Respect lives of King, Beethoven -- all children
Letter to the Editor
Life does have the ability of homogenizing the black and white to make gray. That's why Catholics are there: to make sense of the gray (a.k.a. mix of right and wrong), again.
We are called to be witnesses of the truth in Christ Jesus, and not to judge people but to judge the actions they take that we may better help others choose between right and wrong in this world. That's why I am writing this letter in response to "Quality of life important in abortion debate," a letter published in the Sept. 10 edition of The Observer.
Before I proceed, I'm going to ask you all to take a short mental quiz.
It won't be taxing, I promise. Simply answer yes or no to the following situations:
A. The mother of a family of 14 is pregnant again. Her husband — the father of all 14 of these children — has a history of alcohol abuse and mental disorders which frequently causes him to abuse his other children. The mother herself is already worn out from trying to care single-handedly for her large family and doesn't feel she can care for another child at this point. On top of all this, two sons in the family also have a history of alcohol abuse, one of the children is in a mental institution, and none of the other children have steady, dependable jobs with which to support mom and dad. Abortion or Not?
B. A poor black family in the South is expecting a fifth child. This family, because of its skin color, already has difficulty receiving help and are already at the bare minimum poverty level. The outlook for their present children does not look bright. Abortion or Not?
C. A woman is engaged to a man some years older than she; she finds out that she is facing an unplanned pregnancy. The child she is carrying is definitely not the son of her fiancé, and he is worried for her sake and for their repution in their community. This child could put a serious strain on their relationship and on any future children. Abortion or Not?
Okay, everybody finished? Here are the results:
A. If you answered Abortion for A, congradulations! You just aborted Ludwig Van Beethoven!
B. If you answered Abortion for B, again, congradulations! You just aborted Martin Luther King, Jr.
C. If you answered Abortion for C, YOU WIN THE GRAND PRIZE! You, my friend, have just aborted Jesus of Nazareth.
The point in all this is that yes, sometimes we are faced with circumstances beyond our control. Yes, sometimes we are faced with situations that are not our fault. But everyone has choices to make in this life. The way and the conditions into which you were born may have been completely beyond your control, yet your life is still your own, and you have it to do with as you will. And at the end of your life, you will have to account for your life to God, and His is the final call, people!
If you want to improve someone's quality of life, does that mean that you deny them the chance to live their life to its fullest and natural conclusion? Adoption is an option, though it can be very painful. Anything is better than not even giving someone the chance to live!
Or at the end of your life would you like to stand before the Alpha and Omega and explain to Him why it was best for this child that you murder it? Forgive me, but I have never known you.
If you want to improve the quality of life for improverished children that badly, why don't you look into counseling, mentoring or adopting a child?
Anything's got to be better than the alternative: murder.
Katherine Hoppe
Freshman
Lyons Hall
September 13, 1999
All Viewpoint Stories for Wednesday, September 15, 1999
