web. The
King took that as a sign and returned to the field of battle,
driving the English back and achieving independence for
Scotland (until the lamentable Act of Union in 1707)..
In the wake of the election of our nations most rabidly,
pro-abortion candidate for president, anti-abortion forces
may feel like Robert the Bruce as he entered the cave.
The Washington Post (which all too frequently does not
“get it”) had a front page story entitled “Some Abortion
Foes Shifting Focus from Ban to Reduction.” That sounds
suspiciously like the Clinton mantra to make abortion legal,
safe and rare. (Nobody bothered to ask why should it be
rare, if there was nothing wrong with it). The President -
elect does not even throw that scrap to abortion opponents,
but rather makes his support of The Freedom of Choice Act
a cornerstone of his domestic policy, and even envisioned
the abortion of his own grandchildren, if his daughters
make the mistake of getting pregnant.
A democracy gets the leaders it deserves. Those who
truly opposed abortion need to work to change the status
quo rather than to accommodate and accept it. No matter
what other benefits a regime may offer its people, if it does
not protect the weakest and most vulnerable members of
society, it is morally unacceptable. With an eye to making
the moral law the law of the land, we must work to change
perception in our society so that we will deserve better
leadership that will protect the most vulnerable.
We need to start with language. Jettison the terms “pro-
choice” and “pro-life.” State the issue plainly; you are
either for abortion or against abortion. Recognize the
science involved, that is that the unborn child is a Human
Life (no woman ever gave birth to a puppy), and as such
deserves all the rights and protections inherently due to
innocent Human Life. As we begin the new liturgical year
we need to recommit ourselves to the eradication of the
hitherto unspeakable evil of abortion, not to accept it.
Like King Robert the Bruce let us learn from the
determined and intrepid spider to try and try and never stop
trying until we succeed.