finding wonder in the mundane

John Piper weighs in

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the opinion of the Supreme Court in upholding the ban on partial birth abortions on April 18, 2007. It is astonishing to read the opinion. The detail with which abortion is discussed exceeded my expectation. Kennedy's own descriptions of the various forms of abortion are explicit and extensive. Descriptions of the procedure of partial birth abortion ("intact dilation and extraction") are given from both doctors' and nurses' perspectives.

For example, one nurse described the procedure on a twenty-six-week-old "fetus" as follows-and remember this is a quote from Justice Kennedy's official Supreme Court decision:

Dr. Haskell went in with forceps and grabbed the baby's legs and pulled them down into the birth canal. Then he delivered the baby's body and the arms-everything but the head. The doctor kept the head right inside the uterus. . . . The baby's little fingers were clasping and unclasping, and his little feet were kicking. Then the doctor stuck the scissors in the back of his head, and the baby's arms jerked out, like a startle reaction, like a flinch, like a baby does when he thinks he is going to fall. The doctor opened up the scissors, stuck a high-powered suction tube into the opening, and sucked the baby's brains out. Now the baby went completely limp. . . . He cut the umbilical cord and delivered the placenta. He threw the baby in a pan, along with the placenta and the instruments he had just used. (p. 8 of the opinion).

There is a certain irony to the argument for the Supreme Court's ruling. One argument against the necessity of a health exception for the mother was that alternative methods of abortion are legally available, if necessary, even at this late stage in the pregnancy. For example, the ordinary D&E (dilation and extraction). The irony is that the Court concedes that the "the standard D&E is in some respects as brutal, if not more, than intact D&E" (p. 6 ofthe opinion). In other words, in normal, legal abortions, the baby is torn apart limb from limb while still in the womb, but in a partial birth abortion, the baby is mercifully spared the dismemberment and his brains are quickly sucked out of his head.

Such are the contorted conditions in which we find ourselves: The proposal of a manifestly barbaric law (permitting the dismemberment of a partially born child) is defeated by the legal standing of a more barbaric law (permitting the dismemberment of a child in the womb). But the history of Providence has many such stories to tell-great evils finally being self-destroyed, like a python swallowing its own tail.

Pro-abortion politicians tremble as they see it coming. Barack Obama worries that "this ruling will embolden state legislatures to enact further measures to restrict a woman's right to choose." The Supreme Court erred, he said, because partial birth abortion is "a matter of equal rights for women."

This use of catch phrases is surely tired. "Right to choose." "Equal rights for women." The grandchildren of the sixties are waking up to the vagueness and danger of those phrases. Right to choose what? Anything? All laws that protect children limit the rights of moms (and dads) to choose. You can't choose to starve them. You can't choose to lock them in closets for three weeks. You can't choose to abandon them. You can't choose to strangle them five minutes after they are born.

And "equal rights for women"-equal with whom? Equal with the irresponsible dad. Dad has sex and bears no responsibility for the baby. Mom should be equally able to have sex and bear no responsibility for the baby. Young people are looking at this and saying: Something is wrong with this picture. Maybe our lives are as broken as they are because our parents have twisted their hearts and minds so deeply to justify equality in irresponsibility.

Hilary Clinton opposes the Supreme Court decision because "the rights and lives of women must be taken into account." Yes. That is mainly what this forty-page opinion of the court does. Read it. And it will be interesting whether Senator Clinton will have any opinion about moms and dads who want to abort their little girls, but not their little boys. I think the younger generation may ask the senator: Should the life of little women be taken into account, or only big women?

There's your choice.

more partial birth abortion

I want to get a perm like Julia's...yay or nay?

a comment i saw on another blog...and, the ultimate in moral relativism...i bet this chick could justify anything? My favorite, favorite line...By whatever rationale you use, ending a pregnancy 12 weeks into gestation is incalculably more moral than bringing an unwanted child into this world. Or a child that, through no fault of its own, would be the destructor of a marriage, a family, a parent.

Actually, no: we are not talking about the LIFE of the mother with partial-birth abortion. I have never seen any indication that this is other than an elective procedure.

I’ll give you an opportunity to correct me. Let’s make this conversation a bit more reality-based. Can you provide data to show what the usual waiting period is for the PBA procedure? (Hint: if you find it, and the answer is “more than a few minutes to an hour”, then we’re not talking about a life-saving medical emergency procedure …)

But I do have a simple solution for the “wee conundrum” you’ve proposed of “women whose pregnancies are killing them, with a fetus at the development stage where a partial-birth abortion takes place. It’s called “inducing labor”. It happens all the time. If that is too risky for the life and health of the woman, there’s another alternative available. It’s call a “ceaserian section”. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?

Both of these procedures have the effect of removing the fetus from the woman’s body, and ending the pregnancy that you say is threatening to kill her.

And you end up with a baby whose skull is not crushed as a bonus.

What’s the problem with that? Unless the crushing of the skull and delivery of a dead baby is the actual desired medical outcome?

So, my challenge to you, Melanie, or any other supporter of the supposed necessity of crushing the skulls of infants in order to save lives, is this:

Identify for me a single medical condition where a PBA is (1) necessary to save the woman’s life, and (2) less risky than either induced labor or a c-section.

No fair answering part (1) without part (2) also.

Failing that information, I will continue with my belief that the real desired outcome is the baby with a crushed skull, and the “life of the mother” verbiage is just the rationalization provided to disguise and salve that brutal fact.

peace,

Comment by Zach Frey (znfrey.com/blog)

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off to Target with a friend and her baby before I pummel the computer screen. thoughts?

3 months

Dear Asher Man,

You're 3 months old! Such a momma's boy. Right now you are snuggled up in sissy's fleece blanket, complaining in your bassinet. When you're not in my arms, you're not happy! Your dad often says, "All eyes on mommy!" It's so true. Whenever you hear me or see me, you start to wine.

I'm exhausted, and lately you've been sad and gassy. Soon, though, diapers and sweet midnight feedings with your chubby hand holding on tight to my finger will give way to toddler temper tantrums and popsicle stains on size 7 clothing. I'm making a point to cherish every minute.

You are such a communicator. You will start to coo and giggle the minute anyone pays attention to you. I put the Hello Kitty card Lulu got for her birthday in your bassinet, and you and she can talk for hours. I'm so proud! I'm feeling uninspired and tired, and this letter wasn't the one I was planning on writing. I guess I just wanted to let you know how much I adore you.

I LOVE the fact that I can see so much of my brothers (Michael especially) in you. It makes me feel that much more connected to my family. Seeing the faces of some of the men who mean the most in my life reflected in yours is SO cool. You don't look much like your dad. I think Lucy took care of that?

People told me with baby #2 you feel like more of a family. I already FELT like a family with just your dad and me and Lulu, but somehow they were right. Watching you and Lu interact is so wonderful. She loves you so much. Too much, at times. I walked into the living room today and she had a sippy cup jammed in your mouth. You had a horrified look on your face as milk dribbled haphazardly down your chin.

Sunday we went to Annika and Trevor's birthday party. We drove with Papa in his van. We all got to Annika and Trevor's front door when it suddenly dawned on me that we had LEFT YOU IN THE CAR. The look of shock on your dad's face when I announced it was priceless! I can guarantee you that never happened with Lucy! Things are a bit more hectic but so much fun. We had such a laugh about that. Your cousin Amy thought I was joking when I said we had forgotten you. Nope!

I love you, little man. You're everything any mom could want in a son. You even put up with Lulu and I putting pink bows in your hair tonight and calling you "Ashley". Dad thinks you'll be headed for therapy if we keep that up. :)

I love you.

Mom

Ivy

Dear Ivy,

Tonight you entered the world. You are so sweet. I got to be there when your mom and dad decided on your name, and when you nursed for the first time. Some things are things you'll remember all your life. Tonight was one of them. Your dad called me and told me I'd better hurry to the hospital because you had JUST arrived! He wanted me there, his kid sister. That felt good. Your Uncle Scott asked if I could just wait until tomorrow. NO WAY! I almost rear-ended a Hyundai on the highway, trying to get to my new niece!

There were some scary moments, little turtle. Your mom said she knew there must have been prayers all around because the doctor even had to turn her car around to come back to the hospital, prepared to take you out emergency-style because your little body was having trouble every time your mom contracted. But you recovered and got to be born the "old-fashioned" way. And then, after you were born, the scary silence your dad described when you were blue and wouldn't breathe. Everyone watching you on that little warmer, praying silent prayers. They could have heard a pin drop. My big brother is usually pretty tough, but I could tell he was scared for you! You turned around quickly. You remind me of a little turtle - AGH you're sweet! This was a wonderful, special night for me - ah, for you, too!

Your divine little face, to me, is a reminder that God is good.

My heart is overflowing, pinks and reds and purples. You are so wonderful.

I love you.

Love,

Aunt Rach

my 83rd blog

I am working on putting the past 2 years' worth of blog writing in hardbound book form for each of the kids. I realized that instead of working on baby books and trying unsuccessfully to do Creative Memories albums, I'm just going to do hardbound books of both photos and my blogging. Can you get a better memento than that?

Welcome to the new blog. How many have I had so far? 83 or 4, methinks I missed typepad. The blog changing is just another facet of my nutty personality. Needing a change. This is going to be a long project, doing this book-making thing. Imagine me in those weird book-making boots, slaving away at the book-making press as in olden days. It will be worth the work.

I leave you with a compelling photograph: