Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin recently made news by
admitting that she had briefly considered having an abortion.
This admission of temptation was jumped on by pro-
abortionists as something like vindication for their own
twisted beliefs. The political director of one pro-abortion
group, Elizabeth Shipp, is reported in the Washington Times
to have said, “If I didn’t know better I’d say Gov. Palin
sounds remarkably pro-choice.”
Washington Post
columnist, Ruth Marcus quotes the Governor at length and
claims to “respect Palin’s decision not to ‘make it all go
away,’ ” but also castigates the Governor because if it were
up to her, “The good decision to choose life” as she [Gov.
Palin] put it, would be no decision at all, because abortion
would not be an option.” Ms. Marcus concludes by stating
that, “Abortion is a personal issue and a personal choice.
The government has no business taking that difficult
decision away from those who must live with the
consequences.”
Although there is no Italian in my background, my initial
response was to throw my hands in dismay and cry out,
“Mama Mia!”
Governor Palin’s painfully honest admission was made in
terms that made no bones about how wrong abortion is.
“Because at the time only my doctor knew the results, Todd
didn’t even know. No one would know. But I would
know…”It sounds like Mephistopheles was whispering into
her ear: “No one will know.” Implicit in such a statement is
wrongdoing. The Governor’s experience of the temptation
to try and “Just make it all go away,” gave her insight and
understanding to the temptations facing other women with
difficult pregnancies, whether because the pregnancy is out
of wedlock or because the unborn child is less than perfect
in the eyes of society. (By Ms. Marcus’ own account as
many as 90% of Down Syndrome babies are aborted).
However, understanding temptation is different from giving
into temptation.
The Washington Post columnist faults Governor Palin for
desiring to have this particular temptation removed as the
government has no business in such a personal matter.
Well, in fact, the government has a lot to do with many
personal matters. Parents of children who are born can
have those children taken away from them if they do not
treat them properly, and may even be faced with criminal
charges because of neglect. An unborn child is every bit as
much a human as a born child, regardless of the individual
child’s imperfections in the view of society. Nazi Germany
gassed children with Downs Syndrome; today’s pro-
abortionists wish to do away with them before they see the
light of day. Morally speaking there is not even a shade of
difference.
Then there are the consequences. Those who favour
abortion seem to think that living with a child of special
needs is a terrible imposition that will ruin the parents’
lives. The love to be experienced in and through these
children is never considered. Nor is living with the guilt of
having taken an innocent life considered. Governor Palin
faced down a temptation which many in our society would
falsely offer as a “way out.” Speaking of her baby she
said, “The moment he was born I knew my prayers had
been answered.”